Looking beyond restrictions

Sometimes I get the feeling that 2021 was a year of restrictions, in many ways. That may be true, if I look through a negative lens.

If I look through a positive lens instead and make my 2021 work summary, I come to the conclusion that I have done many things... when it comes to writing and speaking.

I realize that there is an enemy who always tries to make us think that we didn't do enough, that it wasn't good, that it could be better, that what we did had no impact etc. etc.

That enemy is a liar and a thief. He is harassing us, trying to steal our joy, and belittle our talents. For that reason alone I like to take inventory for myself, as proof that he has no right to speak!

• I have recorded more than two hundred videos about the Psalms and Proverbs 3 and distributed them on YouTube and Instagram TV
• I have written monthly blogs for www.ikzoekgod.nl and
• monthly columns for Opwekking Magazine
• In addition, I also wrote posts almost weekly on my English and Dutch blogs
• 
  I also wrote two feature articles for Opwekking Magazine
• Recently I also started making podcasts that you can find on Spotify under the name Fresh Insights on Ancient Truths
• I also wrote 23,000 words in my new book and
• I preached a number of times in churches and at gatherings.

All different ways to stay connected with readers and listeners and to keep spreading His Word. After all, my #oneword for 2021 was connect.

👉I don't know about you, but if you have the feeling that the year has slipped through your hands without significant highlights...

Please, take inventory and you will be amazed at what you have been able to accomplish and it will inspire you to continue, also in 2022!

Italian castagnaccio pie

When we visited our friend Maria Meier in Comunità Brezzano in Tuscany, Italy this last September, she gave us some chestnut flour to take back home to The Netherlands.

Ancient chestnut trees are abundant in Tuscany and the grinded flour of chestnuts is being used for salty bread, cookies, and pies.

👉Since the flour does not contain gluten, it is great for people who cannot eat cookies or bread made of regular flour. I found a recipe for Italian castagnaccio pie, which is quite simple to make and surprisingly tasteful. (Remember: no sugar, no butter, no eggs, no wheat flour!) By the way, you have to preheat the oven to 395° F (200° C).

What you need:

• 
  9 oz (250 g) chestnut flour
• 1.5 cup (350) water
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig rosemary
• ¼ (30 g) pine nuts
• ¼ (30 g) walnuts
• 3 tbsp (30 g) raisins
• 1 tsp table salt
• honey (if you have a sweet tooth)

How to prepare:

Soak the raisins in lukewarm water (or sweet wine), then soak the rosemary leaves in another bowl filled with water and crush the walnuts into pieces.

Pour the chestnut flour into a bowl and add the water a little at a time, stirring with a spatula until consistent, then add the raisins (+ lukewarm water), 1 tsp of table salt, and 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil.

Bake the pine nuts and crushed walnuts shortly in a flat bottom pan. Grease a 9 -inch baking tin with 1 tbsp of olive oil or line with parchment paper and pour the chestnut mixture into the baking tin and garnish with pine nuts, walnuts, and (optional) a sprig rosemary. Use a spoon to press the nuts halfway into the mixture.

Baking time:

Bake the Castagnaccio in about 35-40 minutes, depending on your oven, until the surface becomes perfectly dried and starts to crack.

ENJOY!!

Got oil in your lamp?

'Darkness is nothing more than lack of light',  my husband always says. And he is right. 👉When we complain about the dark world we live in, we are not shining our light.

Ouch! We don't want to hear that. Especially not in this current time of unrest, crisis, political mess, and ungodliness.

I suspect many are not even sure whether they still have oil in their lamps. I meet people who are tired, weary, worried, anxious, down... just waiting for better times.

Well, there is no better time than Christmas time when we celebrate (no matter the circumstances) the birth of Jesus, the light of the world! He came to shine His light and to pass the oil (the Holy Spirit) on to us. He said: You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

Wow, like a city on a hilltop... I love that idea. No matter how hard the enemy is trying to dim the light of Jesus, he will NOT succeed. That should encourage us, that should stir up our faith. We are blessed to be the light and to have the light. |Jesus said:

I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a deLIGHTful New Year!

The Holy Spirit in the Christmas story

Last Sunday I spoke at 'De Hoeksteen' church in Etten-Leur about the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christmas story.

Yes, of course, the Christmas story is about the birth of Jesus Christ and the special announcement that preceded it. The role of the Holy Spirit, however, is very clear in those first two chapters of Luke's gospel, although we usually don't emphasize it.

If we carefully read Luke 1 and 2, we will find that Elisabeth, Zachariah, John, Mary, and Simeon were all filled with the Spirit. They were touched in a special way for the task assigned to them.

👉I feel safe to say that everything in preparation for and around the birth of the Messiah was led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit no life, without the Spirit no miracles!

