Wisdom and truth are lacking on both sides

Surely, you must have some thoughts about the current protests and riots in the USA, Marja…

Well, yes. Or maybe, no. I don’t know, whether I should even write about events that make no sense at all, to begin with. 

Things have been labeled (without a second thought) racism, a battle between black and white. But you know what, now that you are asking... here's my two cents worth:

I don’t think it is.

This is not about being black or white at all. This is ultimately about good and evil. About darkness and light. As a white person, I am utterly ashamed about the lack of grace the officers showed. On the other hand, if I were a black person, I would be utterly ashamed of the way my brothers and sisters have been responding. Where does that leave us?

👉Wisdom and truth are lacking on both ‘sides’. We all fall short and that, exactly that, makes us all equal.

We need God! We need His mercy and forgiveness. We do not need more hatred or revenge. We need His love!

Living as pilgrims in this world

Today the thought came to me that we are all pilgrims in this world, just passing through.

I have traveled all over the world and I have always been amazed at how easy it is for me to feel at home... just about everywhere. Just as long as there is food on the table and a pillow to rest my head on, I am happy.

It makes life easier when we are flexible, in a sense. The Bible says:

For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come (Hebrews 13:14).

This world is not our permanent home. So, how come we act as if it is? We want to control everything that is happening, but we can't. Yet, we get restless when things are shaken, we feel uneasy when things change, we have this need to defend what we believe belongs to us...

It is all understandable, of course. We want stability, we want security, we want peace. When there is turmoil in the world, we feel it in our hearts, we feel it in our souls. It is like bleeding inside. We are hurting because we cannot stop the world from turning... and turning.

If we could only learn to live as a pilgrim. I don't mean being homeless or without possessions; but being able to move on, despite circumstances. Being able to look forward to the surprises waiting around the next corner.

We can learn a lesson from Abraham. By faith he made his home in the promised land. Yet, he lived like a stranger in a foreign country. Hebrews 11:10 says: He was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

We should take care of this world, it is our assignment to subdue and cultivate the earth and to evenly divide her resources. But we should also look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where every tear will be wiped away, where there will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 21:1-4).

Let's get our focus right, while passing through.

Wellspring of life

Yesterday a thought came to me. Well, actually it was a Bible verse.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

You can find that in Proverbs 4:23. Above all else... I find these words intriguing. What else? All else! Yes, as in... everything else. Why? 👉Because a contaminated heart results in a contaminated life.

If we let anger, hatred, bitterness, disappointment, discouragement, fear, anxiety, or worry linger in our hearts, it will contaminate our wellspring of life. It won't take long before dirty water will come out of our mouths, so to speak.

If we let anger in, we become an angry person. If we let worry in, we become a worried person. If we let fear in, we become a fearful person. It is quite simple really.

Guarding our hearts, that is something to meditate upon these days.

Jesus said: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me (John 14:1). Do not let... again, very intriguing words. No one or nothing has the right to trouble our hearts, we are the ones allowing it to happen. Jesus says, do not let it happen. We must, therefore, guard our hearts.

Maybe you think, 'well, that is easier said than done, Marja.' Personally, I speak against negative influences that are trying to settle in my heart. Go away, in Jesus' name. I am not worried, I am not upset, I am not bitter, because I trust in God and His peace sustains me.

Besides speaking against negative influences, I fill my heart with the Word of God, not with the words of the world. The choice is yours.

It is spiritual warfare at the most basic level. Guard your heart!

Understanding the old, appreciating the new

In my new book True Worshipers, I discuss, among many other things, the rules for worship under the Old Covenant and the relational worship under the New Covenant. Maybe you think that sounds way too technical to be interesting...

Well, I wouldn't blame you. However, I can assure you that reading True Worshipers will take you on a wonderful journey through the Bible I have used an illustration in chapter 2 that might help us to see why understanding the old makes us appreciate and value the new.

"Today, when we put our dirty laundry in the washing machine, we don’t think much of it. We push a button and walk away, the work is being done for us. I remember how my grandmother washed by hand.

She would boil water in a huge grey kettle and stir the laundry with a large wooden spoon of some sort. No wonder our grandmothers had muscled arms! Doing laundry was tough labor and in those times the women often set apart a whole day every week for this work.

When I think back of such times, I feel very privileged that I do not have to spend a whole precious day each week sweating over a steaming tub full of laundry. Remembering those days, however romantic and idyllic they may seem, I am sincerely thankful for modern technical equipment."

When we begin to understand how much was expected from the ancient Israelites (in terms of sacrifices) in order to present themselves before God and live in a right and healthy relationship with Him, we will become all the more thankful for the grace and love God has poured out on us when He gave His Son as a sacrifice in our place.

👉You can order the Kindle version on Amazon for just $ 2.99.

This troubled world

Last week I received a message from a friend in northern Italy. Shortly after the government restrictions were imposed, she lost her job. 'Can I translate another book for you,' she texted, 'that will give me something to do.'

I proposed the translation of Spirit of Truth to which she responded: 'Boy, do we ever need that now!' And so she went to work on that one. When I picked up the book from my library, I noticed the subtitle... almost as if for the first time, since the book came out 4 years ago:

Finding certainty and standing firm in a troubled world.

A troubled world? Back in 2016? You gotta be kidding, right? Wasn't life a picnic back then? Well, no, not exactly. 2016 was a year full of disasters, from deadly earthquakes, terror attacks, life-depleting droughts, devastating storms, to unceasing wars. Many thought the end was near. But here we are...

Up until now 2020 is no picnic either. We are still in this troubled world, trying to make sense of it all and, who knows, trying to find truth in it all. Four years from now, we will find ourselves facing new challenges in a world that knows no lack of trouble. 👉We better get used to it.

Jesus said: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33). You will have... so, let's not try to escape, let's try to cope.

I think this is the art of faith... having peace in perilous times, trust while in trouble, and joy when all we know and have is in jeopardy.

Together with Jesus, we can overcome the world. Why refuse His outstretched hand? We have nowhere else to go.