Den dagen

...och sabbaten gick in.

Inför Domsöndag lånar jag ord av Menighetsprest Asbjørn Hjorthaug (Den Lutherske Menighet, Knapstad/ELBK) Texten är på norska:



"Nå kommer ikke dommens resultat overraskende for deg som tror på Jesus.

Du er allerede frikjent.

Jesus tok straffen i ditt sted. Gud har gitt deg hele Kristi rettferdighet som dåps gave.

I dagens episteltekst i brevet til de kristne i Tessaloniki har Paulus en miniversjon

av doms fortellingen. Han konstaterer: «Dette er et varsel om Guds rettferdige dom.

Når den kommer, skal dere finnes verdige til Guds rike, som dere nå lider for.» 2 Tess 1,5

De som ikke har kjærligheten til Jesus: «Straffen deres blir en evig fortapelse borte fra Herrens ansikt og fra hans herlighet og makt»

Men for disse som elsker han og tror på ham:

«den dagen han kommer for å bli lovprist blant sine hellige og hyllet av alle som tror. Og dere har trodd det vitnesbyrdet vi ga dere.»

I GT teksten står det: «Hos Herren vår Gud er barmhjertighet og tilgivelse;» Dan 9,9

Om dette ikke er nok til å trøste og gi deg håp og gode forventninger, så blir vi i

dagens introitussalme oppmuntret med følgende løfte":

«Kall på meg på nødens dag, så vil jeg utfri deg, og du skal gi meg ære.» Sal 50,15





ELBK:
https://elbk.org/predikningar-och-foredrag.aspx


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Från Norge kommer alltid evangeliet om Guds nåd, som lyser och vi måste få höra det igen och igen.

Fotocollage: KL

( »Jag bönhör dig i behaglig tid, och jag hjälper dig på frälsningens dag.» Se, nu är den välbehagliga tiden; se, nu är frälsningens dag. 2 Kor. 6:2 )


"Salige visshet" (Via Vitae) i Pedersöre kyrka:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xVdcjnoZMI

"Jag har hört om en stad ovan molnen" (Sommarmöte, Luleå Domkyrka 2014, M Wargh):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiobxJzNV3U


"Gud, i dina händer" (Nederluleå ungdomskör):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckEOxVRdK4c




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Kyrgyzstan - Uplift the spirits of Eldos and Aygul

Open doors, writing campaign (write or pray).

"God’s Word is filled with an abundance of gracious words. Words that can heal wounded spirits and broken hearts, ease worried minds, and instil hope in trying times."

"Eldos Satar Uluu from Kyrgyzstan, is a young believer from a Muslim background. He was terribly beaten up by three radical Muslim men, last month, in an attempt to force him to return to Islam."











Open doors: "UPLIFT THE SPIRITS OF ELDOS AND AYGUL" (full text):
https://www.opendoors.org.za/writing/uplift-spirits-eldos-aygul/
"Shortly after the beating he was taken to hospital with multiple injuries – a damaged eye, bleeding, a severe brain concussion, knocked-out teeth, a jaw fracture and possible bleeding on the brain. He has since undergone several surgeries. --- To add to the stress of the situation, Eldos oldest sister, Aygul*, witnessed her brother being attacked. She was six months pregnant but sadly lost the baby due to the stress of what happened to Eldos… She is in absolute shock and feels lost. She refuses to speak to anyone and cries a lot…You can send Eldos and Aygul words of comfort and strength during this difficult time of pain and loss. You can also pray for God’s comfort for them and their family as they work through the trauma of the attack as well as the emotional trauma of Aygul losing her baby."


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Is. 41:13 (ESV) "For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

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"Nothing but the blood of Jesus": 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW6rS1PoLGk


"You raise me up":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeUJ4Y-XOeY

Photos: KL

OFWI standing for the truth, standing with the Jewish people, helping vulnerable people

OFWI. Majed el Shafie "working with heroes" and speaking from personal experience to the persecuted and to vulnerable people (rescuing 600 girls from ISIS). Shukran!

November update 2018. Persecution goes on every day "in Egypt, Pakistan, China..." - "pray every single day for the persecuted Christians. The enemy is strong, but our persecuted Christians have the candle of the living Hope; Lord God Almighty." (Majed el Shafie)

Conclusion: "Reaching a deal with people that do not respect human rights is the heart of the problem, not the solution." --- "when you are silent about a crime you are part of it (Egyptian regime, Pakistan...") - What about incitement in schoolbooks?