How wonderful it is to see that just before the end of His life, Jesus makes room here on earth for the Holy Spirit... on a much larger scale. Just read John 14, 15, and 16. Even today, the Spirit wants to use ordinary people like you and me to pave the way, to prepare people for Jesus' return to earth.

The sermon is in Dutch, but it can be viewed and listened to on YouTube. 

Hopeless or hopeful view of this world?

The devil is a defeated enemy, he has no more power. I often hear Christians say that. Then I look around and I can only conclude that reality is just slightly different.

Yes, Jesus has defeated the enemy, that's for sure. But the devil is still trying to exercise power in this world, you have to be blind not to see that all around us every day. There is murder, abuse, violence, and misery... everywhere.

He has power because people give it to him. Satan is always looking for people through whom to do his destructive work. That doesn't sound very encouraging, of course.

And frankly, it would be very depressing if we didn't understand (or know) that God is also always looking for people through whom He can do His redemptive work! We need to understand those two things. In 1 John 5:19 it says: We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

This was written some 2,000 years ago! The whole world is under the power of the devil. That may sound very frightening, but it is exactly why it is so important to know whether you are a child of God. We are all part of God's creation, but not automatically His child.

In John 1:12 it says that we have been given the right to become children of God. 👉How? By accepting Jesus and believing in His name, it says. That's not very complicated. With that in mind, it is very good to continue our read in 1 John 5:20,

And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

From such a perspective, we can look at this world full of hope!

New video devotions on Proverbs 3

Earlier this year I did a video series on the Psalms which I called #apsalmaday. I taped daily devotions, just two minutes each, on the psalms.

I also did a separate series on Psalms 119 consisting of 22 videos that included the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

This way of staying connected with readers, bloggers, and viewers works quite well. Especially in a time where we need all the encouragement we can get! Oh my goodness, we must help each other to stay filled with hope and faith.

So, I decided to do a new series, and well on Proverbs chapter 3. We'll be reading one verse a day and I connect it with another verse in the Bible, preferably from the New Testament. You might have a verse of your own that pops up in your mind. 👉 Let the Spirit lead you on this wisdom journey!

You can follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my YouTube channel! I hope you will.

The presence of God (3)

I ended my previous blog with the sentence: 'God's glorious presence zoomed in from a universe level, from the heavens to our inmost being.'

It is a great miracle that God came to dwell among men two thousand years ago. Perhaps, it is an even greater miracle that He now wants to dwell in all people with His Spirit. 👉He is always near and we no longer have to travel to a certain place to meet Him.

That was exactly what Jesus promised when He was about to return to His Heavenly Father: And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20). Always, everywhere. A comforting promise, no matter how we feel or wherever we are.

God with us and in us, on an individual basis so to speak. The Bible makes it clear, however, that the presence of God is also something we can (and should) experience when we are together in groups. During a prayer meeting, a Bible study, or a church service, for example.

This does not necessarily require a stadium full of people. Jesus said: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20).

If there is ever one good reason to keep meeting together, it certainly is this one!

The presence of God (2)

'God is omnipresent' I wrote in my previous blog. He is everywhere, even though we may not always experience it as such. As a matter of fact, we can sometimes even feel very, very alone.

On the other hand, it may just be so that in the past you were threathened with the fact that He is everywhere... 'Remember, God sees everything and He knows everything.'

As if He is always looking to see if He can catch us doing something wrong. Perhaps the psalmist felt that somewhat, for he wrote:

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave,you are there. (Psalm 139:7-8). He wanted to hide from God, but realized he couldn't.

Actually, I really like the idea that God is omnipresent! He is Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). He is always near us and with us, He is for us and not against us. Frankly, I think that's a very nice thought. No matter how I feel, I'm never alone.

👉God around us, God with us... and God in us, that's how it is. Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ receives the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17).

God's glorious presence zoomed in from a universe level, from the heavens to our inmost being. What a miracle that is!

The presence of God (1)

God, the Creator of heaven and earth, is omnipresent. A difficult word maybe, but it simply means that He is everywhere. Of course He is, because He is not bound by place, time or dimension.

If God is omnipresent, why do Christians often talk about experiencing the presence of God? Shouldn't we be able to experience Him anytime, anywhere? Or, are there any specific moments, places, or occasions where His presence is more noticeable?

On the other hand, many people ask themselves 'where was God' when it comes to war, terrorism, violence, abuse, or other misery. On a personal level, where was He when I needed Him so much? Perhaps that is a question you have asked as well...

I've decided to write a few short, simple blogs about 'The Presence of God' in a new series. Sometimes we use such terms so easily, but what does it really mean? And where are all those people who experience God's presence just about every day? To be honest, sometimes I don't notice Him at all.

So, it will be good to think about this topic for a while. Will you join me?

Writing as love language

I once got a diary for my birthday. I don't remember how old I was... maybe 8 or 9. It was one of those diaries with a golden lock on it. You could trust your secrets to paper and no one could get to them. I loved it!

