Law & grace, an uneven match? (2)

'We are no longer under the law. It is all grace!' Familiar words, I am sure you have heard them somewhere. The most logical question that would follow a statements  like that, is: so, what then should we do with the law? No longer read it, skip it, ignore it? Well, we do not have to make such a difficult choice; law & grace go perfectly well together. Let's find out what Jesus has to say about it.

Probably the most known and discussed words of Jesus about the law, can be found in Matthew 5:17-18. He says, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Well, is the earth still here? Does heaven still exist? Yes, of course! So the law has not disappeared, but the purpose has changed... from obedience (or keeping) → fulfilling

The Good News translation says it this way: Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true. Jesus came to make the teachings (thora, law) come true. We must keep our eyes on Him and listen to what He has to say if we want to learn more about this subject. It is wonderful to see how law and grace come together in Jesus Christ. The one does not replace the other, they will come true (are being fulfilled) in Him.

The apostle John wrote about Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The law came to us through Moses, grace and truth (also about the law) came to us through Jesus Christ. Let's keep Him central in the discussion about law and grace. Let's put everything, that has been written or said about it by other people, in the light of His words.

The apostle Paul for example wrote extensively about law and grace. No wonder really, because he was a scholar (a theologian, a pharisee) and then he came to a living faith in Jesus Christ and personally experienced His grace.  So, law and grace came together in his life as well. He writes in Romans 3:31, Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. The KJV says, we establish the law. Wow, this got me thinking... Jesus came to fulfill the law, or to make the law come true. We, as His followers, uphold what He did. We establish or confirm the law. (we will get back to that in a later post)

In the next post we will look at some more words Jesus had to say about the meaning/purpose of the law.

Thank you for reading along, and please share these posts with someone who might need to hear this.

Law & grace, an uneven match? (1)

In 2004, I started the writing of a series of books on the Ten Commandments in the 21st century, a book per commandment. Five books have been published so far... still five to go :) English is my second language, so the books are written in an uncomplicated manner without the use of difficult words (since I don't know any). During the writing process and the studying of related Bible passages I began to receive more and more insight on the subject law & grace. No theological explanations, but fresh insights on ancient truths.

In the upcoming weeks I will write a series of posts on this subject. Why? Because there seems to be quite some confusion, unclarity and even wrong teaching on this subject. Many evangelical Christians don't have a love for the Law, because to them 'living by grace' means doing away with the law. We are set free from the law, right? Faith has nothing to do with a bunch of rules, but everything with relationship. On the other hand there are denominations where the Law still rules and this can end in legalism = setting the obedience of the rules above the leading of the Holy Spirit. And perhaps many believers and churches are somewhere in between. We don't want to go from one extreme to the other. The Ten Commandments are old fashioned, the grace movement too good to be true, so we get stuck somewhere in the middle.

I have collected some thoughts about law & grace, in random order. Let's see whether you recognize some:

• The Law has been nailed to the cross
• We are set free of the Law, no more need of Old Testament teachings
• It is all grace, there is nothing we can or need to add
• A lawless society is a disorderly society
• I am living by grace and do not want to be legalistic, but...
• Everything changed after the cross
• But we cannot delete or ignore certain Bible passages

The grace teaching is nothing new, it is the teaching that we can only depend on Gods grace to be reconciled with Him. This was being preached 2000 years ago, and then by our church fathers and now in most churches. There are, however, many different interpretations. In certain circles grace is being kept for the elect or it is something God will bestow on people when He wants to do so, we can not grab it. In other circles grace is being taught as unmerited favor, we can not do anything to make God love us more. So, sit back and relax.

All of this can be debated, but does it mean we have to choose between law and grace? We either keep the law, or we accept His grace. Having both seems an impossibility. Are law & grace an uneven match?

Take time...

Thought it would be nice to treat you to some worship music from Holland!

Sit down, relax, listen....

Happy weekend! ENJOY.

Blogging buzz...

Things are always moving in the blogging sphere. We bloggers are always thinking, writing, publishing and learning. We go through ups and downs together. Most bloggers are hard working people, like you and me, without a celebrity status or mega sales of their (often self-published) books. We do have a common goal: to improve our writing and share the journey with each other.

Join me for the latest news and happenings.

