About prayer requests and such...

Do you feel overwhelmed from time to time because of all the prayer requests you are trying to keep up with?

I do. Let's be honest here. Sometimes, my prayer list gets so long that I end up praying for nothing at all. I just sit there and sigh... Yep, I admit it.

Read more about this topic HERE (my new blog) and make sure to sign up!

After 18 years of blogging...

I started blogging after my first book 'Sacred Sabbath' was published, hence the url I've used for the past eighteen years: sacredsabbath.blogspot.com 😀

Over time I posted about my books, faith, adventures, and questions. Based upon input from readers I did quite a few blog series.

At some point, I wanted to change the web address (url) of my blog because 'sacredsabbath' didn't really accurately describe the variety of topics. 

I don't know whether any of you ever tried to change the url, but it means that everywhere you posted a link to your blog, that link would be broken.

Nah, didn't want to do that. 

I asked my followers on Instagram whether they read my blogs and I received positive responses. Stopping therefore is not an option. Then, the other day I read an article that said blogging is not dead, quite encouraging.

So, this week I decided to start a new blog where I will be posting regularly. That way I will get to keep the eighteen years of blogging that are behind me. It is still kind of a blanc page there (except for one article I posted earlier today), but I hope you decide to sign up for or follow the new blog.

➔Question: Have you ever been thinking of starting a new blog or do you already have different blogs?

Heart palpitations and Jesus

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

[John 16:33]

Take heart, Jesus said. In other words: be encouraged, be comforted, cheer up. Oh, how we need to hear these words. The crazier the world gets, the more we need to hear His voice, the more we need to guard our heart and keep His perfect shalom.

I was reading in a medical article that heart palpitations are a very common experience. If you surveyed 100 people, about 90 of them would have reported heart palpitations. It's usually harmless, but stress and anxiety (as well as caffeine and medication) can cause our hearts to act funny.

We cannot change what is happening in the world; the wars, the disasters, the drama. But we can change how those happenings affect our hearts. Colossians 3:15 says:

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Did you notice the word 'rule'? Peace rules, not in this world, but in our hearts. That is where the change begins, for everyone! Jesus is the Prince of peace and He wants to reside in us. His residency in our lives makes all the difference.

Warning: There is a side effect! A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body [Proverbs 14:30a].

Ten Core Values for the Christian life (10)

And so, we have come to the end of this blog series, the tenth commandment: You shall not covet (Exodus 20:17).

The full text says: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

Let's make this simple: You shall not desire anything that isn't yours to begin with.

Maybe you're thinking: “Oh, I don’t envy my neighbor, his house, car, or wife. I don’t desire what someone else has.” But come to think of it, what do you desire? What are the desires of your heart? Are you passionate about the right things?

I believe the message behind the last commandment is both bold and obvious and of great value for today: ➤Don’t be envious of what others have, go after what God has for you!

The Bible says that nothing we desire can compare with wisdom, which is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing we can ever desire can compare with wisdom. Isn't that the very thing we should go after then?

👉The core value I have attached to the tenth commandment is WISDOM.

We do not desire the things of this world but seek spiritual virtues such as wisdom.

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For more on this topic, read my book 'MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE' (Digging deeper to find the treasure that will satisfy the longing of your heart). This book is available on Amazon in your country.

Ten Core Values for the Christian life (9)

We are nearing the end of this blog series.

In the introduction I wrote; "It is one thing to say we don't steal, but are we generous? It is one thing to say we don't bear false witness, but do we speak truth when we open our mouths? Going from commandment to core value is, in essence, going from theory to application."

Let's continue with the ninth commandment: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16).

Of course, if all is well we will not lie, cheat, or falsely accuse others. But the real question is: Do we speak truth when we open our mouths?

One of the most famous questions ever asked in the history of mankind, was the one Pilate desperately confronted Jesus with: ‘and what is truth?’ That question still lingers in our courtrooms. As a matter of fact, it lingers in our homes, schools, political arenas, businesses, and even in our churches. What is truth? A very relevant question for today.

As in Pilate's time, we also live in a world that is made up of accusations, lies, and gossip. We are constantly bombarded with stories about people cheating, lying, and accusing others of being the reason for the mess they are in. Such practices even have entertainment value. It seems mankind hasn’t moved up the ladder of integrity very much.

Can we answer Pilate’s question with a certainty that would settle all dispute, all error, and all doubt? It is now more important than ever before, that we live and speak truthfully and discover how to stand up for biblical values and principles in a troubled world that seems to have taken a free fall into lawlessness. 

👉The core value I have attached to the ninth commandment is TRUTH

We will stand up for truth and boldly proclaim the values and principles of the Bible.

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For more on this topic, read my book 'SPIRIT OF TRUTH' (Finding certainty and standing firm in a troubled world). This book is available on Amazon in your country.