For years I wrote many of my childish and (later) adolescent thoughts in such diaries. When we moved to another house, I threw them all away. The thought of anyone reading my secrets was downright embarrassing.

When I became a believer about twenty years ago, I started writing again. It's called journaling these days. I have already filled quite a few notebooks. And yes, I definitely read back from time to time. It's interesting to see what I was worried about ten years ago, what I had questions about, or what I prayed for. Most things turned out well 😁

Over the years, my writing has, in reality, become talking with God. It has become the love language between Him and me. When I make a journal entry it usually starts with me talking about what's on my mind. When I am halfway the page I often notice that I no longer write down what I think, but what God wants to say to me. You can see this change in perspective quite often in the psalms.

👉 My pen becomes His instrument in my hands, as it were. Whenever it is hard for me to hear His still small voice, I'll write. Do you recognize that?

Even if you don't like writing, you should start... just to have one of those beautiful journals from Flame Tree!

Too much talking...

Well, I should have turned my recent blog posts into a blog series right away 😏 A series about the choices we make in our thinking, seeing, and hearing.

Today, I want to add our talking. The choices we make when we open our mouths. What are we talking about? What is our main conversation of the day?

Jesus said: Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). 👉So we speak of the things that are bountiful in our hearts.

Let's turn that around.... So if we want good, beautiful, wise, noble, and encouraging words to come out of our mouths, it is only logical that we should fill our hearts with these thoughts first.

And yes, that goes back to the previous three blogs. By consciously choosing what we think about, look at and listen to, we fill our hearts.

By consciously choosing what we allow or don't allow to enter, we feed our hearts. Just as we consciously choose whether or not to eat or drink certain things to keep our bodies healthy.

We should ask ourselves 'what am I full of?' Is it sports, work, vacation, politics, headlines, fear, doubt, or anger? What are the things we can talk about enthusiastically, passionately, worryingly, or negatively for hours? The things we talk about every day, do say something about the state of our hearts...

[Make sure to read my blog post on our hearts as the wellspring of life!] 

Ears to hear...

In my previous two blogs I wrote about directing our thoughts and enlarging our view by fixing our eyes on things  invisible. Someone wrote to me and said  'don't forget our ears.'

And indeed, our hearing… the Bible has quite a lot to say about that as well. Jesus said 'He who has ears, let him hear.' Rather logical, is my guess, unless you have a hearing impairment or are completely deaf.

We have ears to hear, to perceive sounds, to follow conversations, and therefore to listen. The question is: what are we listening to?

Not everything that comes to us within earshot is useful. Not everything is pleasant, pure, lovely, honorable, virtuous, and praiseworthy… yes, the very things that we should fill our minds with. 👉 Conscious listening means making choices.

Romans 10:17 says, So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. If you read that entire chapter, you will see that it is about listening to and obeying the gospel that is being preached. Faith comes from hearing the good news of Jesus Christ.

There are people who are always "preaching" bad news, whether on television, in church, or at work. That is not what builds our faith. On the contrary, it crumbles whatever faith we might have left in this difficult time we are experiencing on a worldwide scale. Remember: faith comes by hearing the word of Christ and His words are spirit and life!

Make sure you listen to His words. How? Read the Bible out loud! Listen to an audio bible! Listen to faith-based sermons! Listen to the Holy Spirit! Faith comes by hearing.

He who has ear, let him hear.

Our viewing is too small

My previous blog 'Managing our thoughts' reached quite a few readers. Apparently, the content spoke to you.

Today I'm writing a follow-up, because it's not only important what we think about, but also what we look at, because that's pretty much where it all starts.

The people behind the mainstream media understand this like no other. It doesn't really matter what an article is about, as long as there is a suitable (stock) photo that attracts attention. 👉After all, images speak louder than words.

Just ask yourself what it is that gets your attention first when you open a page, whether in the newspaper or on the Internet.

Yes, of course, headlines by themselves do scream. However, the combination with an image that touches people emotionally makes the story complete! An image can be etched in our memory, an article not… just think about that.

It probably won't surprise you that the Bible tells us to purposely direct our eyes as well as our thoughts. In 2 Corinthians 4:18 it says: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Fixing our eyes on unseen things... That's easier said than done. The things we see around us are the reality of every day. No one will deny that. But those things are also temporarily... they pass! (sometimes you wonder what we're all so worried about)

The things we cannot see, are truth and therefore eternal. Love, grace, forgiveness, breath, God himself. Read through all of that chapter 4 and you will see how the writer compares everything he experiences with eternity.

Our viewing is too small, I think that often. The distance between our eyes and a screen or newspaper is at most 60 cm. It would do us good to step outside regularly to view the infinite starry sky. A simple step that can put everything back into proper perspective.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Psalm 8:4).