"November 2018 @OFWI Global Snapshot: Christian persecution" (Video 6:11) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRZlVCl3uy8
"Rev. El Shafie speaks to the Christian persecution we are seeing around the world including the blasphemy law case of Asia Bibi in Pakistan and the attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt."



One Free World International (OFWI) "Freedom of religion conference Catch the fire" (video!)
https://ofwi.org/action-alerts/2018/11/4/freedom-of-religion-conference

"On November 4 One Free World International hosted a Freedom of Religion Conference at Catch the Fire Toronto.

You can watch Rev. El Shafie’s keynote address and meet some of the survivors of the genocide by ISIS here" (video 24:20 in the link above)

Photo: KL 

Shalom! Uppdatering från ECI: nedslående beslut angående granskning av palestinska skolböcker vilka uppviglar till hat

Israel och Mellanöstern/Finland. Curriculum examination following the UNESCO-standard of peace and tolerance.

ECI/Bryssel, Europeiska koalitionen för Israel, Månadsrapport - November 2018 (se utdrag nedan).  - Vad kommer den finländska regeringen, som leder de internationella givarländernas kommitte för utbildningskoordinering, att göra för att främja freden i Mellanöstern? Man har utlovat en oberoende internationell granskning pga radikaliseringen av de nya palestinska skolböckerna och UM har sagt att man inte accepterar hatretorik! Hur ska man undvika att stöda terroristers verksamhet? 

European report November 2018 (video) - Interesting update on the curriculum examination with positive changes in the Middle East: Morocco, Tunis, Jordan, Egypt and Israel. The changes are worse in Turkey, Iran, Syria and PA. The Palestinian authority has the most radical curriculum. 



Saxat från ECI: månadsrapport november/2018 (e-post):

"Europaparlamentet har avslagit rekommendationen från sitt budgetkontrollutskott att frysa medel till palestinska myndigheten på 15 miljoner euro tills antisemitiskt hat och glorifiering av jihadism avlägsnas från palestinska skolböcker. Det nedslående beslutet fattades vid plenum i Strasbourg i medlet av oktober när europaparlamentsledamöterna med knapp majoritet röstade för att avslå rekommendationen. Majoriteten utgjordes inte bara av socialisterna och de gröna-vänstern, utan också av vissa medlemmar ur centern-högern. Men detta är inte de enda dåliga nyheterna.

I oktober träffade Europeiska koalitionen för Israel de tjänstemän som ansvarar för Israel och den palestinska myndigheten vid Europeiska utrikestjänsten (EU:s utrikesministerium) för att höra sig för om hur den utlovade internationella granskningen av palestinska skolböcker (se september månadsrapport) framskred. Det gjordes då klart att ingen dylik granskning kommer att göras trots tidigare tillkännagivande i juli i underhuset i London om att en sådan granskning kommer att presenteras i september nästa år. --- Det har inte kommit några kommentarer från Westminster eller från den finländska regeringen i Helsingfors som leder de internationella givarländernas kommitté för utbildningskoordinering. Båda regeringarna utlovade i somras en oberoende internationell granskning efter att ECI och andra organisationer hade lyft upp frågan om radikalisering av de nya palestinska skolböckerna som togs i bruk förra hösten"


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ECI/European report november 2018 (two videos)
https://www.ec4i.org/european-report-november-2018/?fbclid=IwAR0ciQw1SWtujvv2AbwhdNignAaCcul1JM48z4PuaY3kNAzlaCR-iyunknM
"EU’s funding of Palestinian textbooks (incitement). Simon Barrett is joined by MEP Anders Primdahl Vistisen, Chief Executive Officer of Impact-se, Marcus Sheff, and ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell."

In the second video (25:14) interesting update on the situation in the Middle East. Curriculum examination in following countries with important positive changes: Marocco, Tunis, Jordan, Egypt and Israel. The changes are worse in Turkey, Iran, Syrian and under the Palestinian authority.

The curriculum examination is made in order with the UNESCO-standard of peace and tolerance: respect for the other, peacemaking to resolve conflicts, no hate and economic prosperity. 



