The things that occupy our time

The Bible is full of beautiful, encouraging, but also difficult and sometimes bizarre passages. Well, I am sure you all know that :)

One of the most important warnings in simple words was urged by the Master Himself when He addressed His followers about the vine and the branches. Jesus told them to stay connected to Him if they wanted to bear fruit, to be productive, and then He added: Apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:5).

I always thought that was such a radical and strong statement and kind of weird at the same time. Let's face it, there are millions of people who do all kinds of stuff without Him, every day. There are millions of people who labor in their own strength and purposely keep the Lord out of their daily business. What exactly does Jesus mean when He says 'apart from Me you can do nothing?'

Of course, I understand that if it wasn't for the breath of life He gives us, we would be dead. But still... 👉I personally believe Jesus' emphasis was not on the 'doing' of stuff, but on the fruit our labor produces. Does our work bring forth fruit? Are we putting energy in things that will be gone next year, or in relationships with everlasting value? 

Are we investing money in things that will be outdated or gone over time, or in programs that build the Kingdom? Are we working for earthly success, or to serve others? Quite some introspective questions to think about.

'Apart from Me, you can do nothing'. That is not a negative statement, it is a positive promise. It is everything we trust in and hope for! It seals our connectedness with and our dependency on God. It is a reminder that we live and move and have our being in Jesus Christ alone.

His words remind us, over and over again, that knowledge, education, status, or success are not important in the Kingdom, but the measure of fruit-bearing for the Kingdom of God... a matter of eternal value!

Fruit of the Spirit (10)

This is already part 10 in the series on the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22-23. It is very interesting what precedes these verses:  What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions; in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups; they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these...

Ouch! I am sure we can all recognize some of this happening around us. Thank God, the word doesn't stop there... But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

In the last part of this blog series we will take a closer look at self-control or, as the KJV says, temperance. Nowadays that is probably a word which will make people laugh or frown. Let's be honest: in the Western world we live in a time and culture of abundance. Eating a whole bag of potato chips or half a box of chocolates, purchasing fashionable purse number twenty, browsing the internet for hours and hours at the time, drinking too much, wasting precious time in front of the television etc. etc. Too much, too much, too much.

Self-control, temperance... not our strongest point. The more we try, the more we fail. And that is exactly why God wants to help us. Without self-control we are weak and an easy target for the enemy. Proverbs 25:28 says: Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.

The self-control the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us is not the kind of effort we sometimes undertake, as in 'I can do it if I want to' or 'just a little longer and I made it'. It is self-control at the most unexpected moments. Right when we think we can NOT do it, the Spirit wants to come alongside to help. We can simply ask Him to do so!

Less of our own will, more of His!

Fruit of the Spirit (9)

We are nearing the end of this blog series about the fruit the Holy Spirit wants to bring forth in the lives of believers.

What the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us, is truly beautiful: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Let's take a look at gentleness.

Does 'being gentle' mean that we must be soft? That people can walk all over us? No, of course not. The Lord Jesus is gentle, but I wouldn't dare to call Him weak or cowardly. In Matthew 11:29 He says: I am gentle and humble in heart. Gentleness goes together with being humble: daring and willing to be the last or the least.

Practically, this means:

• not always wanting to be right,
• regarding someone else more important than ourselves,
• extending grace and not being judgmental...

In our efforts to be important, popular, nice and pretty we often forget that this was not the focus of Jesus' ministry. He brought gentleness into a violent world and they hated Him for it. And this is still so today. Being gentle is definitely a way to get noticed in the world today... daring to be gentle in situations where debate is rising and grace is nowhere to be found.

Personally I am not too good at this. That is why I have a big need to see this supernatural (godly) fruit become visible in my life. Gentleness is not a human virtue, it is supernatural character of God Himself... in us.

Fruit of the Spirit (8)

Throughout the ages people from all kinds of religions have done their best to be recognized; recognized from the outside that is... Just think about wearing hats, head coverings, toga's, habits, crosses and beads. However, the outside doesn't always say much about the inside, and that is really the place where God wants to bring forth fruit.

