motivation

Read your Bible, pray every day!

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Read your Bible, pray every day!

You might be familiar with this children’s song. Children always like to sing it and they make movements with their arms and hands while singing!
The truth in this children’s song is less easy to put in practice for adults. Most of us are very busy with study, work, family issues and much more.
Therefore, for the honour of God and for keeping ourselves healthy spiritually we should not forget to feed ourselves from the Word of God and to express our thankfulness and dependency in prayer. 

There is a wealth of websites and materials to help you with it. Especially when you are new to Christian faith and want to grow in Christian understanding and practice, here is a number of recommendations for you. (If a link may not work, copy it and paste it into your browser.)

We hope and pray that it will help you to discover more about the beauty and truth of Christian faith!
Pastor Niek

If you want to use a good guide to read the Bible, we recommend:

* Alan M Stibbs ‘A devotional guide to the Bible’
* Ro Willoughby ‘Quiet time Companion’
* Chronical Life Application Bible
You can order by www.amazon.com or (in Dutch) by: www.bol.com
Click on ‘Look inside’ and you can read quite a few days to get an idea how it works and try it out. Also recommended: www.bibleinoneyear.org

If you want some tools on how to study the Bible, you can go to:

http://www.desiringgod.org/topics/suffering/labs Watch 9 minute sessions on how to study the Bible inductively.
www.biblegateway.com/resources/scripture-engagement

You can also listen to the Bible being read,

if you find it hard to sit still and read:
www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Gen.1 or on the Olive Tree App (see below)

Websites that give you many more tools for studying the Bible,

like different translations, Greek and Hebrew original text, more elaborated Bible studies about different subjects and Bible commentaries:
www.biblehub.com
www.olivetree.com
www.bible.com/reading-plans-collection/423

For Chinese speakers:
www.csmn.nl  (Go to ‘resources’ – several resources in Mandarin/Chinese)
www.bridgeschinesenetwork.com/resources
www.biblegateway.com/app/ Bible Study App. You can also find the Bible in many different languages here, so if you ever want to show someone something in their language you can find the text in their language.

Devotional Bible reading guides

www.biblegateway.com/devotionals
http://www.g4er.tk/books/my-utmost-for-his-highest.pdf

Special: The Bible Project

The Bible Project is a plan for reading through the Bible. It is very helpful for people who don’t find it easy to get into reading. It is a unique series of short videos (6-8 minutes long) giving an overview of each book of the Bible, plus short films on other Bible themes.

www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH0Szn1yYNeeVFodkI9J_WEATHQCwRZ0u
-> Read through Scripture – Old Testament
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dv4-n6OYGI&list=PLH0Szn1yYNecanpQqdixWAm3zHdhY2kPR
-> Read through Scripture – New Testament
Get it printed here: drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0RzviGbbYgVWmh4aEdaYnRlZW8

For signing up for weekly newsletters which give you the reading plan and videos to watch plus a blog with extra teaching about the reading for that week: thebibleproject.com/reading-plan

Intended for royal duty – Service on Jan. 21

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Intended for royal duty

Who is actually a good person?

When do you consider somebody a good person? Maybe you say: when he or she is honest, sensitive, cooperative, non-judging. We like it when people take responsibility, show love and care for others. But do you think that others see you as a good person? Maybe you have reasons to disagree with them, if they do!
Jesus’ teaching about who is a good (honest, righteous) person shocked the people in his days.

Surpassing goodness

In Jesus’ days rabbis (explainers and teachers of the law) made a lot of study of what it means to live a good life: what to avoid, what to do, how to fulfil your duties. And they practiced what they preached! They were keen on living an upright and holy life. But Jesus shocked the people, in particular his students, by saying: ‘Unless your goodness surpasses that of the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.’

Can you be a good (pure, responsible, righteous) person by ‘keeping to all the rules’? Several of Jesus’ contemporaries thought that they were able to achieve that. But Jesus indicated that they failed, because they missed the most essential in obeying Gods commands: humility and love. The two most important commandments in God’s Kingdom are: ‘Love the Lord, your God, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.’, and: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love always looks beyond the rules. It acknowledges the ‘spirit of the law’. Love is not satisfied with obeying the rules; rather it seeks to do well.

