Post by leo on Jan 26, 2009 11:12:20 GMT -5
Dear brethren,
As this is my first time on the board I thought it would be good to introduce myself a bit.
My wife Esther and I have been blessed with eight children until now (Jedidiah (13), Zeraiah (12), Ramiah (10), Yaziz (8), Abdel (6), Hananiah (4), Obadiah (2) and Bethiah (14 months). The first two and the last are girls and the others are our sons. As we live in Holland there are several opportunities to send our children to a good school. Although we have thought about homeschooling we both believe this is the best we can do at this moment. The oldest girl attends a reformed high school and five others attend a reformed primary school. The youngest two children are still at home. Since three months we also take care for three foster children (3 sisters of 13, 8 and 5 years old). We have no idea how long they will stay but assume this will be for a long time, if the Lord doesn't change the situation at their home.
My wife is talking care for the children during the day and is busy managing the household. I myself working in the building business and am occupied with maintenance of concrete, wooden and steel structures. Much of my work consists of inspection work on site and another part of my work has to do with quality management of several sister companies.
On the Lord's day we still meet as a family at home and sing Psalms and spiritual songs, pray together, and listen to the Word from which I preach. The family also tries to answer my questions on the subject and scriptures we dealt with. In the Afternoon my wife usually reads to the children a story of church history or mission history and helps the children to find the answers on the questions I formulated. In the evening we read and sometimes have a bible study. During the week we have each day after our supper a so called time of family-worship in which we read from Scripture, sing hymns and pray together. We have a monthly bible study in our home (on Philippians) were other people/friends also attend. Each month I lead a bible study with mostly Reformed young people and every six weeks I attend a bible study for young married Reformed men.
As to our spiritual situation we as a family love the Lord Jesus Christ and desire to live for His glory. We do experience the Lords blessing in our personal life and in the family, but feel often very lonely. There is a deep desire to practice practical fellowship with other children of God, but until now the Lord has not made clear how and where. We are very sensible of our own weakness and shortcomings and have learned in small measure not to have high opinions of ourselves, but to be humble as we too are part of all the divisions amongst Christians. We trust that we reveal the same spirit as for example Nehemiah who identified himself with the weaknesses of the people. We do have contact with other children of God and thankfully the Lord teaches us through them. On the other hand we also experience that the Lord uses us for the edification and blessing of others. We come into contact with many who have problems and from time to time, through Gods grace, can give some help. It is a great encouragement to us, to see, that despite our lonely position, the Lord is a sense wants to use us in His Kingdom.
The past weeks I was (and still am) occupied with a Bible study on the subject of The speaking of God in the past and in these times and how to know His will. In the OT God spoke with an audible voice, signs, circumstances, via the prophets etc. In the NT He spoke by His Son, an audible voice, the NT-prophets, the Holy Spirit, signs and wonders etc. In these days many (so called) Christians say that they have heard the voice of the Lord or the Holy Spirit within their hearts, or that He spoke through a bible verse. Others, for example those who live in Muslim countries, claim to have seen and heard Christ in dreams. Some of the Puritans have had visions, for example about their own death or other things. Man can also deceive himself, have certain imaginations. How does one know whether it concerns ones own imagination, ones own flesh, the voice of the enemy (Satan) or the the Lords / Holy Spirits voice or guidance. What are the Scriptural criteria which one should use to distinguish between the Lords voice/will and all other things? Perhaps anyone of you you can point me out to a good article or booklet on these questions?
Further I am interested in good material on family-worship, marriage, divorce, remarriage and dating. If anyone can help me I would be most grateful.
Looking forwards to your replies I remain, yours in our beloved Lord Jesus,
Leo (from the Netherlands)
As this is my first time on the board I thought it would be good to introduce myself a bit.
My wife Esther and I have been blessed with eight children until now (Jedidiah (13), Zeraiah (12), Ramiah (10), Yaziz (8), Abdel (6), Hananiah (4), Obadiah (2) and Bethiah (14 months). The first two and the last are girls and the others are our sons. As we live in Holland there are several opportunities to send our children to a good school. Although we have thought about homeschooling we both believe this is the best we can do at this moment. The oldest girl attends a reformed high school and five others attend a reformed primary school. The youngest two children are still at home. Since three months we also take care for three foster children (3 sisters of 13, 8 and 5 years old). We have no idea how long they will stay but assume this will be for a long time, if the Lord doesn't change the situation at their home.
My wife is talking care for the children during the day and is busy managing the household. I myself working in the building business and am occupied with maintenance of concrete, wooden and steel structures. Much of my work consists of inspection work on site and another part of my work has to do with quality management of several sister companies.
On the Lord's day we still meet as a family at home and sing Psalms and spiritual songs, pray together, and listen to the Word from which I preach. The family also tries to answer my questions on the subject and scriptures we dealt with. In the Afternoon my wife usually reads to the children a story of church history or mission history and helps the children to find the answers on the questions I formulated. In the evening we read and sometimes have a bible study. During the week we have each day after our supper a so called time of family-worship in which we read from Scripture, sing hymns and pray together. We have a monthly bible study in our home (on Philippians) were other people/friends also attend. Each month I lead a bible study with mostly Reformed young people and every six weeks I attend a bible study for young married Reformed men.
As to our spiritual situation we as a family love the Lord Jesus Christ and desire to live for His glory. We do experience the Lords blessing in our personal life and in the family, but feel often very lonely. There is a deep desire to practice practical fellowship with other children of God, but until now the Lord has not made clear how and where. We are very sensible of our own weakness and shortcomings and have learned in small measure not to have high opinions of ourselves, but to be humble as we too are part of all the divisions amongst Christians. We trust that we reveal the same spirit as for example Nehemiah who identified himself with the weaknesses of the people. We do have contact with other children of God and thankfully the Lord teaches us through them. On the other hand we also experience that the Lord uses us for the edification and blessing of others. We come into contact with many who have problems and from time to time, through Gods grace, can give some help. It is a great encouragement to us, to see, that despite our lonely position, the Lord is a sense wants to use us in His Kingdom.
The past weeks I was (and still am) occupied with a Bible study on the subject of The speaking of God in the past and in these times and how to know His will. In the OT God spoke with an audible voice, signs, circumstances, via the prophets etc. In the NT He spoke by His Son, an audible voice, the NT-prophets, the Holy Spirit, signs and wonders etc. In these days many (so called) Christians say that they have heard the voice of the Lord or the Holy Spirit within their hearts, or that He spoke through a bible verse. Others, for example those who live in Muslim countries, claim to have seen and heard Christ in dreams. Some of the Puritans have had visions, for example about their own death or other things. Man can also deceive himself, have certain imaginations. How does one know whether it concerns ones own imagination, ones own flesh, the voice of the enemy (Satan) or the the Lords / Holy Spirits voice or guidance. What are the Scriptural criteria which one should use to distinguish between the Lords voice/will and all other things? Perhaps anyone of you you can point me out to a good article or booklet on these questions?
Further I am interested in good material on family-worship, marriage, divorce, remarriage and dating. If anyone can help me I would be most grateful.
Looking forwards to your replies I remain, yours in our beloved Lord Jesus,
Leo (from the Netherlands)