What the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us, is truly beautiful: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). In this blog series we have come to faithfulness. The King James Version says faith.

Isn't that what faith-fulness really is: being full of faith...?

The faith that we receive as a gift from God, and that needs to bear fruit in our lives, is not the faith from our parents, church or friends, but it is supernatural faith from God! Hebrews 11:1 tells us what kind of faith(fulness) that is: 

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (NIV)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (NKJV)

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. (MSG)

To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. (GNT)

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. (AMP)

Amen. I want to be recognized by that kind of faith, what about you?

Fruit of the Spirit (4)

This past summer I watched some of the soccer games played in the World Cup 2014 and I kept seeing the statue of Jesus above Rio de Janeiro and the soccer stadiums. It made me think about peace amidst the chaos. What a beautiful picture for this blog series.

What the Spirit wants to do in us, is beautiful: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Let's take a look at peace. The peace the Bible talks about in this scripture is not necessarily the absence of war, but peace despite the war. Not a superficial peace, but an inner peace that surpasses all understanding. Where can we find such peace? Such peace comes from Jesus Himself, it is a peace He likes to give to all people... but do we want to receive it from Him?

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).

Often we are willing and eager to try whatever it takes (therapy, pills, counseling, meditation etc.) but not the one thing the Prince of Peace promises. Often we have more confidence in our secular methods and doctors than in God Himself. But He is the one that promises peace, a peace that will break down all barriers, all walls and all animosity. Yes, also in the Middle East.

This summer the Elav Conference took place again, in Israel. Jews and Arabs came together to pray in the name of Yeshua and to pray for the peace in their nation (yes, amidst the chaos), which will start with peace in the hearts of the people! (See this awesome clip from last year's conference)

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 (Philippians 4:6-7).

Fruit of the Spirit (3)

How would people recognize you as a Christian? Do your friends, colleagues and enemies know what you stand for? Critical question to ponder this coming week.

As Christians we are not being recognized by our clothes, a cross around our neck or a Bible under our arm. No, we should be recognized by the fruit that God produces in our life. The first proof that the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a believer, is that He will begin to produce godly character (fruit) in us, so we will become more like Christ. If there is no fruit, it is not reasonable to call ourselves Christians.

The fruit is Gods character in us and thus not be confused with human virtues (because they can be learned and adapted). What the Spirit wants to do in us is beautiful: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Let's take a look at joy.

Joy is supernatural fruit that God wants to bring forth in and through us. This is not about being happy because something good is going on, or because someone is being nice to us. This is not about pleasure or having fun or enjoying something or someone. Being happy, enjoying ourself and having fun... there is nothing wrong with that, but happiness depend on happenings and it can disappear as fast as it came (for example, if something goes different than we expected or when trouble shows up).

The joy that the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us, is joy despite trouble. It is joy despite pain. I am thinking about the hundreds of thousands of Christians that are currently being persecuted around the world. They are being beaten, tortured and even killed. Churches are being burned to the ground everywhere and people are on the run with nowhere to go. Yet, sometimes we hear reports (through Open Doors for example) that they somehow experience divine joy in their hearts. Two thousand years ago it was no different: And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity (2 Corinthians 8:1-2).

The joy that the Spirit wants to grow in us, is joy despite worries, sickness, poverty, violence and wars. I am not sure whether in the West we know what that really means, maybe one day we will learn...

Fruit of the Spirit (2)

A few weeks ago we had a discussion in our Wednesday night small group about the human nature. The Bible says every person is born with a sinful nature. Mankind is not righteous by nature, even though some people might be super sweet and loving. Sorry...

(Love, that's what this blog post is all about)

Quite simply said, sin came into the world through Adam and Eve and righteousness came into the world through Jesus. Romans 5:19 says it like this: For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

That is, in short, the good news. Guilt and shame can be replaced with freedom! In the previous blog post we have seen what human nature produces... a lot of bad stuff. However, what the Holy Spirit wants to bring forth is very beautiful: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

The first sign that the Holy Spirit lives in us, is that He will start to produce godly fruit (character) in our life, so we begin to look more and more like Jesus. That fruit is Gods character and thus not to be confused with human behavior or virtues (which can be learned and adapted). Let's take a look at love, which is mentioned first.