Managing our thoughts

My thoughts are not always nice and kind. Yeah, I'll admit it. Sometimes I notice that there is annoyance or mistrust or a bit of negativity. You can probably relate...

Human thoughts, I know. However, the Bible tells us not to worry about anything and to direct our thoughts in a different direction. Read along in Philippians 4:6-8,

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Okay, that's not exactly a list we can find in today's media. We better not look to the mainstream media if we want to receive the peace that transcends our understanding. That peace is Jesus. He is the Prince of Peace.

'Think about such things...' Fix your minds on these things... In other words: fill your thoughts with anything that is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and/or praiseworthy.

I am sure there are plenty of things we can come up with. If nasty and negative thoughts keep going through your head 👉maybe it would be a good idea to make a list, or a set of cards, of everything that you consider pure and lovely and use that to send your thoughts in a different direction!

Worshipers wanted!

Who will not stand in awe of you, Lord? Who will refuse to declare your greatness? You alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship you, because your just actions are seen by all [Revelation 15:4].

It is My desire to cover the earth with sons and daughters who are carrying My presence and the power of the Holy Spirit within. I want to fill the earth with My holiness and glory once more. It is My pride and joy to see sons and daughters do what My Son taught them… to go into the world and disciple the nations, one person at the time. To go and share the love I have poured out in their hearts.

I love it when they lay their hands on the sick, so My Son can make them well. I love to see the oppressed be set free and the ones in pain be joyful again. I long to see every spirit revived, every soul saved and delivered, and every afflicted body released from sickness. I am love, I am light, I am holy, I am shalom. Perfect peace and well-being come from My hand and it is My greatest pleasure to fill My sons and daughters with everything I have, with everything I am.

I seek the ones that are willing to receive what I have for them. I seek the ones that are bold enough to call Me Papa. I search the earth to see if there are any who are wise and willing to worship Me, who are willing to obey My Holy Spirit who only speaks of what He hears and who always brings glory to My Son.

I am seeking sons and daughters who are not afraid of My Spirit, who are willing to get to know Him better so He can lead them into all truth. I can and will do so much more throughout the earth when My people will let go of fear and put their trust in Me. You see, putting your trust in anything or anyone else than Me is idolatry and I do not tolerate it. It is Me or nothing. The choice is yours.

I cannot work through you if you are not willing to let Me. I want to see sons and daughters who dare to hand Me their dreams and goals, their jobs and finances, their present and future assets, their health and care issues, their family and relationships… everything really. I love to bring order in chaos, peace in troubled times, healing where there is pain, confidence where there is doubt, and hope where there is despair. Will you let Me do it?

Yes, I am looking for worshipers and no, you don’t have to sing for Me all day, although I love music. The heavens are full of worship and My angels cry out, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy,’ without end. I am looking for worshipers, for sons and daughters who know Me and are willing to spend time with Me and My Word.

I have so much to give, why don’t you give Me your time and devotion? Why don’t you give Me the worship I so desire? A thankful heart, a pure heart, a humble attitude, a lifestyle in submission to My Holy Spirit, a love for My Word, undivided attention, and the honor I deserve as your Father. This is what I am seeking. This is My cry for you, my child. This is my call for your generation.

With sincere love, Your Father

Journey through Psalm 119

We live in crazy times and if it wasn't for the warnings in God's Word, we would be caught by surprise and probably without hope. Thank God for His Word, thank God that we are the people of hope in a world gone insane.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19a).

With news stations blaring 24/7, it might be difficult to concentrate on the Word of God. I would like to invite you therefore to join me on a contemplative journey through Psalm 119.

That's right, Psalm 119. It is the longest psalm and also the longest single chapter in the entire Bible. With 176 verses in total, it is quite a long read. But do you know that this psalm is actually chopped up in 22 paragraphs, so-called stanza's, of just eight verses each?

Now that makes reading a lot easier. In this new video series we will read 8 verses a day. Each video meditation is just 2 minutes, so it won't take a lot of your time.... but what a way to start (or end) your day.

👉As a bonus, we are going to learn the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, as each paragraph in this psalm corresponds with a letter of that alphabet. How cool is that? Spiritual and practical food in one bite.

So, find a place of silence, invite the Holy Spirit to teach you, get your Bible and notebook, watch the introduction video and you're ready to go on a journey.🔥You will be blessed, encouraged, and inspired. I promise!

Subscribe to my YouTube channel, watch on Instagram TV or follow on FB, Mewe, Twitter or Gettr.

150 short devotions on the psalms

I can't believe I did it, but over the past months, I recorded 150(!)🤩short (two-minute) video devotions, one on each psalm, and posted them on my YouTube channel and IGTV.

As I mentioned before, my one word for 2021 is connect, and to make that practical I started this project, #apsalmaday. The thoughts in the back of my mind were: 'We all need encouragement and we need to stay connected to avoid isolation. The Word both encourages and connects.'

