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-[[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/de/jn_de_2020_01_17|Deutsche Version]] [[Start|| Wiki Start]] [[topics_collection_ix|| Themen Kollektion ix ]]
+[[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/de/jn_de_2020_01_21|Deutsche Version]] [[Start|| Wiki Start]] [[topics_collection_ix|| Themen Kollektion ix ]]
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-====== Busy Life ?! ... ======
+====== Knowledge of God ?!... ======
-Friday, Jan 17, 2020. Many of us lead a busy life. It is not only those with full jobs and a family. It is
+Tuesday, Jan 21, 2020. What is it that humans can know about this world? What is it that we
-already the kids at the age of 16 or 17, who are busy busy busy. There is school. There are various activities,
+can know about ourselves? Where do we come from? How did we come into being? Why are we
-some musical instruments or sports, friends, parties, trips.
+what we are? What is the world composed of? How does it work? How does it function? What
+can we know and recognize about nature, about our mind and reason, about spiritual things?
-If you have a family, there are various things which will fill your time. The composition of your day
+We also ask: is there a God, and what can we know about him? What about the various experiences
-will highly depend on the age of your kids, and on their particular activities and well-being. Young kids
+and ideas humans have developed about God? Is it that all what we deal with is an illusion,
-need a lot of direct attention. Older kids need your contributions on other levels - sometimes just
+merely the outer shell of something deeper inside? What about the spirits and beings which
-funding, but often lifts by car, or help in school or various other things.
+are worshiped here and there on this planet? What about the spiritual experiences of people
+who start to explore the spiritual world? And what about the one God of the three big world
+religions: Jewish faith, Christian faith and Islam? Who is God? What to know about him?
-{{2016_01_27.jpg }}
+{{2020:2020_01_21.jpg }}
-** My Day ... **
+** How to know about God? ... **
-How is your day structured? What is filling your day? When do you get up. Bathroom, shower, breakfast. That
+It is indeed an important question to ask for God. Is there a God? What can we know about him?
-might take an hour, of sometimes a little more. Some of us are faster in the morning. But it takes some
+What is the approach to know about God? Let us briefly look at approaches which are offered
-time to take care of ourselves with respect to basic body care.
+to us. How to approach the question?
-Imagine a typical working day. Perhaps you have to commute, and it takes you 45 minutes. Some of us are
+First, the bible tells us that God can be recognized from all of his works. He can be recognized
-on the road for 90 minutes each direction. That is a lot, taking time which is difficult to use effectively.
+from his creation, from the whole of creation, including the stars, the earth, plants, animals
+and humans. So how much can we learn about God from nature? Is it a trivial route, that you
+look at nature and say: "ah, of course, this is how God is"? This does not seem the typical
+way. Usually, people first get to know God through other routes, and then they realize that
+nature tells us a lot about him.
-Then we are in our work environment. Perhaps we share an office with one or two others. There is
+The bible also tells us that mankind has lost its contact to God. We have lost our knowledge of
-administrative work to do. There are various meetings with colleagues, with our line manager, with our
+him. So we are lonely in a world which does not recognize him. Mankind has chosen to
-customers. Then, we prepare documents. Some work on coding. Some write concepts. Perhaps we work on
+live without God, and by its own decision has denounced knowledge about God. This is, first of
-some pieces of art, some poems, songs. Perhaps we work in design, science, development. Perhaps we are
+all, a strong statement. Can we see it to be true? If you look around and check the knowledge
-in the front desk of our employer, dealing with customers. Or on the phone. Or on the road, selling
+of humans about God, you will realize that usually we do not know much about God. That is true
-our company and its products. In any case, it is difficult to have time to think about life. It is
+for most humans. And from a Christian viewpoint it might even be true for many who believe in
-not trivial at all to be able to step back out of our routine and the immediate needs of our work
+some God, but do not know the God Christ Jesus has been preaching.
-environment.
-Then, we go back from work. It might be 6:30 when we arrive home. We turn on the heating. We deal with
+But can we know about God? Is it a deception of some mad people who think they could know
-the kids. We prepare dinner. There might be some friends coming in the evening. Or we just sink down
+about God?
-into our livinig room, exhausted from a busy and full day. There might be things in the house to fix.
