For Dutch speaking readers #2 Second component of triptych

At “For Dutch speaking readers #1 On the first component of a triptych” we looked at the subjects tackled on the Dutch counterpart of this and the Weebly site.

The second component of the triptych concerning looking and finding God treats the subject of the Way to God: “De weg naar God“.

De Weg naar God = the Way to God
De Weg naar God = the Way to God

“The way to God” is a site created for those who are sincerely looking for God and see in front of them many denominations or churches calling out that they have the truth, but all having very different ideas.

That site wants to show people there are many ways in front of us. We can choose out of a lot of options and directions. Man being confronted by so many religions and so many different groups in each religion may wonder which religion is the right one and in that religion for which group he or she has to go.

Some may think that people “go to church

probably for the same reason that, when Adam & Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, and thought God was near, they “hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8 NKJV). {Why People Don’t Come To Church}

Going to a church may be a valuable part of coming into the presence of God. Or when looking for God to find them there. But we should know that God is everywhere and not limited to one particular space.

Though we may agree with the saying

When people sin today, they think by staying away from “church,” they are hiding from God. {Why People Don’t Come To Church}

But like Adam & Eve found out,

“there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13 NKJV).

Masaccio, Brancacci Chapel, Adam and Eve, detail.
Masaccio, Brancacci Chapel, Adam and Eve, detail. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The world has to know that God is calling all people, sinners and those who try to live a good life and are doing good. Non-believers or un-believers also can do very good things and for them it would also be better if they could see the importance to go on the right way to God. Also to them this website, our Weebly twin, and the Dutch antipode wants to bring them to see that mankind has to come on the right track.

When you do not believe in God this site and for the Dutch readers the Flemish sites can bring you closer to the One Who wants to have a relationship with His creatures. As an unbeliever it shall not hurt to have a look at what we have to say or to make a visit at a Christian church and to see and hear what they have to tell you there.

It is when “an unbeliever or an uninformed person” attends church, that “the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God” (1 Corinthians 14:24-25 NKJV). The churches of Christ invite you to come. {Why People Don’t Come To Church}

Lots of people may think you have to be a fool to believe in a god. “Idioot zijn om te geloven?” (Being an idiot to believe) tackles that idea and want to show you that perhaps you might be smarter than all those who want you to keep away from God.

Paadjes, straten, autowegen, hoeken en kantjes” (Paths, streets, highways, corners and edges) looks at the world-map with her many paths, which bring people from one to an other place. It tells that even if we have a modern gps in the old ages already a very good satmap was provided by the Creator of all what we see around us.

The Maker of that most elaborate Plan gives His readers the liberty to choose freely. In “De Plannenontwerper laat kaarthouders of klanten vrij kiezen” (Plans Planner allows cardholders or customers choose freely) we show how the Maker provide His Plan and how He gave the best Guide to go on our road-trip.

The coming up series showing that there is a way to joy and eternal happiness shall be placed on that second component in Dutch, or should we better say shall be translated to this site in English?

Here too we shall look how you can experience the daily management and joy of God. On The Way to God (De Weg naar God) the focus is on the many roads man has in front of him but only one true Way to God. On that site we want to convince  people that we can be sure that there is something much better than the life man finds here at the moment. We shall show that also this system of things shall be limited in time, the same as any living being is, but that we do have the prospect to something much better.

The coming up series on this site and in Dutch on the “Weg naar God” site shall bring answers to your questions about this and the future life.

On that site we also shall look at different religions and how even in Christian religious groups so many have gone far away form the Biblical teachings. Like on this site we want to bring all those who are looking for God to come to see that we should use the Books God provided and listen to His Words to come to the Truth.

Therefore please do make sure that you always keep the bible at hand to check what is really written there.

De Weg naar god - Kruispunt pagina = The Way to God showing the many road-sings and the best way to choose to find God.
De Weg naar god – Kruispunt pagina = The Way to God showing the many road-sings and the best way to choose to find God.