• Fellow blogger Aileen Stewart announced on Facebook that her newest manuscript was rejected. Many of us have gone through that phase and I believe we can be a great help by encouraging one another. Aileen is a stay-at-home mom and she writes children's books. She's a great example of someone who keeps pursuing her writing dream. Feel free to visit her blog and give her a thumbs up for all her hard work.
• Blogger/writer Susan Reinhardt has a new website, make sure to check it out. She always has interviews, reviews and bits & pieces of publishing news. She recently toured the blog-o-sphere with her e-book release The Moses Conspiracy, which is now also available in paperback.
• My latest release My Neighbor's House received a 5-star review from Readers' Favorite, which can be viewed here. The reviewer wrote me a personal note, saying:  I loved this book and will work through it with a highlighter and journal. It is well-researched, well-written, and logical to follow. Thank you so much. I hope you write more. You can do me a huge favor by leaving your comment at the bottom of the review page, using your FB login. THANKS!
• Maria Morgan is another fellow blogger who recently launched her first e-book, a devotional called God Speaking. You can simply get it by signing up for her updates. She's asking for feedback from readers. Another great way to interact and learn from each other.

Is any interesting stuff going in your blogging/writing world that will encourage and inspire others? Please e-mail me and I'll announce it in the next blogging buzz.

Happy writing!

Serving Jesus in a culture of abundance

Last weekend I picked up the next book from my 'to-read' stack (which has become a wall that divides my room in two), The 180 Degree Christian by Carter Conlon, the senior pastor of Times Square Church in New York. An interesting read so far.

Conlon zooms in on our westernized Christianity. It feels kind of awkward and uncomfortable to look in the mirror of our own faith. Yet, at the same time I am recognizing a theme that keeps coming back in this present time. How can we practice basic Christianity in a culture of abundance?

No matter how sincere we try to focus, every now and then we all get distracted by life's worries AND luxuries at the same time. Let me know if anyone has found a way to avoid this :) I write about this struggle between our natural and spiritual life in my latest book My Neighbor's House. Honesty is the key when writing about all the stuff that will distract us from being focused on the great commandment and the great commission.

I remember how, years ago, I drove around in a USA city at night, for the very first time in my life. All the lights, all the bill boards, all the blinking and flickering signs... It was all new to me. I cried out to my husband: 'I can't see the traffic lights, there are too many colors.' It seems funny now, but isn't this how it feels to live in a culture where there is plenty of choices, plenty of everything? No wonder we sometimes loose sight of clear directions.

If you're ready to pick up a book (or two) on stewardship and holy living, you might want to consider The 180 degree Christian and/or My Neighbor's House.

Happy reading!

Take time to pause

Yes, in the middle of the week

Oh, those questions of Jesus...

Isn't it wonderful to travel through the gospel of Luke? I love it. Of course there is much more to read and learn than I am posting on this weblog... but I just enjoy zooming in on those small sentences and scenes that can raise big thoughts.

It happened more than once that the theologians in Jesus' time tried to trick or test Him. We can read this for example in the text preceding the parable of the Good Samaritan. One of the teachers of the Law approaches Jesus with a question about eternal life. Jesus answers his question, according to Jewish custom, with another question. Two questions really. Read along in Luke 10:25-26, On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” Those two questions should penetrate the heart of every believer.

WHAT is written in the Law? Do we know what is written in the Law, in the Old Testament? Do we still read the Law and do we learn from it?

HOW do you read it? Let's say you do read in the Old Testament, and you do know what the Law says (most people who have gone to church most of their lives have a good knowledge of the scriptures), then there is still the question: how do you read it?

Do we read with pre-conceived ideas? Are we skeptical, critical or are we reading without really thinking? Do we accept everything the preacher says from the pulpit, without re-reading it? Do we read with our heart or with our brains, or both? Do we read with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us and who inspired the writers of the Bible? How do you read it? Jesus'question is still ringing in our ears today.

It is written about the disciples: Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures (Lucas 24:45). That is still possible today, for you too if you desire so!

TIP: Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you when reading the Bible, so you can see the things through His eyes.

Great, greater, greatest...

Our friend Brian in the food bank in Israel

We continue our journey through the Gospel of Luke. I hope you are as curious as I am about the lessons we can learn. This time I want to stop at a familiar passage in chapter 9: the feeding of the five thousand.

When I was reading that story again, I noticed that Jesus offers His disciples a great opportunity to do something special. The disciples were worried about the large crowd of people that surrounded the Messiah. In the meantime Jesus was teaching about the Kingdom and He healed people with all kind of diseases. When evening came the disciples came to Him with their worried thinking and asked Him to send the people home. And you know what Jesus' reaction was? You give them something to eat! In other words, why ask Me to do something about it, this is your chance, test your faith, put it into practice. Do something!

Luke 9:12-13, Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.” He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” Their response to Jesus' command was a clear sign of unbelief and doubt: We have limited resources Lord. You don't seriously mean that you want us to solve this problem?

