Bible

The three messianic signs from God to Moses

Leave a comment

(Exodus 4:1-9)

The staff that becomes a serpent and then a staff again is an image that evil can only go as far as God allows. Jesus will defeat the serpent, the devil, through love for God. Genesis 3:15 says, “He (Jesus) shall bruise your head, and you (serpent) shall bruise his heel.” When Jesus healed the mute demoniac possessed man, it became clear that he had power over the devil and his demons.

The healing of leprosy is another sign of the Messiah. When Jesus healed the leper, the question of whether he was the Messiah was raised publicly for the first time. From that point on, the scribes came to Jesus and watched him.

The transformation of water into blood is also the sequence of symbolism found by Jesus. At his first miracle at the wedding at Cana, he turned water into wine. At Passover he pointed the cup of redemption to his vicarious death on the cross, where his blood was shed for the forgiveness of all human transgressions. This sacrificial death becomes effective for everyone who gratefully accepts Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and no longer builds on their own righteousness. Life (water) is obtained by protecting the blood of God’s vicarious Lamb, is the message of Passover. Jesus says it this way in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Bible

Moses reacts reservedly to God’s calling

Leave a comment

Moses knows it’s not an easy task. Therefore, he rejects God’s commission. Once he had been a royal prince. Now he’s just a poor shepherd. That may have been embarrassing for him. Because it says in (Genesis 46:34): “Every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.” He also spent the very best years of his life, from forty to eighty, in no man’s land. His best manhood was wasted with roving. Now he is old. Who will still expect much from an 80-year-old man? What a failure from a proud height!

God doesn’t make mistakes. Continue reading Moses reacts reservedly to God’s calling →

Bible, Jesus

God reveals himself in a thorn bush

Leave a comment

God introduces to Moses himself as the I AM. Not as the Creator. God is defined by being, not by action. This is exciting. We in the West are touched by action. In the East one defines oneself in being. It is important whose son or daughter I am and not what awards I have received. Maybe we should fix our identity more in being. If we have given ourselves to Jesus, then we are children of God and that is enough. We love God because he is and not because he does something for us.

The second thing to notice is that God does not reveal himself in a way that can be disposed of by calling his name. He doesn’t fit into our thinking box. He defines himself as a God who is related to us humans. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He spoke to all these forefathers. He promised everyone that through Israel he would bless all peoples. God keeps his promises. God keeps his word.

It is also noticeable that God reveals himself in a thorn bush. In fact, one would expect something else. Kind of like the shepherds in Bethlehem. Heaven opens and the glory of God becomes visible. Throughout the Bible it becomes clear again and again: God reveals his love in suffering. We see that by Job. Then when everything fails, then God is there. Not as a consuming fire, but as a light in the darkness. Just as he also appeared at Pentecost over the first church in tongues of fire and thus pointed out: In the midst of all your troubles I reveal myself by being with each and every one of you and enlightening you. Jesus endures our suffering and supports us in our suffering.

Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’

Bible

The suffering on earth is known in heaven

Leave a comment

The encounter with God turned Moses’ life upside down. After Moses has become irrelevant, God takes him to set Israel free through him. But it is not an easy path, but with many surprises.

Exodus 2:23 “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.”

The suffering of the children of Israel in Egypt has become proverbial. Oppression, hard work, want, contempt, all worked together to make life miserable for them. They sighed and cried out in their distress, and their cry came before God. The suffering of the earth is known in heaven. God perceives everything. But he does not provide an instant solution. God is waiting for the right moment.
 Continue reading The suffering on earth is known in heaven →

Bible, Jesus

Moses in the land of divine revelation

Leave a comment

Moses finds refuge by the priest of Midian in Exodus 2:15-22. Without his knowledge, he fled to the place of divine revelations. Here at Jetro or Reguël, Abraham’s belief in God is lived. Therefore, Moses comes to a place where he learns more about God by waiting to him, as indicated by the two names of his father-in-law.

Perhaps it is also a challenge for us to wait for God to learn more about him, to understand him even better and to be even more fascinated about him?

After Moses fails as a saviour in Egypt, he becomes the saviour for the daughters of Jetro. A son from a royal house becomes the servant of disenfranchised women. It’s like a reference to Jesus. After Jesus is rejected, he focuses on the servant side of the Saviour. Continue reading Moses in the land of divine revelation →

Jesus

Prepared for Life (Ephesians 6:10-24)

Leave a comment

Those who walk with Jesus can expect resistance. But children of God do not walk in their own strength (Ephesians 6:10). Her master equips them. Not to fight people, but to protect themselves and ward off cunning attacks. Evil must be overcome with good (Romans 12:21). Christians should not hide in fear but stand boldly for the truth (Ephesians 6:20).