+

Preceding: For Dutch speaking readers #1 On the first component of a triptych

++

Additional reading

  1. Faith antithesis of rationality
  2. Misleading world, stress, technique, superficiality, past, future and positivism
  3. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
  4. Looking to the East and the West for Truth
  5. Necessity of a revelation of creation 14 Searching the scriptures
  6. Cognizance at the doorstep or at the internet socket
  7. Inner feeling, morality and Inter-connection with creation
  8. Creation of the earth and man #9 Formation of man #1 Cure of souls
  9. Creation of the earth and man #10 Formation of man #2 Mortal bodies and Tartarian habitation
  10. Colour-blindness and road code
  11. Bible a guide – Bijbel als gids
  12. Separation of church and state
  13. A last note concerning civil rights
  14. Not words of any organisation should bind you, but the Word of God
  15. Religious Practices around the world
  16. Religious Beliefs Founding Fathers U.SA.
  17. Exceptionalism and Restricting Laws
  18. Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
  19. Christian fundamentalism as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalism
  20. Responses to Radical Muslims and Radical Christians
  21. Digging in words, theories and artefacts
  22. Devotees and spotters
  23. Evangelisation, local preaching opposite overseas evangelism
  24. 2014 Religion
  25. 2015 the year of ISIS
  26. Blinded crying blue murder having being made afraid by a bugaboo
  27. ‘I try to keep my hate in check. If you can’t hate, you can’t love.’
  28. Thirst for happiness and meaning
  29. Christianity is a love affair
  30. Whom can we trust to govern us?
  31. Commit your self to the trustworthy creator
  32. Jehovah is good unto them that wait for Him
  33. When having found faith through the study of the Bible we do need to do works of faith
  34. Holiday making and dreaming
  35. Looking at the Source of joy
  36. Signposts of the Kingdom

+++

For Dutch speaking readers #1 On the first component of a triptych

English: A representation of the relation amon...
A representation of the relation among complexity classes, which are subsets of each other. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On this site only English articles are presented, but for most of them a translation in Dutch shall be provided and shared between the triptych concerning the “Looking and Finding God”.

As such texts in Dutch may be found on “Op zoek naar God“, “De Weg naar God” and on “God vinden“.

Op zoek naar God = A la recherche de Dieu = Looking for God
Op zoek naar God = A la recherche de Dieu = Looking for God

At the moment the material of the previous postings is cut in different parts and presented as follows:

On the first component “Op zoek naar God” (Seeking God) you may find

After the Welcome message “Welkomstboodschap”  we look at the beginning of our world with “Ontstaan van ons wereldbestel”  and let our readers know that the idea of a certain evolution does not have to stand in the way of religious thinking. (Evolutieleer hoeft zoeken naar God niet in de weg te staan) Though when looking at the evolution and how are world continues it requires many thoughts and lots of research. In “Onderzoek eist bewijsvoering en afgaan op bewijsmateriaal” we want to get our readers to understand that by research we do have to use sufficient research material and have to look sincerely at the proofs our environment gives about certain events.

English: Right sole print showing a great degr...
Right sole print showing a great degree of complexity (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We also are aware that man has lots of questions bothering him and that he needs answers on them. “Met vragen zitten over ontstaan en redenen van zijn” bring to the forefront that we may have lots of questions about our being and the reasons of our being here. “Ontstaan en complexiteit in de natuur verwijzend naar Bijzondere Oorzaak” (Origin and complexity in nature referring to Special Cause) looks at the beginning of man and the complexity behind our being or existence. In a certain way when we look at nature and how all the existing things have such a complexity which goes above the brains and capacity of man, it shows how a particular Mighty Hand or Supreme Being has to be above it. (Complexiteit, organisatie en precisie bewijzen intelligente Ontwerper = Complexity, organization and precision evidence intelligent Designer)

English: This is a map of the new field of soc...
This is a map of the new field of sociology and complexity science (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In “Argumenten tegen Bijbelse scheppingsverhaal ontzenuwd” (Arguments against biblical creation story refuted) we look at the creation and how certain people their ideas are contradicted and how we should better look at other Biblical texts (taking the whole 66 books their sayings into account) before we jump to conclusions. None of the texts may be separated from the other.