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ECI (European Coalition for Israel)
https://www.ec4i.org/

***

Earlier on my blog: "One of the worst chapters in Palestinian schoolbooks"
https://minkristnasamhllsblogg.blogspot.com/2018/11/one-of-worst-chapters-in-palestinian.html


"ECI: EP Budgetary Committee to freeze EU funding to PA"
https://minkristnasamhllsblogg.blogspot.com/2018/10/eci.html


"Utrikesministeriet: Finland accepterar inte hatretorik i palestinskt skolmaterial"
https://minkristnasamhllsblogg.blogspot.com/2018/08/eci.html

Memorial Moment

Memorial Moment

"We can be convicted, that is, absolutely certain of what the gospel gives because the gospel's power does not depend on us but upon God. What I think about God is made certain by what He thinks about me. And I know and am convinced about what He thinks about me through the Word of the gospel, expressed in preaching, absolution, and holy baptism." (Rev. Dr Scott R. Murray)



Convicted

"Conviction" is a word we now use primarily to refer to the outcome of a criminal trial. In that use it is entirely negative to be convicted. For example, Robert Bowers, the Pittsburgh shooter, is hoping he does not hear the word "conviction" in the future; he has pleaded "not guilty" to the multiple criminal counts against him. Unfortunately, the conviction of sin and the accusation of the law is the odor that remains from the word "conviction" as we use it. However, the Bible also uses the word "conviction" positively. Conviction in the Bible means to be fully convinced.

Conviction comes from God through His Word as a gift of the Holy Spirit. We Christians are convicted about the gospel. This means we trust fully and absolutely the message that proclaims and gives to us salvation. In it there are no accusations. In it there is no law. It does not accuse of sin but frees us from sin and all its penalties. We can be convicted, that is, absolutely certain of what the gospel gives because the gospel's power does not depend on us but upon God. What I think about God is made certain by what He thinks about me. And I know and am convinced about what He thinks about me through the Word of the gospel, expressed in preaching, absolution, and holy baptism."



Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray
Memorial Lutheran Church


1 Thess. 1:2-10 (ESV)
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+1%3A2-10&version=ESV

Martin Luther:

"It is a right and sure Spirit who makes us sure concerning the will of God, who does not allow us to doubt but carries out what Paul admonishes: 'Let everyone be fully convinced in his own mind' (Rm 14:5). Likewise in 1 Thessalonians 1: 'Because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction' (1Th 1:5). This certitude is necessary in every kind of teaching, especially in sacred teaching. For I must be certain what I am to think about God, or rather what He thinks about me. It was a horrible error of the papal doctrine which caused men to become doubtful of the forgiveness of sins and grace. 'You should acknowledge that you are a sinner,' they said, 'and a sinner of such a kind that you cannot be certain of your salvation.' Thus the whole world was submerged in doubt and in erroneous opinions about God.

"Therefore, one must learn that God is not uncertain, ambiguous, equivocal, and slippery like a wavering reed, but that He is unequivocal and certain. He says: 'I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; I absolve you of your sins, etc.' Here the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit make no mistake; they are not tossed about by the wind but are rocks and Selah, as God is often named in the Psalms because He is absolutely firm. You may rely solidly on Him and say: 'I am holy and saved; I am God's son and heir, because I have been baptized.'"

Martin Luther, Lectures on Genesis,

41.32

Prayer:

"Lord Christ, I have believed therefore have I spoken. Grant that I might always faithfully share the Christian truth with those who need the conviction of the holy gospel that they too would be certain of Your love for us, which is revealed in Your suffering, death, and resurrection. Amen."

No "both sides to blame" excuse for Hamas escalation

Israel 1 (2)
Algemeiner November 16, 2018

"...let me be clear: there is no ‘both sides.’ There is Hamas that attacks and fires over 460 missiles at civilians, and there is Israel that protects its people.”

“The Security Council must condemn Hamas for its aggressive assault and finally designate it as a terrorist organization."










"Israel’s envoy to the United Nations has urged the UN Security Council to avoid the trap of “blaming both sides” for the escalation on Jewish state’s border with the Gaza Strip that resulted in a ceasefire on Tuesday evening."

The Algemeiner: "No ‘Both sides to blame’ excuse for Hamas escalation, Israeli envoy tells UN as Gaza ceasefire takes hold
https://tinyurl.com/yc3xexvv
“Certain morally bankrupt members of the Security Council will jump to blame Israel, and others who pretend to be objective will call for restraint on both sides,” Danon added. “But let me be clear: there is no ‘both sides.’ There is Hamas that attacks and fires over 460 missiles at civilians, and there is Israel that protects its people.”

“The Security Council must condemn Hamas for its aggressive assault and finally designate it as a terrorist organization,” the ambassador concluded."



Photo: KL

The words we speak

Words.

"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds events, small minds other people”.

Photo: KL