So, I began taping short messages on the psalms. Unedited, raw, spontaneous, and simple thoughts, encouraging the viewer to read the psalms for themselves and to ask the Holy Spirit for fresh insights. My friend Martin Podolák provided English (and Slovak) subtitles👌which made it easier to follow for people who have English as their second or third language.

I can highly recommend a journey 👣through the psalms, especially in this time we live in. You will be able to relate to so many thoughts, prayers, and emotions. You will be blessed, your faith will rise, I promise! And the best thing is, you can start any day or just pick a random psalm, however you want to do it.

📌Link to the playlist

All this talk about parallel societies

Oh, this world we live in! Amazingly beautiful but quite tiresome and frustrating lately, right? It is no wonder people are seeking ways to escape the harsh reality of inhumane measures and restrictions that are still putting limits on our daily lives.

We can read about parallel societies where minorities are trying to seek freedom and at the same time, shelter. A parallel society, it may be a fashionable word nowadays, but in reality, God invented it. Yep.

It is called the Kingdom of God. It is the supernatural realm where His will is being done, His principles reign, and Jesus is honored as the highest power and authority. Two thousand years ago the people in Israel were waiting for the establishment of a free society, no longer ruled by Roman oppressors.

The scholars asked Jesus about it. His answer then is still the answer today: The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst (Luke 17:20). Some translations say the Kingdom is near you or within you. Well, that must have left them speechless. The Kingdom of God, His will on earth as it is in heaven, living amongst and inside of people?!

And yes, the Bible makes it clear, as believers we are not of this world, we belong to another world. We might be in this world, but we are not of it. Jesus said to His followers: If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you (John 15;19).

The world will hate you. Okay, so be it. Being a citizen of Gods Kingdom also means we can have joy amidst pain, peace amidst trouble, and love amidst hatred. It is the only true parallel society while we are here on earth. 

How can we see this Kingdom, how can we become part of this Kingdom? Jesus gives the answer: No one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again (John 3:3).

You might want to read my blogseries about the Kingdom.

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Do we keep on blogging in 2021?

Google announced that the Feedburner service will stop as of July 1st. That is the service that takes care of sending your blog posts to people's email addresses (well, to the ones that have signed up for it.)

When I read that, I thought 'what now?' 😕Is this the moment to stop blogging? Getting my blog posts to readers by email is a quite reliable way to stay connected, especially now that readers are leaving Facebook, Twitter, and other social media because of censorship.

I wanted to know whether writing blogs was still worth the effort, so I began to search the internet for news and statistics on blogging and found some interesting facts. For example, marketing consultant and speaker Neal Schaffer writes on his website:

"Blogging is absolutely still relevant in 2021. In fact, roughly 409 million internet users read about 20 billion blog pages monthly. People undeniably still read blogs. As a matter of fact, 77% of internet users worldwide like reading them. People in the United States alone read blogs 3 times more than emails. Blogging is not dead, blogs are powerful and it is the 5th most reliable source of information on the internet. Blogging will always be worth it especially if you find a niche you are passionate about."

So, I decided to keep on blogging 💚and I hope you will do the same (if you are a blogger)! I have added a new feed service to my blogs. So, please sign up for your favorite blog in the sidebar (on a laptop or desktop). I post about once a week:

Fresh Insights on Ancient Blogs: sacredsabbath.blogspot.com 

Frisse Kijk op Oude Waarheden: frisse-kijk.blogspot.com 

Non-profit Traveling Light: janandmarja.blogspot.com 

Stichting Traveling Light: janenmarja.blogspot.com 

The fear of the Lord (5)

As we have seen in the previous posts the Bible calls for believers to fear the Lord, which means to have respect and reverence for Him. First of all, because He is worthy of respect, and second because it will bring many blessings!

There is one more benefit that I like to highlight. Fearing God brings health to our bodies!

Say what?

Let's read Proverbs 3:7-8 where it says: Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Amen! I want that, I need that. Who doesn't?

Maybe you have read this blog series and you wonder how exactly do we make this practical? How do we fear the Lord on a daily basis?

The Bible teaches us how to fear the Lord in Psalm 34:12-14: Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

• keep your tongue from evil and
• your lips from speaking lies.
• Turn from evil
• and do good;
• seek peace
• and pursue it.

Hello! If that isn't clear, I don't know what is. Fearing the Lord has a lot to do with our words, our actions, and our pursuit. Now this is truly the foundation of wisdom. Let's go back to the basics, as believers, as a church, as a worldwide movement. Sometimes we have made God's Word too complicated if you ask me.

Let's speak truth, do good, and pursue peace!

The fear of the Lord (4)

'God is outrageous in blessing people who fear Him', I wrote in my previous post. Now, we don't fear the Lord because we want to be blessed (although that would be a good reason), we fear Him because He is God!

