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].

Teach me (4)

In my previous blog post we looked at David's prayer as recorded in Psalms 27:11: Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.

Whether we find ourselves in a military war (as David did), a spiritual war, or an emotional war... it is good to pray David's prayer. We often do the opposite, we pray for the enemy to go away... the pain, the hurt, the sickness, the fear.

But the enemy will pop up somewhere else or in a different form. 👉Asking God to teach us HOW to live, despite the enemies in this world, requires a different level of faith.

When we ask the Lord to teach us, we open ourselves up to do life His way instead of our way and that brings us to another one of David's psalms.

Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you ( Psalm 86:11).

Awesome! That I may live according to God's truth, not according to the lies the world is hurling at us day after day! I don't even want to hear them anymore.

And then David adds a very personal request. The request for purity of heart, something that honors God. Oh, may it be our prayer as well. Let's get rid of the energy-draining contamination of the world.

Teach us Your ways!

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!] 

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?

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!

Give me a T

In my Bible Alphabet Blog Series T stands for Temple.

In most religions a temple is a (prayer) building in which God or gods are being worshiped. The Bible speaks much about the temple in Jerusalem, both in the Old and New Testament.

After the destruction of that temple in 70 AD and with the spreading of Christianity churches and cathedrals have been built all over the world with the same idea: a place for prayer, worship, a place where God is present.

We may indeed 'experience' God in a temple or church, but these buildings are not His residence. The Bible is clear about it: However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?’ (Acts 7: 48-50).

Indeed, God desires to live in a temple that He made Himself: the human body, the most beautiful building that exists. It is a place created by God Himself, a place where He can be very close with us and we with Him. In 2 Corinthians 6:16 it is written: For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” That is God with us ... Immanuel.

In light of this all, it is no wonder there is so much attack on the human body: sickness, mutilation, abuse, you name it. It is certainly okay to restore and maintain our buildings, but I truly believe we must stand up and defend the place where God really resides!

PS: You do not have to look far to experience God. Invite Jesus to come into your heart and live with you. He just loves to grant such a request!

Restored relationships (8)

Reconciliation: end of conflict, restoration of friendly relations, reunion, bringing together (again), restoration of peace...

This blog series about reconciliation turned out to be a little bit longer than I intended it to be. And even then I barely scratched the surface of this interesting topic. There is so much to learn and read and do and write about it :)

Reconciliation simply means 'restored relationship' and that is the foundation of the Christian faith.

It shows the heart of God: He desires HEALTHY relationships on various levels: Reconciliation between Him and mankind, between Him and Israel, between Jewish people and Gentiles and.... between you and me and the people around us!

God desires friendship with all people. An important Scripture about the heart of God in this can be found in Colossians 1:19-20, For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [that is Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

That is good news. God is not mad at mankind, He reconciled all things to Himself and made peace. The problem is that we are the ones who often refuse to take His kindness as an example. We often hang on to bitterness, anger, jealousy, hatred, slander and gossip. God does not want this. He loves mankind and He wants us to love one another and to live in peace.

Romans 12:18 says: If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Is that easy? Nope! Should we try? Yep.

It is not an option. We have received the assignment to tell others about the possibilities of reconciliation and we should desire to restore relationships, wherever we go. Corinthians 5:18-20 says it like this:  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

We all have the ministry, this message, of reconciliation which, by the way, does NOT mean that we should only TALK about restored relationships... of course we must ACT this out as well, on a personal level.

Would the world look different if we did so, what do you think?

Is there a relationship that you could mend?

Restored relationships (1)

A few weeks ago I started a new blog series on my Dutch blog; a series about the four levels of reconciliation. I want to share it on this blog as well, because I believe it will be a great help in building healthy and strong relationships.

Reconciliation is a beautiful topic and at the same time a very sensitive and difficult topic. We all experience disappointment in relationships. We get discouraged, we have too high expectations, we give too much, or too little... well, you name it.

When I started thinking about this topic, I realized that reconciliation is the Biblical basis for healthy friendships and relationships. Reconciliation is kind of an eminent word that isn't used much in our daily language. It means: end of conflict, restoration of friendly relations, reunion, bringing together (again), restoration of peace...