-When do we do shopping? Someone has to go to the grocery store. Quickly get some light bulbes from
-somewhere. The rain coat is torn - where do I get a new one or get it repaired? Shops are closed by
-now. I am tired. Perhaps watch some series on Netflix and go to sleep? ...
-{{ 2016_01_27_2.jpg}}
+The answer starts already in the early days of the Old Testament tradition. It starts with the
+experiences of the Jewish fathers, of Abraham, Isaac and Moses. It starts with the prophets such
+as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. They claim to experience God, and to know him, and to talk
+about him. They claim that God wants to show himself. So the knowledge about God comes from God
+talking to us through, through his own revelation.
-** God in my day ... **
+The biblical route to knowledge about God is to listen to what God is telling you through
+the prophetic books of Moses and the Prophets. Then, when you listen and follow what you hear,
+you will experience God yourself in your life, through your spiritual dimension and through
+your own experiences. The claim is that you can know God and know about him. Just listen.
-The bible suggests to have God in my day. Where is space to talk to God, to pray? What is the role of
+{{ 2020:2020_01_21_2.jpg}}
-my faith at all in all my activities? Is it only for the church service on Sunday morning, to take
-time to talk to God, to think about him, to think about the overall framework of my life?
-The New Testament idea of our life is different indeed. The apostles suggest to have our relationship
+** Your way ... **
-to God in all of our activities. We might even pray in the morning, take some minutes before we
-enter the bathroom. We might say hello to the eternal God when we wake up, just to start the day
-by clarifying to ourselves that he is in control of this world. It is not up to us to save it.
-It can be extremely healthy to start the day with a little bible word. It is known as
+In the second book of Moses, known as Exodus, we hear about the prayer of Moses, who is keen
-"Moravian Daily Texts", which are distributed and can provide something like a little bible snack in
+on knowing the ways of God. Let us have a look into this prayer, and the answer which Moses
-the early morning. But more than that, the idea of the New Testament is to have God in all of my
+got.
-activities. He should be there when I deal with the kids. I can ask him for blessing, help, protection,
-guidance and input when it comes to my love and care for my family and beyond.
-God wants to be on the road to my work place. The time in the car can be a reflection time.
+<color #aa0000>
-On the road, I can learn from the Lord. Indeed, I had some of the best prayer times of my life
+Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”
-when I was stuck in traffic jams somewhere in Northern France on the way to the UK.
+And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
+</color> (2 Mose 33, 13-14)
-But also in my work place God does not need to stay outside. First of all, he can balance my emotions
+For Moses, his desire to know God was deep. So he prayed to God to grant him the favor to learn
-and my activities. With the biblical perspective, all our activities can gain a wisdom and b
+about his ways. And God granted the favor to him, and gave him peace!
-balance, which they would never be able to achieve and hold without the power of the Holy Spirit.
-What does it mean? It means, for example, to keep a balanced view on the interest of myself, the
-interest of colleagues, of my company or institute and the customer. They all have their life.
-They are all loved by God, he wants them all. He wants good things for them, as he wants good
-things for me. There are solutions when it comes to the balance of interest. Fairness is a core
-character feature of the eternal God. Truth, fidelity, mercy, justice. This all can lead my
-day.
-God is not only an ethical God, but he is a powerful God as well. He can change things. He can help.
+The story of learning about God and of getting to know him does not end with Moses, nor does
-Sometimes he wants to help immediately. Sometimes he wants me to work patiently towards some goals.
+it end with the large or smaller prophets of the Old Testament. God has shown himself through the
-All of this can be a framework for my day, for my work. There so much to learn and to discover
+son, who is Christ Jesus. This is the claim of the Gospels and of the apostolic writings in
-when it comes to God in my busy days. Lord, please be my guide and companion!
+the New Testament. God is showing himself fully through the son Jesus.
+We can know a lot about God. When we meet Jesus through the New Testament, through prayer and
+the Holy Spirit, and then through experiences in our own life, we are able to learn all about
+God, all we need. God wants to be an open book to us. He wants us to be with him, to understand
+his mercy, his truth, his way.
+When you want to know whether it is true, just seriously start to pray. Start to ask God, to show
+you all you need to know. Ask him to show you the truth. Ask him to show himself, to be able
+to see and to discover him, his mercy, his justice, his presence, his hope and love and truth!
+When you approach him seriously, he will answer.
 (Roland Potthast)