Hello! This Blog is a work under construction. The central purpose is to assist you to explore about Jesus for yourself, with 'no strings attached' by me.
All being well it will progressively contain content under my various posts as I am able, and then some of them as 'pages'. (The 'pages' open through the Google Blogger internal links.)
Please contact me, writer, Allen Hampton, by emailing Gmail with similar to my blogger user name jesus.saviour4unme
that is, include my adapted blog username, before @gmail.com (please note that the blog username is all one word). Sorry - the "dot" is necessary for the email address only.
The full address of this blog is
jesussaviour4unme.blogspot.com
Now operational, I have slightly shorter
jesussaviour4unme.net
and
jesussaviour4unme.com
- which simply takes you to this same Blogger application and my posts.
Note that, as opportunity permits, I am operating simply as an individual from within my own resources (especially including the internet!). No organisation or institution is involved, or promoted, in my blogs. So then, it is clear to whom any errors belong!
Past technical website error: At one time I unintentionally set an internet error on Blogger, which impossibly required continuous redirects. This made the blog inaccessible for a period. I finally realised and undid my mistake and returned to previous operation.
(My own personal journey I started with nil background. In my mid-teens a fellow PMG telecommunications trainee invited me along to his church youth group. I discovered the "Way, the Truth, and the Life", and accepted Jesus' invitation to us. In addition to the continuing benefits of youth fellowship, home groups and years of Scripture Union materials and other, I acknowledge I have gained from academic studies and personal "mainstream" church involvement and participation. However, I am not here representing nor serving any specific human entity. I consider myself a student making the best of my available resources. More below.)
My blog is deliberately "About Jesus". As Peter put it long ago: Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone (Acts 4:12, CEV).
About YOU!
If you have decided to follow Jesus? Fantastic. Now you are a forever member of God's Kingdom. You are in God's household.
What's next? Jesus was part of a small community and participated in an accepted larger entity. (That entity had a long history.) Jesus spoke about followers' mutual care, and about sorting offences between them, about his special promise of presence, and about (including, probably, together) remembering him in his sacrifice. So, that indicates to me your (and my) engagement, as it may be possible, with other followers, as an anticipated expectation! Agree?
Quite apart from the serious issue of disease like COVID-19, there are practical problems at this point, and it troubles me! There are confusions and fakes! It is important to take seriously the warnings Jesus gave. Unfortunately I can not see any way to give you a clear blanket recommendation today. I wish it were not that hard. If you can only find one or two more people who have made similar decisions, you may find your solution.
Previous posts on the problem that I see:
https://jesussaviour4unme.blogspot.com/2015/06/be-alert.htmlhttps://jesussaviour4unme.blogspot.com/2019/06/fruit.html
Briefly, however, the most likely opportunity to make "face-to-face" connections with other people following Jesus is with a "church"*. Quite possibly what you seek (ie, whom) will not be found "up front". Regardless of "brand name", you may well find people in just about any such group, anywhere. (They may or may not use the word "church" in their label; labels are not always helpful.) I am sure you will be welcome. If over time you find the group is not "true to label", you are not being indelibly marked; you can move on, difficult as it may be.
Nothing in human enterprise, including this blog, is perfect (!) but an online Bible-reading community from Scripture Union UK may help you a lot:
https://content.scriptureunion.org.uk/resource/word-live
* "church" is a word which presents difficulties, as it has many meanings. The word "Christian" also presents challenges. (Neither word includes a guarantee!) To those words I hope to return in a post. Meantime, I hope you are not troubled by some encounter with them. Many a critical comment is made using those words - sadly and grimly warranted critical comment (for example, see documents in our Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse).
(PS: I hope to expand "About You" in a separate post. AH 11/01/23)
May 9, 2018: My purpose and procedure followed remains almost entirely as it has since March, 2015. There are two (or three) posts where I departed from the pattern.
Personal profile: Allen Hampton, widower (2021), Australian. Geographic: now of Melbourne (2014), formerly of Sydney, then Narrabri, Tamworth, Delungra, Nundle (1961-1973); Tamworth (1973-1996); Albury, Kiewa, Thurgoona (1996-2014).
The standard for my life is high. I know I fall short. Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:43-48, NIV).
Where would I be, apart from the mercy of God? The answer is so very clear.
I can echo Paul, at least in part: But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ[a]—the righteousness from God based on faith. My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.
Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not[b] consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly[c] call in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:7-14, CSB). I add my "amen" to that.
EDITS
As
this is a live blog, I have the opportunity to make edits in posts, here and
there, from time to time. Mostly the edits are additions or "fine tuning", or to better explain, or spellings. I hope this
is not annoying. If I make a "major" edit, I alter the name of the post
to show it is a revised and updated edition! NOTE: If you see something that you think needs revision, please let me know. I will be pleased to look at it. (I do not routinely re-read every post.) Thank you.
Artificial Intelligence? You may be wondering - I have made no use of AI. If that changes I will alter this note. I draw on what I retain from the years and on my researches using the features of BibleGateway and Blue Letter Bible. Occasionally I make direct use of a written text and acknowledge the fact.
May God bless you.
Allen Hampton, 2021 Nov 2022 Dec Aug Oct 2023 Sept 2024 Jan Nov
Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
Scripture quotations marked (CSB) are from the Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NRSVUE) are from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Note: I retain in the publishers' text where they occur the references [ ] to footnotes, but rarely reproduce the notes. You can check them out by viewing the text on-line. Often they are replicated in different translations.
Scripture quotations marked (CSB) are from the Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NRSVUE) are from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Note: I retain in the publishers' text where they occur the references [ ] to footnotes, but rarely reproduce the notes. You can check them out by viewing the text on-line. Often they are replicated in different translations.