Reconciliation basically means 'restored relationship' and that is really the heart of God, the foundation of the Christian faith. At the beginning of this year my husband and I spoke at a conference in Germany about the theme reconciliation, about the four levels of reconciliation to be precise. The response to those messages was compelling and I think that sharing this topic (in a short version) on this blog will give fresh inspiration to you . The four levels I want to write about are:

• Reconciliation between God and mankind
• Reconciliation between God and Israel
• Reconciliation between Jews and gentiles
• Reconciliation between you and the people around you

The exploration and better understanding of this theme will contribute to healthy relationships in our lives. I hope you will read along and invite others to join us for this series.

Law & grace, an uneven match? (5)

Let's pick up where we stopped a week or so ago...

Treating others the way you want to be treated sums up the Law and the prophets, according to Jesus (Matthew 7:12). Such a lifestyle is the heart of the Law and the Prophets. When we live and act like that, we continue the works Jesus did when He was on earth. The fulfilling of the Law was not a one time event, it takes place on a daily basis. Grace has not taken the place of the Law, grace makes it possible for us to fulfill the Law. The apostle Paul knew this quite well and he explained it quite well.

I believe that his long, and sometimes difficult, writings about law and grace are being condensed into one sentence in Romans 13:10 (NKJV), Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Well, that is a quite clear statement, isn't it? If we say we are not able to, or have no reason to, fulfill the Law we are basically saying we are unable to love! Because LOVE is the fulfillment of the Law. Maybe you have never seen or heard it this way, but I would like to encourage you to ponder this thought and include it in your prayers.

Of course Paul clearly explains in Romans 3:21-31 that we can only be justified by grace through faith, not by works, not by keeping or obeying the Law. But that is not merely the end of a legalistic life, it is the beginning of a life lead by the Spirit. With the accepting and understanding of His grace we do not nullify the Law, we establish the Law. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law (Romans 3:31).

So, we no longer use the Law to tell others what they can or cannot do (legalism), but we treat others the way we want to be treated (love). Our reference is not a written code, but the grace/love that has been poured out in our hearts. When we start living like this (following the leading of the Holy Spirit, whose fruit is LOVE) things will begin to change.

In the next blog post I will take a closer look at a few other statements from the apostle Paul.

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

Psalm of Sorek

Close to the heart of the Father

I wonder

if I will ever find,

the right way to express

That longing in my heart and mind

 a love so pure and fresh

To stay forever in your care

my source of life and laughter

To be with You

anytime and anywhere,

now and forever after

From: Breath of Life, a journey into origin of spirit, soul, and body

Tate Publishing

Benefit package (1)

Walking through the Bible I opened the door of Psalm 19 and there, smack in the middle of David's praise, I found the blessings for studying and applying God's command-ments. Since my books are based on the Ten Commandments, I thought it would be interesting and helpful to share with you the benefits of studying His Word. I'll call it the benefit package 101.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul (Psalm 19:7)

The law of the Lord is not boring, outdated, or even uninteresting... it is perfect. As the apostle Paul later wrote: the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good (Romans 7:12). God's law has not changed, the meaning has changed. In Old Testament times it was there to point people to their shortcomings and need for a savior. In New Testament times it is there to help us build a better and more godly society. The law now needs to be written on the hearts of the people.

The law is not only perfect, it is also reviving to the soul. We no longer keep or obey the law, we fulfill it by living it. And in doing so our soul gets revived, our soul gets watered, so we can flourish and refresh others. Are you longing for a revival deep down within you? Are you longing for a refreshing rain that will encourage and lift you up?

I challenge you to read one of my books and e-mail me whether it was reviving to your soul or not...

Weird messages

Jesus had some weird messages.

One of Jesus’ boldest statements and commands can be captured in two words: ‘fear not’. His words almost sound like a cruel joke. Fear not? That’s like telling someone who is sinking not to drown.

One look at today’s headlines tells me there are many things to fear, such as wars, epidemics, terrorism, foreclosures, and cancer, just to name a few. Only a heart of stone would be untouched and unshaken by such scares. So, was Jesus mistaken or did He take things too lightly?

I don’t think so, His messages were sometimes weird, but always serious; don’t fear the things of the world, fear God! Put all of your energy there!

David prayed sincerely, 

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

(Psalm 86:11)

Let that be our prayer today!