His law written in our heart

How is this ‘overflowing goodness’ possible? By our own means it is impossible. Who can say: ‘I am able to avoid even the slightest sign of envy, jealousy, bitterness or greed’? It is Jesus who is able to restore the love for God and for our neighbour in our life. He has sacrificed himself for it. If we repent from our old life and believe in him, He has intended us to become citizens in the kingdom of his Father. Not just subjects, even citizens in the position of king and queen! It is an honour and joy to live for Him and to express our love for the people around, because his law is written in our heart. Do you believe that He has destined you for royal duty as well?

Discover and hear more about Jesus’ teaching and why it is relevant for us today! Be welcome on Sunday, January 21!

Taste and see that God is good

In the service we read part of the Bible (this Sunday Matthew 5: 17-37) and we also celebrate the Holy Communion. The Holy Communion is a special celebration of what Jesus did for us. In HC we receive a piece of bread and a little bit of wine as signs of his broken body and shed blood. All who confess Him as their Saviour and Lord are very welcome to partake. If you are still unsure or searching to know God, you may come for a blessing, and we warmly invite you to ask for a personal prayer after the service.

 

Pastor Niek Tramper

IFES national training day ‘Do it!’

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IFES national training day ‘Do it!’ – this Saturday, Dec. 9

Are you about to return to your home country within due time? Then this day is highly recommended for YOU!

Main speaker is Rev. Niek Tramper who has many years of experience working with international students and academics in Delft. The theme of this day will be: “Think home – helping students to prepare to return to their home culture”.

Recently he did research on the re-entry of Chinese students after their study. Those lessons will help us to understand how we can help students prepare for returning home because they will definitely face some big challenges!

Former international student, now OMF missionary Anna Bin Yang will share her testimony and lessons learned. In the afternoon we will have workshops to help apply the knowledge to our own contexts. The day is free of charge, lunch is included. It is a great place to connect, learn from each other and encourage each other.

When and where?  December 9th from 10.30 till 17.00 h in Utrecht,  Singelkerk Wittevrouwensingel 28, 3581, GC Utrecht

Please sign up via this link.

“God’s direct interaction with people”

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The ICF Delft prayer group will meet on Thursday 19 October from 8-9 PM in the chapel of the Old Church (Heilige Geestkerkhof 25, Delft).
You are most welcome to join. The meeting focuses on the following main activities:

  • Praise and adoration to God
  • Reflection and mediation based on a Bible text
  • Sharing life (joys, gratitude, concerns, needs) with one another in an open, friendly and trustworthy environment
  • Praying together, for example, adoring and thanking God, and interceding and bringing request to God regarding yourself, family, friends, city, churches and the world around
  • Giving and receiving support from one another by being in the meeting and staying connected afterwards

The theme of this meeting’s reflection is, “God’s direct interaction with people”. We will read from Judges 6: 11-14 (see the text below), which is an account of a God’s angel talking to Gideon about saving Israel out of Midian.

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Judges 6:11-14New International Version (NIV)

11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

Finding focus in career

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Finding focus in career – the example of Jesus

How do we find focus in our (life) career? Often we experience hardships, setbacks and frustrations in life and work. Main challenge seems to be finding focus, avoiding what is unnecessary and keeping motivation. If we cannot avoid difficulties, does it help to fight them? Or do we rather need these, in order to become fruitful? There is a great example in Jesus Christ. What made him to endure and to continue? What he did, he did because of the joy set before him. That’s why he endured the cross and scorned its shame, the Bible says. That’s why He is not just an example, He really can help us out, when we experience failures and setbacks.

This Sunday we reflect on the example of Jesus, what we learn from him in coping with difficulties and finding focus in our career (based on the Scripture texts Philippians 2: 5-11 and Hebr. 12: 1-3). Discover how to follow him in day-to-day decisions whatever your life career represents.

Welcome in de International Christian Fellowship (ICF) – Delft, in the English spoken church service on Sunday 7 May, 12.15 hrs in the Génestet church, Oude Delft 102.

After the service we will have our monthly ‘potluck fellowship meal’, a great opportunity to ‘eat and meet’!

Pastor Niek Tramper