Love. What comes to mind when we think about love? Being nice to one another, tolerance, being in love, parental love...? We are often inclined to think about human love here (as in relationships, humanism, charity or eros), but Galatians 5:22 talks about supernatural love. That is not a feeling or a thought, that is a decision. That is the most beautiful and most difficult love that exists, that is:

• loving your enemies
• loving those that persecute you
• loving until death

It is therefore not a fruit we can produce by trying hard, by doing all that we can. It is a fruit that will grow when we give the Holy Spirit room to change our heart.

Go ahead, ask God: Lord, teach me to love the ones that are unlovable, the ones I struggle with. That prayer will change your life!

Wishing all my blogging friends

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.

Talent & the Kingdom (2)

I ended my previous blog post with the words: 'The advancing (expanding) of the Kingdom is an assignment for the believers'. I am using the term 'the advancing of the Kingdom' to describe the growing amount of believers in Jesus Christ (here on earth).

It is God's desire that every person will welcome King Jesus in their heart and so become a member of God's family, a citizen of the Kingdom. Jesus explains it this way: The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it (Luke 16:16).

As workers, or co-laborers, in the Kingdom of God we have received tools: spiritual gifts, but also natural abilities/talents. Jesus tells a great story to emphasize our assignment to work for this Kingdom in Matthew 25. Let me highlight His introduction: Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.  It doesn't really matter whether this parable is about money, talents or opportunities, the main point is that God entrusts his people with something for a bigger purpose.

Jesus starts this story with the announcement that the man is going on a journey. If Jesus would have left after speaking these words, we still would have learned a spiritual truth: the man does not go away for ever, he is coming back! We also live with the expectation that Jesus is coming back to check on our work, to ask what we have done with the very things He entrusted us with.

2) Jesus will ask us what we have done with the talents he gave us

Talent & the Kingdom (1)

Later this month my husband and I will give a workshop Talent & the Kingdom in a church in Holland. In preparation for this service, we have been reading the parable of the talents, as found in Matthew 25, and it is amazing what we can learn from the words of Jesus about this subject. It doesn't really matter whether this parable is about money, talents or opportunities, the main point is that God entrusts his people with something for a bigger purpose.

Why do we teach on this subject? Well, many people

• presume that natural talents cannot be used for Kingdom purposes, that only spiritual gifts matter
• are not aware of the talents God has given them
• do not use their talents for the Kingdom of God

Let's be honest, most of us use our God given talents in a secular job, so we can have worldly success, which enables us to buy earthly possessions. That may be a harsh truth, but it is the answer to the question: if I do not use my talents for God, for what or whom do I use them? It will be a real eye opener to take a closer look at the words of Jesus as found in Matthew 25:14-15. These two verses are the introduction to the parable: Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. I have written down several principles based on this introduction and I will share them on this blog in the next couple of weeks. I hope you will enjoy reading with me and be inspired to use your talents for His glory. (At the end of this series I will write more on how to discover your talent.)

It is clear from the context that this parable is about the Kingdom of God. When Jesus says 'it will be like', He is talking about the Kingdom. He uses this and previous parables to explain that the Kingdom of God can only grow and expand when the workers are alert and do their job. The workers are the ones who have received His message. Jesus gave the keys for this (spiritual) work to his followers: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19).

Many books and commentaries have been written about these instructions, but I want to emphasize the fact that the Kingdom cannot be separated from the assignment to bear fruit. The Kingdom (the spiritual realm where God's will prevails) is not something we live in while reclining on the couch, watching t.v., and eating popcorn. There is work to be done; God wants everyone to enter His Kingdom. In Matthew 21:43 Jesus says to the religious people: Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

1) The advancing (expanding) of the Kingdom is an assignment for the believers

Fertile soil

Recently I was reading the parable of the sower again, maybe for the umpteenth time, and again I was pleasantly surprised to discover how timeless Jesus' teachings are. In Luke 8 Jesus tells the parable of the sower to a large crowd and later explains it in detail, to his disciples.