Romans 15:4 (RNKJV)
4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

1 Corinthians 10:11  (RNKJV)
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

2 Timothy 3:16  (RNKJV)
All scripture is given by inspiration of יהוה, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2 Timothy 3:17  (RNKJV)
That the man of יהוה may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Looking at those books we have to come to know what to look for and where to look for. In “Welke dingen zoeken” (To look for what) we give a start to the quest for “the unseen” and bring an introduction to “De zoeker naar God en wereldse schatten” (The seeker for God and worldly treasures)

When you want to go on a search for truth and for God you may doubt if you would have enough time and if you could arrange it with your school-, home- or professional work. In “Werken, studeren en zoeken samen mogelijk” (Work, study and search together possible) we show our readers that it is possible to have your worldly duties not suffering under your spiritual duties. Going on a quest to find the truth, looking for the reasons of our being, has not to intervene with our normal daily duties. You can do both together, searching for God and searching for a normal life. It even helps to look for God in getting a more successful life.

English: Pentagram with one point up (de Guait...
Pentagram with one point up (de Guaita) Includes form of the “Pentagrammaton” (i.e. an incorrect attempt to derive a version of the Hebrew name of Jesus by adding the letter shin ש in the middle of the Tetragrammaton divine name yod-he-waw-he יהוה ). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On every bodies lips will be if we can sense God. In “Kan men God zoeken en ervaren” (Is it possible to look for God and to experience God) Yes it is possible when we look for God to find Him and to experience Him, though God can not be seen, but all He does can be seen and experienced.

At the start of your quest you may wonder if  there can be a connection between God and man > “Is er een verbinding tussen God en mens?
Is it possible to connect to something one can not touch nor see? > “Kan men een verbinding maken met iets dat men niet kan aanraken” (Can you make a connection to something that one can not touch)

On this site and our counterparts (in English and Dutch) we love to show that though there may be many ways to get somewhere, there is a road pattern presented to us, to easily find the right and shortest way to follow to go through a small gate and to make the right connection. > “Wegpatroon volgen om verbindingen aan te gaan” (Road pattern to follow to get links)

We do have to be conscious that there are roadblocks. In this world there are many things which stand in the way to come to a good relationship with the One Unseen Who is behind everything. Materialism is the killer which has here eyes on each of us.  In “Materie en tijdelijkheid” (Matter and temporal) we look at those things which surround us and attract a lot of people. The majority in this world is convinced that richness of wealthy materialistic things shall bring them unfinished luck, joy and good friendship with others. In their conceitedness they lounge away from real luck, deceived by commercialism and media who lure us in all sorts, but the wrong adventures.

We all have to face the restricted lifespan of everything. “Het levende, het verderfelijke en het gestorvene” (The living, the pernicious and that what died) looks at all those things which surround us and which would like to gather, but should know about them, that we can not take them with us in our grave to another life.

We must know that there shall come a time when there shall be looked at the people who behaved themselves well, the good ones and the bad ones of this earth. “Goeden, slechten en het zichtbare en onzichtbare” (Good, bad and the visible and invisible) brings a sort of warning that we should take in mind what will be important in later days.

***

Nederlandstaligen zulen voor een groot deel de Engelse teksten, die op deze en de Weebly site worden gebracht, ook in meerdere hoofdstukken verdeeld vinden onder de drie onderdelen van de triptiek.

Hierbocen wordt even een overzicht verschaft van wat de aanvang van “Op zoek naar God” in het Nederlands te bieden heeft.

In het volgende hoofdstuk kijken wij naar de begin inhoud van het tweede luik van de triptiek om God te zoeken en te vinden.

***

+++

Looking for the perceptible or the latent or what needed for us

We should not be so caught up with the “things of this world” that we forget what really matters.

English: St. Augustine of Hippo
Churches bringing their own myths and doctrinal teachings – St. Augustine of Hippo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In this system of things most people love to follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. Most people will reject the truth and follow strange myths, because they look more interesting or intriguing than that what is plainly told in the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 4:3-5) . You who want to know more about life, your reason why being here, wanting to know What or Who is about your life, should keep a clear mind in every situation.