I know that sounds too simple. But the Bible says we should fear Him because He is the Creator. Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command (Psalm 33:8-9).

We should fear Him because He is holy. Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy (Revelation 15:4).

We should fear Him because He is great among many other gods and idols He stands out. There is only One like Him. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods (Psalm 96:4).

And maybe most of all, we should fear Him because He is love! He loved us before we loved Him. He gave His Son to die for a sinful world. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him (Psalm 103:11).

Fearing God means giving Him the awe and respect He deserves. We are called to fear God, not people!

The fear of the Lord (3)

When we give our respect and admiration to people we might get disappointed, because people and their ideologies can change over time.

God, however, deserves our respect and admiration because He is faithful, truly good, and He never changes. He is the great I am!

As Creator, He is supreme over all things which means mankind is subject to Him, whether we like this or not. To respect God or in other words, to fear the Lord is a sign of true humility... but it does not mean that we get treated as slaves. On the contrary! 👉Fearing God has great blessings attached.

True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life (Proverbs 22:4)

You gotta be kidding me. Riches, honor, and long life! Who doesn't want that? And there is more, believe it or not. God is outrageous in blessing people who fear Him 😍

• Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a refuge for their children. Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death (Proverbs 14:26-27). The fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain! Does that sound negative, or scary, or religious? Of course not, it will be the joy in our lives to honor the Lord.
• Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need (Psalm 34:9). Oh my goodness, to have all you need, to never lack any good thing... that will end all worries and all anxiety, right?
• For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him (psalm 34:7). Hey, we live in a crazy and wicked world, we need a guard who surrounds and defends us!

All these great blessings for fearing God, isn't it wonderful? There are other reasons why we should fear the Lord as well, more about that in the next blog post.

The fear of the Lord (2)

Proverbs 9:10 says: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

This world is in dire need of wisdom, supernatural wisdom! So, if it begins with the fear of the Lord, it makes sense that we have to find out what that means exactly, right?!

Well, the fear of the Lord or the fear of God does not mean that we should be afraid of God, that we should have an unhealthy or slavish fear. The Hebrew word for fear as mentioned in Proverbs 9:10 is יראה (yirah) and it means reverence or awe.

About the first believers, it is written that they lived in the fear of the Lord (Acts 9:31): Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

It is clear they did not live in fear, for they enjoyed a time of peace and were encouraged. They had reverence for God, which means: deep respect, high regard, admiration, worship.

👉Why should we fear the Lord? Because He is the Creator of all things and all people, and He is holy, just, righteous, loving, kind, patient, gracious, and forgiving. If we humble ourselves and stop acting like we have it all together, but instead acknowledge Him as supreme God, He will bless us:

True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life (Proverbs 22:4).

Oh my goodness, one has to be crazy not to fear the Lord! It is not just that the Lord deserves our admiration, there are many blessings attached. More about that in the next blog post.

The fear of the Lord (1)

I think many people will agree with me as I say that there is a huge lack of wisdom nowadays. Oh my goodness, the plans and decisions governments, political leaders, organizations, and corporations are making... some are so far out, that they would be funny if they weren't so sad.

'Where is wisdom in all of this?' I quite often hear people say this and it made me think of something the Bible teaches in Proverbs 9:10: 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Hm, let's turn that around for once. 👉Where there is no wisdom, there is no fear of the Lord. That makes sense, doesn't it? It would be unbiblical to expect great wisdom from people who do not fear God.

So, let's stop blaming people for making unwise decisions if they have no fear of the Lord. According to the Word of God wise and unwise decisions are connected to the spiritual state people are in.

Now, the fear of the Lord, what exactly does that mean? How do we know whether we fear the Lord or not? What does the Bible teach us about the fear of the Lord? I decided to write a series of short blogs about this topic. God alone knows how much we need this. May wisdom increase as we learn to fear God!

I hope you want to join me in reading and sharing these blog posts.

How to stay hopeful and joyful

We live in a weird, wild, wicked, and wonderful world. Although it is not exactly what God had in mind when He created it all and saw that it was good... His eyes are still on this universe, our planet, and all people.

Although God wanted all people to live in peace, prosperity, and a good relationship with Him, they decided they knew better and preferred to do their own thing. And what a mess we made of it all!

I have been there, I have done that, and I am so glad the Lord stopped me in my tracks twenty years ago and set my feet on higher ground. He brought me back to Himself (thank you Jesus) and to His Word and because of that, I know now, it is possible to stay positive in a negative world.

👉Does the Bible have the answers for today, then? Yes, I truly believe so. Every day I feed myself with truths that are the total opposite of what the world wants me to believe and that gives me great joy! Let's look at what the Bibles says about a few of the most common emotions people are dealing with today.