Paul uses the image of a Roman soldier, which was well known to everyone at the time, as a reminder. Today we would perhaps speak of an antivirus program. Continue reading Prepared for Life (Ephesians 6:10-24) →

Jesus

Moses and his destiny

Leave a comment

Moses was convinced in Exodus 2:11-15 that the hour had come for the Savior to intervene. But the pointer on God’s clock was not that far advanced.

We see Moses acting as a human redeemer. Moses experiences a blatant case of injustice. Shouldn’t justice be helped to triumph immediately?

Moses reacts emotionally. Seeing a need is one thing, but the big challenge is reacting calmly. Today people react before they really start to think about it.

Perhaps we too should learn to wait for the right time? If we want to make a difference, it is important to think before we act. But that’s not always easy for us.

Jesus waited over 30 years before appearing publicly. It is important that we see the need and care it, take it before God and than wait until God’s time has come.

Sometimes we try to react faster than God. But patience is a divine attribute. Psalm 86:15 says: “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”

The second mistake Moses made was that he wanted to save his people on his own. Years passed before God stripped Moses of his own strength, his zeal, even his desire to be a deliverer, so that he could carry out God’s will. God is the doer. He even makes us weak so that his power can be seen in and through us.

Wherever we offer solutions for people who don’t want any, we won’t see any success.

Moses was wrong thinking that by doing this the people would recognize him as their Saviour. They did not yet see Moses as the divine saviour. They saw a zealous man. Moses had not yet become unselfish.

Moses experienced complete bankruptcy. He fails because of his cleverness, his own power and his supposed trust in God.

But whoever wants to become a tool in God’s hands must first reach their limits with their own strength and power.

Moses was not to appear as royal highness, but had to become a Midianite shepherd before God could use him. Not a title is decisive, but the inner maturity.

Moses had not yet learned three things in our story: to wait for the divine time, to let God’s power work in oneself and to become unselfish.

 

news

India is fighting over the Hijab

Leave a comment

A protest by six young women escalates.

The conflict in southern Indian Karnataka, which is now causing tensions between Hindu and Muslim students, began when a state college banned Muslim women from wearing the so-called hijab in class. Six students at the school in the town of Udupi had refused to recognize the headscarf ban and, according to their own statements, had therefore been excluded from classes for weeks.  Continue reading India is fighting over the Hijab →

Uncategorized

Standing instead of instant

Leave a comment

Everything is getting faster. In the past we could take some time to write a letter, but through constant availability of instant messaging and mobile phones we are requires to give immediate response.

But not everything that reaches us is important. We don’t have to part of everything. It often makes sense to slow down reactions and not express an opinion on everything. It’s not worth going into a “battle” for everything.

It is also important that we also talk to people face to face. In a personal conversation we also have time to reflect on things together and to let what has been said settle. But this also requires the courage to endure different views and to go on reconciled with the difference without breaking the friendship or accusing the other person of insincerity.

If you want to have a firm footing and not be driven by every opinion, you have to be anchored somewhere. It is important that we know what we are guided by and what the consequences of our decisions are. The Bible contains a lot of wisdom and shows how life can succeed or how to end up in chaos. The life plan of selfless love gives courage to stand up for something fearlessly and not just to be dependent on likes (or clicks).

Im Stand statt instant
Islam

The Regâib Night – The Muslim Night of Wishes

Leave a comment

The Muslim Regâib Night begins with the evening prayer on Thursday, February 3, 2022. Muhammad pointed out that on this night the supplications (Duâ) will be answered (according to Imâm Shaafî, Al-Umm). The Regâib Night was celebrated for the first time in the middle of the 12th century. The alleged Regaib prayer was invented by a Sufi named Ali bin Abdullah bin Jahdam (in 1023).

Most Islamic scholars categorically reject renewal within the rituals. There is not a single authentic Hadith about any of the said Kandil Nights. The Qur’an says: “Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed my mercy on you and have chosen Islam for your faith” [Al-Ma’ida 5:3]. But one difficulty is that the five pillars of Islam are not in the Koran either. The complete creed is also missing. Even the course of the ritual prayers is not there.

Christians, on the other hand, can always turn to Heavenly Father, who loves and cares for them. Ephesians 5:20: “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” And Ephesians 6:18: “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication”.

https://www.obrist-impulse.net/die-regaib-nacht-die-muslimische-nacht-der-wuensche

send me your tip