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” So began St. Augustine of Hippo in his famous spiritual autobiography, Confessions.

If you are feeling this restless tug on your own soul, you’ve come to a good place.

With our writings we want to show you the Way to God by providing some honest, thoughtful writings on the search for truth and God and showing you biblical teachings concerning man’s position and God‘s place in the universe.

We would like to convince you that Christianity might be the best solution for you. It can satisfy both our hearts and our minds. Christianity is not only a comprehensive worldview, but reveals to us a God who lovingly meets both our existential needs and our longing for truth and salvation from all these troubles of the earth.

Though God can not be seen He is real and we do hope that these articles will be useful to you in your search to know God.

The problem with many people is that they created an illusionary God, making Him like they see any other man. They If we envisage God as a person clothed with epithets such as powerful, loving, just, fear-inspiring and omnipotent, creating a manmade image.

In his book, The Future of an Illusion, Sigmund Freud points out

“Religion comprises a system of wishful illusions together with a disavowal of reality.” In other words we have an innate tendency to invent the particular God that suits our needs. Ironically this is precisely what the second commandment fulminates against. A paradox lies at the heart of the doorstep caller’s question. The more you claim to know God and attempt to delineate his nature the less likely you are to have hit the bull’s eye.

We must be careful not to become trapped in the world’s imaginable ideas of godheads or should do everything to escape from this impasse by re-orienteering our thought forms.

Some may say

Faith is not the progressive unearthing of God’s nature but a recognition that he/she is fundamentally unknowable.

They forget that God Himself has given His Word to come to get to know Him. He provided all means to find truth and to find harmony and Him and to get to know more about Him, His intentions and His people.

Jan Van Ruysbroeck, the 14th century Augustinian and man of prayer, maintained that

“God is immeasurable and incomprehensible, unattainable and unfathomable”.

St John of the Cross, one of the pillars of western mysticism, put it even more succinctly:

“If a man wishes to be sure of the road he travels on, he must close his eyes and walk in the dark.”

for sure the world walks already many centuries in the dark and it is getting high time to come into the light. Light provided by the Majestic Majesty Himself. Many are rudderless in a sea of uncertainty. All the old props of a father God, prayer as colloquy with a personal deity and faith as a clear-cut assent to a set of credal formulations has been deconstructed and abandoned.

The school, with the statue of its Patron Sain...
The school, with the statue of its Patron Saint, St. Augustine of Hippo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We must know that man has created lots of dogma’s, teachings people would have to believe to be so but of which they had to know they must believe it to be true though it might be so unbelievable, because man could not comprehend it. Do know God did not make it so complicated. God is a God of love, order and tranquillity, who wants people to know Him.

We have to release us from the burden of kowtowing to the dictates of what people say what would be in a holy book. We should liberate us from the human dictations and consider more what is really written in the Book of books. By opening our eyes wanting to come to see what is really written in the Bible we shall be able to become  relieved of the intellectual difficulties of accepting the dogmatic assertions of an ecclesiastical hierarchy.

Listening to the Maker himself, letting the Words of God come to you, you shall come to see how chains may become unlocked. You shall notice how you too may be liberated and can follow your own spiritual path. Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk, spent a lifetime doing just this and found it uncovered an oasis of calmness and peace.

“Follow my ways and I will lead you to golden-haired suns, Logos and music, blameless joys, Innocent of questions and beyond answers: For I, Solitude, am thine own self: I, Nothingness, am thy All. I Silence, am thy Amen!”

Give it a whirl. It might just free you from the shackles of orthodoxy and kickstart your spiritual life.

+

Previous article: A Start for looking at the unseen and the treasure to look forward to

++

Additional reading

  1. Words in the world
  2. The Bible: God’s Word or pious myth?
  3. Of old and new ideas to sustain power and to feel good by loving to be connected and worship something
  4. Christianity without the Trinity
  5. Preparing for the Kingdom
  6. Creator and Blogger God 10 A Blog of a Book 4 Listening to the Blogger
  7. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ

+++