Do we recognize this response? Jesus wants us to do great things, and often all we can see is obstacles and limitations. Jesus sees opportunities; we see limitations and have excuses. In the Old Testament we can find a similar story in 2 Kings 4:42-44. The man of God (Elisha) orders his servants to feed 100 people with 20 loaves of bread. They had their doubts, they found it hard to believe in the impossible: How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked. But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

In the Old Testament we see this great miracle performed by men, in response to God's word. In the New Testament we see an even greater miracle performed by Jesus. And what about us? What does Jesus say to the people who believe in Him? Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12).

What is your excuse?

PS 1: Talking about feeding the multitudes, take a peek at Brian's blog

The Moses Conspiracy blog tour

Most bloggers are writers, or... should I say: most writers are blogggers? Whatever the case, blogging is a great way to improve our writing and to be part of an online community. A community where we inspire, encourage and help one another in our writing efforts.

Today the spotlight is on fellow blogger and author Susan Reinhardt. We've been keeping an eye on each other's blogs for I don't know how long. I love Susan's Friday Roundup's and I am thrilled to hear that she has published her first novel: The Moses Conspiracy. This debut novel is now available as e-book on Amazon and I highly recommend it. When Susan sent me a copy of her thriller I started reading immediately and I must say I was pleasantly surprised! Her writing is vivid and full of suspense. It's hard to put the book down once you've started.

Her writing journey is an inspiration for every wanna-be-author. Susan shared about her writing process on Cecelia Lester's blog: "The first draft took 4 months, but then I had to learn how to write fiction. I cut my writing teeth on this book. There were multiple re-writes while I shopped it around. It took 8 years to write, get a contract, and an agent. The journey was far from easy. From 2006-2007, I wrote very little due to my husband's battle with leukemia, death, and subsequent challenges. When I came through the grief process, I knew I had to finish the book both in his memory and because I felt the Lord had directed me to write it."

Here's a quick blurb:

A trip to post-terrorized Washington, D.C. in 2025 and a buggy accident in  Bird-in-Hand, PA set in motion events that expose a diabolical plan to destroy the Christian community. Ellie and John  Zimmerman find themselves embroiled in a life-threatening investigation, fighting a shadowy enemy.

Convinced it's now safe to visit D.C., Ellie and her firstborn, 8-year-old Peter, travel to the nation's capital. Both mother and child make an effort to enjoy the sights, but they're unprepared for the challenges they face. Her nightmares come true when she and Peter are separated.

You can find Susan here:

http://www.susanjreinhardt.com
http://twitter.com/susanjreinhardt
Interview I did with her back in 2011!

GOODmorning!

Hallelujah!

Let all creation testify...

How often can we hear a parable?

Sometimes, I wonder indeed... how often can we hear a parable or a sermon about a parable and still be open for the lessons to learn?

In my journey through the gospel of Luke I encounter plenty of well known parables and stories. Take the one about the sower and the seed for example, how often have we heard that one? And yet, I believe we will never reach a point where we know all there is to know about the lessons Jesus taught. The Holy Spirit can always shine a new light on old principles.

This week I was reading Jesus' explanation about the parable of the sower and I specifically meditated on this verse: But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop (Luke 8:15). A noble and good heart is considered good ground. Well, that's the point where we might want to run away. Me, a noble and good heart? Uh uh... well, not necessarily so. Thank God it is possible to receive such a pure heart (see Hebrew 10:19-22) in exchange for our sinful heart. But that's not really what caught my attention.

It becomes clear from this verse that good soil alone is not enough to produce a crop, the soil needs light, water and nutrition. Sometimes we are so focused on the themes 'seed' and 'soil' that we almost miss the other three important words Jesus is giving us here: hearing, retaining and persevering:

• Hear, it is very important to read Gods Word and to hear His Word. But not in a way of: 'nice sermon pastor, thanks', and moving on with life as we did before. No, we also nee to
• Retain the Word, that means we need to absorb, cling to, clutch, contain, enjoy, grasp, hold, keep in mind, keep possession, maintain, memorize, mind, own, possess, preserve, recall, recognize, recollect, remember, reminisce, reserve, restrain, retrospect, save, and withhold the Word. And, most important probably, we need to
• Persevere, which means we must not give up on the truth of His Word, we can not allow our circumstances to bring us off balance. The Word is not just something we read, it is something we LIVE on a daily basis.

In doing so we will produce a crop. And isn't that what should be the desire of our heart, to be more like Jesus, to bear fruit in our lives, to be a living gospel for other people? In this parable Jesus clearly shows us how a spiritual crop will grow, not by itself; but by hearing, retaining and persevering. So, throw away your remote control tonight and start reading, hearing and retaining the Word and make a conscious decision to persevere. The Holy Spirit will help you!