• FEAR - God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging (Psalm 46:1-3)
• ANXIETY - Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7)
• UNCERTAINTY - For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below — there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39)
• HOPELESSNESS - For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope (Romans 15:4)
• LACK OF PEACE - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27)

Well, you get the idea, right? It seems to me that for every negative word in the world there is a positive one in the Bible. But they will do nothing for us if we do not read and meditate and feed ourselves on those words. Do it, do it today!

Annoyed... and anointed

The posts I share on social media are a positive mix of my daily life, faith, writing journey, and family, as most of you will have noticed by now 😀

Am I not concerned then, about world events, politics, current problems, and so on? Am I hiding my head in the sand, so to speak, when I ignore such topics?

Sure... I am concerned about such things, but I have chosen not to ventilate my thoughts (with some exceptions) on social media about current happenings, simply because I am quite annoyed with the direction my country and this world, in general, are going.

Annoyed, yes I confess it. And who wants to listen to an annoyed person?

At the same time, I know that I am also anointed... anointed to be God's faithful mouthpiece, to speak His Word, and to share His heart. 👉Anointed means I am called and confirmed by the Holy Spirit to open my mouth and use my pen and keyboard to preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

My annoyance with today's politics, the lying and manipulating, the lawlessness and selfish gain, is real. So, I have to purposely make the decision each day to set aside my irritation over our godless society and magnify the goodness of God. He deserves my voice and my choice!

PS: I understand that some of you feel they just have to address such issues... please, go ahead. I appreciate your efforts.

For such a time as this: #apsalmaday

When I started the #apsalmaday video project back in February, I had no idea it would inspire people from all over the globe to read the psalms with renewed interest. 'Refreshing and enlightening', are comments I receive regularly. I have collected many other comments, messages, and emails, and I like to share a few with you.

Rasa Klein (Lithuania) is very faithful in sharing the videos on FB, she wrote to me:

I listen to your #apsalmaday videos every day and I like it very much. You know, I am sharing them on FB because I think they are very valuable and it is a great encouragement for every day.

I read the Bible every day and spend some time in prayer. 👉Your short encouragement message helps me to find the strength for everyday life. So I am glad to know you and to have the possibility to listen to your encouragement. God bless you!

Martin Podolák (Slovakia) helps with the English subtitles and also provides subtitles in the Slovak language. He is such an encouragement to me. He wrote:

A #psalmaday is such a good project for these days. We Christians know that the Bible is the living Word of God, but here it is so encouraging to see it in practice. 👉Marja's daily messages show that it is possible to get a fresh message from God's Word every day.

Her messages often give me light for the day, lead me to prayers, and motivate me to read the Word on a more personal level. Such reading is the basis for a deeper relationship with God, therefore I encourage you to join this journey and be touched by the Word of God.

Kenny Edmunds (Michigan, USA), whom I have never met in person but only know through mutual friends in Ukraine on FB, consistently shares the videos each day. Sharing is caring! He sent me this message:

The Psalms are powerful songs, that apply to any situation in life. 👉Reading them aloud, my heart is calmed and filled with praise and thanksgiving.

Sylvia King (Texas, USA) has been responding to the daily videos on YouTube, picking a verse and sharing her thoughts. Although I do not know her personally, I am encouraged by her comments. She wrote:

#Apsalmaday stays with me all day. 👉I Love giving myself more time to not just read the Psalm, but let it, as you say, speak to me. And, fun to see which verse speaks to you and others. I was telling my husband Terrence, who does YouVersion every morning, what a plan your Psalm-a-day would be on that platform! Just the way it is on YouTube. Perfect!

Needless to say that such comments make me happy and thankful. Although most of us are not traveling at the moment, we are on this journey together... a journey through God's Word, the journey of a lifetime!

If you want to share what #apsalmaday is doing for you, let me know!

Oh soul, disturbed within me

Now that I reflect daily on the psalms for my video project #apsalmaday, it strikes me once again how appropriate in this day and age, how recognizable, how timely they are.

One day, as a reader, we can identify with the joy of the psalmist, the next day with his grief or frustration. 👉Whatever the case, crying out to God is the common thread running through all psalms.

The other day we arrived at Psalm 42, a very well-known psalm but at the same time so refreshing! Verse 3:

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God ...

Oh, I recognize that, it is the cry of my heart! Don't get me wrong, God knows me and I know Him. He is in my life, He is in my heart. But that only increases the longing, the desire for more of Him, for more of His Spirit, for more of His Father's heart. The crazier the world gets, the more I seek Him, the more I want to learn from Him, the more I listen ...

The psalmist asks a good question: Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Do you experience this disturbance, this restlessness in your soul? I do. But I also learned (by reading the Psalms, among other things!) that it is nothing to worry about. That restlessness, that thirst in our soul might be a sign,

• that we should spend quality time with the Lord, He wants to speak to us
• that we are in a season of change and God wants to show us new things or the next step
• that we should schedule a time to fast in order to regain our focus
• that God is revealing Himself to us in a new way, in other words, that we are going to learn something new about His eternal character
• that it is time to refresh our worship practices
• that we should pick up or pursue praying in tongues again

Hopefully, this list will help you. I am curious... is there anything particular that appeals to you in Psalm 42?