He basically tells them what to expect when sharing the gospel. There are four different ways people will react to the Good News according to His words in verse 11-15,

• Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. It is really sad when this takes place, and maybe you have seen it happen to someone you know. Remember that we can always pray for another moment to come.
• Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. Faith without roots will not survive, the first sign of a storm will knock it down. Our faith should be rooted in love, Gods love. Let's remain in His love!
• The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. I believe, many Christians find themselves in this group nowadays. Jesus mentions worries, riches and pleasures in one sentence; it doesn't matter if life's distractions are good or bad, when they keep us away from the Word, they will eventually choke us. Choking... one of the biggest problems for believers in the Western world. Worries, stress, fear, materialism, luxuries... if not careful they will keep us from maturing.
• 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. This is our goal, this is where we want to be! Retaining the Word, cherishing it, which means we will keep it close and meditate on it day and night. By PERSEVERING we will produce a crop. Fruit bearing does not happen automatically, we need to be faithful and not give up.

Can you describe the soil of your heart?

Kindness

It doesn't matter how many times we read the words and lessons of Jesus, we can always learn something new.  This week I stumbled upon a comment from the Master that made me go... ouch! Is this really in the Bible?

I was reading through Luke chapter 6, a chapter full of wise and practical life lessons for Believers. Verse 35 says, But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High... There is enough meat in these words alone to do a blog series of 10 weeks! But this time, my eyes were drawn to the concluding words Jesus gave, words I haven't heard too many sermons on, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

He (God) is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Is this the picture we have of God? Is this the picture people see when they see us? Often we have this image of a God who is cruel to the wicked and maybe even punishes Believers who have done wicked things. But Jesus, who knows the Father best, tells us something else. God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. What a lesson to learn! Are we kind to the ungrateful and wicked?

God = love and 1 Corinthians 13:4 says that love is kind. It is Gods nature to be kind. What about us? The Bible teaches that kindness benefits people. Proverbs 11:17 says it simply like this, A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself. I don't think we would call ourselves cruel, but the question today is: are we kind? Not necessarily to our kind of people, but to the ungrateful and wicked.

Kindness is fruit (Galatians 5:22) that the Holy Spirit wants to produce in our lives, so that we will become more and more like Him. How can we grow in this area? By being kind to the ungrateful and wicked people that cross our path every day! That is a challenge we must take up if we truly want to be called sons and daughters of God.

I am the Lord, who exercises kindness... [Jeremiah 9:24]

Much fruit

The Bible is full of beautiful, encouraging, but also difficult and sometimes bizarre passages. Well, I am sure you all know that :) One of the most important warnings in simple words was urged by the Master himself when He addressed his followers about the vine and the fruit. He told them to stay connected to him if they wanted to be productive and then He added: Apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

I always thought that was such a radical and strong statement and kind of weird at the same time. Let's face it, there are millions of people who do all kinds of stuff without Him every day. There are millions of people who labor in their own strength and even people who purposely ignore the Lord in their daily business. What exactly does Jesus mean when He says 'apart from Me you can do nothing?' There are people who do everything without Him and to some level have a successful life, right? We might even feel a little jealous from time to time when we see people in the world being very successful while we are struggling to keep our head above water.

I personally believe Jesus' emphasis was not on the 'doing' of stuff, but on the fruit it produces. Does our work bring forth fruit? In other words: is there growth and is there a lasting effect? We can ask ourselves the following questions regularly:

• Am I putting my energy in things that will be gone next year or in relationships with everlasting value? 
• Am I investing my money in stuff that will be outdated soon or in programs that build the Kingdom?
• Am I working for earthly success or to serve others?

Apart from Me you can do nothing. That is not a negative statement, it is a positive promise. It is everything we trust in and hope for! It seals our connection, our friendship and our sonship. We need to be reminded, over and over, that we live and move and exist in Jesus Christ alone. We need to be reminded, over and over again, that knowledge, education, status, or success are not important in the Kingdom, but the fruit we produce certainly is!

Staying connected to the source of life, that will produce a fruitful harvest!