Overflow of the heart

Chapter six in the gospel of Luke.... yeah, I'm still there :) Such wonderful, simple, beautiful and difficult lessons of Jesus. I call it the store room of His teachings.

Speaking about store rooms... Jesus explains in this chapter that a tree is recognized by its fruit. Have you ever observed a fruit tree from up close, before it bears fruit? You have to be a farmer or landscaper to see whether a tree is an apple, pear or prune tree. Once the tree bears fruit it is much easier to name the tree, even for  a layman. So it is with people. A good or bad person is hardly ever recognized by his outer appearance, but by the fruit his life produces.

Back to store rooms... Let's take a look at verse 45 where Jesus is speaking: The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. The first question that comes to my mind is: what is the overflow of my heart? That is also the question I would like to share with you. We can recognize what is in someone's heart by the words he/she speaks. WE will be recognized by the words we speak.

It doesn't matter much whom I encounter on the streets nowadays, at the store, in church, or at work... everywhere I am hearing the same words: financial crisis, failing economy, unemployment, disease, fear, cancer, politics, the weather, the world. Out of the overflow...

Seldom, very seldom do I speak with someone who utters words of encouragement, trust and faith in God. Are there still people out there whose heart is a store room of joy about God, His Word and Jesus? I do not mean on the internet, but in daily conversation. Maybe this is not a nice question to ask, but if we truly confess that we have a heart for God and His Word we have to speak likewise. Our words can build up or beak down.

Gospel of Luke inspires

This is the 4th blog post in my series on the Gospel of Luke, again... viewed from a different perspective. Grab your head phones, turn up the volume and listen...

Happy weekend!

Measure

The Bible is a fascinating book, I don't have to tell you that :) But what I want to tell you is, that it is important to read a translation that you can understand! As far as I know there are no 'good' or 'bad' translations; just make sure you read one you can relate to.

As I wrote in my previous post, I am reading through the gospel of Luke at the moment and, quite unavoidable, I arrived at chapter six. Now there are two things possible at the beginning of such a chapter: read through it quickly or stop and meditate on the lessons Jesus is teaching here. This is not theology or theory, but practical Christianity for our every day life. I quote verse 37 and 38: Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Ouch, strong words, especially the last sentence.The first question that enters my mind and that I would like to share with you is: which measure do I use? In a negative and a positive sense. Jesus uses examples of both: judging and condemning, but also forgiving and giving. Whatever the case, we set the measure with which we will be measured...

• Am I critical, judgemental, or unkind towards others? If so, such an attitude towards others will come  back into my own life.
• Am I forgiving and generous (time, talents, money, love, etc.) towards others? If so, such an attitude towards others will come back into my own life.

What a great responsibility to realize that we are the ones setting the measure that others will use towards us. It would have been much easier if God took care of all that, so we wouldn't have to change our bitterness, stinginess or unforgiveness. The words of Jesus are simple but not easy, they imply responsibility but also a challenge.

I don't know about you, but I don't want people to judge me or criticize me. I want others to forgive me and share their blessings with me. My wish is the measure that I need to use for others.

If we desire a different harvest, we must make a beginning with sowing different seeds.

Knowing is not enough

As I wrote in my previous post, I am reading through the gospel of Luke at the moment. What a delight to read that book word for word once again, and to marvel about the lessons Jesus taught while He was here on earth.

I keep reading chapters and sometimes a single verse that needs more pondering. I will share some of my thoughts and questions with you on this blog, in the hope that it will inspire you to take a fresh look at the old stories. Maybe you can invite someone to read together and meditate on His words.

In Luke 4:38-44 we can read how Jesus healed and delivered many people from diseases and demons. In verse 42 He rebuked the demons and did not allow them to speak. Luke writes that they were silent because they knew He was the Messiah. I had to read that over and over again. If demons know that Jesus is the anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah ... then how is it possible that many people do NOT know this? There are many so called Christians nowadays that have doubts about the identity of Jesus. Was He really the Son of God? Was He the promised Messiah or not?

At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

What I have learned from this passage is that in the unseen world there is no room for doubt: angels know who Jesus is, the devil knows it and the demons know it. In the visible world many people are openly doubting His identity. Well, that is quite a dangerous thing to do, don't you think? One sentence only... and I encountered a question and a point to ponder:

QUESTION: How is it possible that demons know who Jesus is, and many people don't?

POINT TO PONDER: Knowing who Jesus is does not make us a Christian, for the devil and his demons know this too. Knowing who He is, is not the same as walking like He did. In 1 John 2:6 we can read: This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Knowing and doing are two different things.

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning,his command is that you walk in love (2 John 1:6)