About prayers and frustration...

With everything that is going on in the world right now, I struggle with praying (yep). I am frustrated with my own prayers. I admit it and I know I am not the only one 😁

I find myself struggling on a daily basis. Should I pray as David prayed? Lord, kill the wicked. Wipe 'm off the face of the earth! Sometimes I feel like doing that, but somehow it does not satisfy my soul. 

Well, maybe it is better to pray a nice prayer... Lord, forgive those who oppose You, for they don't know what they are doing. Hm, quite a humble prayer, based on the words of Jesus when He prayed for His accusers. However, under current circumstances, it seems passive to me.

Or maybe I should pray a prayer of love, simply because love will never fail. Lord, thank You for being love. Show Your love to those that hate You. Well, something like that. But I find this quite difficult when my heart is restless and frustration and anger are rising up regularly.

I don't know how you handle prayers for the world's situation these days, but I have decided that the Lord's prayer is probably the best proclamation prayer, 👉 and I put emphasis on this verse:

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

It doesn't really matter how I think or feel. This is what I need to proclaim over every possible situation. I hope it is your prayer as well!

Do you have a particular prayer, you have been praying lately?

Illumination Award for True Worshipers

Anyone writing blogs, books, or articles knows how encouraging it can be to receive good reviews, reports, or comments regarding your work. We all need that boost from time to time to keep going 😉

So, I am happy and thankful to be able to announce that my latest book True Worshipers received a bronze medal in the 2021 Illumination Book Awards, and well in the category Christian Living.

The fact that the book is being noticed, that the jury found it worth reading, and that it deserves an award is an encouragement to me. I know that I wrote this book for a time like this, and if you have not ordered your copy yet... please do so. It is available on Amazon.

The message in the book is based on the conversation Jesus had with the Samaritan woman at the well, as described in John 4. He prophesies that God the Father will be seeking a certain kind of worshipers, people who will worship Him in spirit and truth. An intriguing concept, especially in our time.

👉In the past year, our concept of worship has been challenged, on a worldwide scale. Churches had to close their doors, concerts and big events were canceled, meeting together restricted, and even singing forbidden, etc. Where does that leave us? A challenging question, whether you abide by these restrictions or not...

Of course, I had no idea the world would look like this when I wrote the book back at the beginning of 2020. That makes the message all the more interesting. I hope you will decide to read True Worshipers and evaluate whether you are one of the worshipers the Father is seeking!

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A psalm a day...

In my previous blog I wrote about my #oneword for 2021: connect.

To be honest with you, I find it quite difficult from time to time to stay in close contact with people during these crazy times ... family, friends, readers of my blogs and books. Some people want to connect, others don't;  you have to be careful these days and try to feel and understand where people are in this crisis.

I often pray about it, "Lord, show me what I can do, how I can keep encouraging others and myself." Well, that's how we started our small group at the end of September which is such a precious and joyful time with several ladies.

And that is how last weekend I got the idea to record a series of videos about the psalms. For years there was a sign in our kitchen with the saying: 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'. I once brought that over from America. And suddenly the thought came to me: 'A psalm a day ...' 

Why not encourage people to read a psalm a day and get something personal out of it? A bit like an antidote to all the negative news. So I now post a very short encouragement (2 minutes) about a psalm every day and with it the challenge to read that psalm out loud and see which verse appeals to you.

Since my personal reflections are in English, people from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Ukraine, Slovakia, and the USA have already joined me in reading through the psalms.

You can follow the video series on my YouTube channel, my IGTV, Facebook, Twitter, and MeWe. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel!

My #oneword for 2021

At the beginning of a new year, I often pray for a word. Yes, one word that will become a common thread throughout the upcoming months.

A word that gives color and meaning to the year. After a few days of praying and listening, I finally got my #oneword for 2021 about three weeks ago: connect, or associate, hook up, relate.

My first reaction to that word was one of amazement. Connect? How? We are under worldwide orders to isolate ourselves, to not hang out with other people (well, that is my interpretation). But that first thought led to another thought: Connection contradicts isolation. And so my #oneword turns out to be quite revolutionary; connection is the opposite of isolation.

God's thoughts are opposite to the thoughts of the people in this world. This has always been so, and always will be. The Bible warns against loneliness (it is not good for man to be alone and a sheep that strays from the flock is in danger) and calls believers to look after one another and to keep hospitality a priority. Yes, in good times and bad times.

I see my #oneword for 2021 as a reminder that right in the midst of a world that has gone insane I can/must have a different message, that I can/must extend the invitation of Jesus: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

I trust that He will show me whom I can 'connect' with from day to day.

Do you have a word for 2021?