We own nothing and yet...

'You'll own nothing and you'll be happy'.

It's a slogan ascribed to an elite group's ideology (I'll spare you the details). A group whose members don't include themselves in their slogan, they are above it. 'You' instead of 'we'. I hope you get the point.

Whether the slogan is really theirs doesn't really matter. One of the predictions on their agenda is that by 2030 all products will have become services. Think about that, whatever you need someone will provide for you. At first, it sounds great, just snap your fingers and it will be brought to you. 

But in reality, it will make us very dependent on the people who provide those services. In reality, it is rephrasing the slogan I started with. A slogan straight out of the mouth of Satan. Why? Because it is twisted truth, it is a deception. 

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:10, Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

Now this, dear friends, is the truth. Everything belongs to God, the Creator of the Universe. So, in that sense we own nothing indeed, we never did. If it wasn't for the breath in our lungs that the Lord gives us each day we wouldn't be able to work for money to buy a car or a house.

Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 10:14).

God owns everything and we get to take care of it, which makes us stewards. This goes for the earth and all that is in it as well as for spiritual riches entrusted to us (believers). It all has been given to us to take care of as long as this earth exists.

👉We can do so joyfully, honestly, and productively (no matter how great or small our influence is) and that will make us happy indeed because we will bring glory to God!

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all (1 Chronicles 29:11).

Why do conspiracies exist?

Nowadays there is a lot of talk about conspiracy theories and just as many warnings to stay away from them because they mostly fall in the category 'fake news'... well, so we are told.

The more information that is available, the harder it gets to filter true and false stories. It seems that with every secret revealed, a contra-theory rises up. It is a vicious battlefield we find ourselves in, whether we like it or not, whether we follow conspiracy theories or not.

May I point out that the Bible speaks clearly about conspiracies. 👉The question thereby is not whether a conspiracy is true or false, but rather why it exists. Let's take a look at one of the most intriguing questions in the Bible, as found in Psalm 2:1,

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

It could be a question asked by many people today. WHY do nations (corporate level) and peoples (private level) engage in plots and schemes? Why can't we live in peace together? Why all this uproar? David answers the question in verse 2: The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.

In the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) it is written like this: Why are the nations in an uproar, the peoples grumbling in vain? The earth’s kings are taking positions, leaders conspiring together, against Adonai and his anointed.

Kings are taking positions, leaders conspiring together against Adonai, against God and against the Messiah (Messiah means anointed one)... Somehow David received this insight, that all the violence, wars, and uproar of nations were acts of rebellion against God. I mentioned it in one of my previous blogs: ultimately this is all a battle between good and evil, between light and darkness, between God and satan. It would be dangerously ignorant to deny this, simply because it plays out right in front of our eyes, every day!

Yes, there is an evil plot to overturn all that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy. Yes, there was, is, and will be a plot against Jesus and what He stands for: love, grace, righteousness, peace, forgiveness, purity, and joy. The early believers acknowledged it: Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed (Acts 4:27).

The other day I saw a picture of an individual in a big demonstration. He was holding up a sign that said, 'if Jesus comes back, kill him again'. The sheer hatred against the Son of God who went around doing good and healing all who were sick and oppressed, plays out on an individual as well as a corporate level. Yes, there is a conspiracy (a huge one), there is no denying it.

Our reaction? We should pray as the early believers did (Acts 4:29-30): Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

Fresh insights, also in 2014

At the beginning of yet another new year I have taken a critical look at my blog title: fresh insights on ancient truths. Is that name still accurate and in line with the posts I publish?

I have noticed that over the years this blog has received a fair share of active readers, thankful readers, critical readers and, no doubt, some secret readers. Among them are evangelical, orthodox, catholic and charismatic believers, Muslims, agnostics and atheists. Yes, I do have the most beautiful and diverse group of readers a writer/blogger could wish for.

In 2014 it is still my desire to offer a fresh look on themes and subjects that have gathered some dust throughout the years. Things that might be religious, but not biblical. Or things that are biblical, but that we have always looked at through religious glasses. I hope you want to open the Bible with me, read it AND do it. I would like to keep it that simple and, since most of you are busy, I promise to keep the posts short!

I am very grateful for all your comments, whether on this blog, by email, Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. It is the comments of readers that give true value to a blog.

About trees and people

Prophetic vision

During His life on earth Jesus healed many people from all kinds of diseases and oppression. The book of Acts (10:38) recalls,

He went everywhere, doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, for God was with Him.

Quite of few of these healings were written down by eyewitnesses and some of their accounts are actually quite funny when you read them at first. This one for example:

One day the people bring a blind man to Jesus and ask Him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus takes the man by the hand, leads him to the outskirts of the village and spits him in the eyes. "Can you see anything?" Jesus asks curiously. The man's answer is quite comical: "Yes, I can see people, but they look like trees walking around." Jesus touches him again and he saw everything clearly from that moment on. I love this story. It teaches me that it is okay to tell God your prayer wasn't fully answered, that it's okay to ask for healing one more time and that divine healing doesn't always come by a medically approved method, haha!

The thing I like most about this story however, is the fact that the man's spiritual eyes were opened before his natural sight returned. He saw people that looked like trees and I believe that the Lord gave him prophetic vision. In the Bible people are often compared with trees, so what the man saw was not crazy, it was spiritual insight. Let me back that up with a few scriptures:

Blessed is the man...He is like a tree planted by streams of water (Psalm 1:3)

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of the Lord (Psalm 52:8)

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon (Psalm 92:12)

No good tree bears bad fruit... the good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart... (Luke 6:43-45)

Trees and men, at first sight we don't have much in common, but the Bible says we do. A few things come to mind:

1. Life consists of seasons, the dark period will end!
2. I must stay near the living water!
3. I need to shed some leaves to make room for something new!
4. I will bear fruit!