The source of my happiness

Earlier this year we were traveling in Portugal and we came to this small village where we wandered through the sun-scorched streets until we came to a little square with an 18th-century fountain. A great place to fill up our water bottles.

Most towns and villages in Portugal have water fountains, but this one caught our attention because of the cross on top. It reminded us that Jesus is the source of living water. Living water yes, and so much more than that. I think you will appreciate this reminder:

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  You are the source of all life, and because of your light we see the light (Psalm 36:9)
• I will go to your altar, O God; you are the source of my happiness (Psalm 43:4)
• You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope (Psalm 119:114)
• The Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength (Isaiah 45:24)
•  And he will be the source of peace (Micha 5:5)
• The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people (John 1:4)
• And God, our source of peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20)
• God, the source of hope (Romans 15:13)
• God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)
• Jesus became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him (Hebrews 5:9)

Why go somewhere else to find peace, hope, comfort, life, and happiness if we can find it all in Him? Let's be careful not to fill our buckets with muddy waters that will do nothing but harm us in the end. 

👉Jesus wants to give us living water so that we can become fountains! John 7:38, Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’

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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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...

Why is it so important to have perseverance?

If I asked you to mention the one thing that brings pure joy in your life, what would you answer? Playing with the dog? Having the grand kids over? Winning the lottery? A walk on the beach? It wouldn't surprise me if each of you came up with a different answer. Of course there are no right or wrong answers here. There is however a surprising biblical answer.

Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (James 1:2-3). Calling the testing of our faith pure joy is kind of weird, I mean... I would never come up with that. But the Bible says that's the way we should look at the trials in our life. Well, let me put it this way, the trials are not necessarily pure joy, but the testing of our faith is, because it develops perseverance.

Why is it so important to have perseverance? Listen to what the next verse says, Perseverance must finish it work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Now we're talking! I love this verse because it tells me that the development of perseverance in my life must finish its work; in other words, there is an end to every test of faith, thank God! And then there is the answer to my 'why do we need perseverance' question; so that:

• you may be mature
• and complete,
• not lacking anything

When looking at that kind of end result, the testing of our faith should be pure joy indeed!

The maturity mentioned here is the Greek word teleios, which stands for: a right relationship with God that bears fruit in a sincere endeavor to love Him with all one's heart in undivided devotion, obedience and blamelessness.

The completeness mentioned here is further explained in James 2:22, faith and actions working together makes our faith complete!

Not lacking anything is a Biblical promise for believers, Psalm 34:9 says Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing!

The testing of our faith (sometimes through trial and error) is nothing more than the development of perseverance which will make us mature, complete, lacking nothing! Is that pure joy, or what?

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.

Benefit package (4)

This post wraps up the great benefit package, as presented in Psalm 19, that is ours when we live according to God's Word. Verse 8b is my favorite: The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

The commands of the Lord are not dull or dark, they are radiant! Radiant means bright with joy and hope. Our problem is, as was the problem of the religious people in Jesus' time, that we have added too many man made rules that sucked the very life out of God's Word. Often we value tradition more than the life giving words of God Himself. In Mark 8-9 Jesus says: You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions. And he continued, You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

I meet so many people who have a hard time with what God commands, but their anger and fear is often based on what religion taught them, not on the teachings of Jesus.He urged his disciples: If you love Me, keep My commands (John 14:15) and he is still urging us today. Why? Because the commands are radiant, giving light to the eyes. They will bring a sparkle in our eyes, a joy in our step and His love in our hearts!

Jesus is the center, the reference point for every teaching, no matter what the subject. We cannot have grace without Him and we cannot fulfill the commands without Him!

Benefit package (3)

In the previous  two posts we looked at the benefits of Gods law. For the New Testament generation the law is not something that brings condemnation, it is something that brings life... but only if we see it in light of what Jesus Christ has done. He din't come to do away with the law, He came to fulfill it. Romans 13:10 says, Love is the fulfillment of the law. If we say we are unable to fulfill the law, we are saying we are unable to love.

In Psalm 19 we can read that the law revives our soul and makes us wise. If furthermore says (verse 8), The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.

Yes, they are right and give joy to the heart. Who doesn't want a fresh re-fill of joy? Joy is fruit that the Holy Spirit desires to produce in our life. Joy is something the world cannot give, never! It might give us happiness, fun, pleasure or laughter... but joy is a divine virtue that only God can bring about in our heart. Studying AND applying Gods precepts will bring joy to our hearts. That is why the Lord wants to write His greatest commandments on our hearts: Love Him first and your neighbor as yourself! That will bring a joy no one or nothing can take away from you! 

Again, I want to urge you: don't shy away from learning more about God's law and grace. The books in The Ten Commandments Series will bring joy to your heart!

The testing of your faith

If I asked you to mention the one thing that brings pure joy in your life, what would you answer? Playing with the dog? Having the grand kids over? Winning the lottery? A walk on the beach? It wouldn't surprise me if each of you came up with a different answer. Of course there are no right or wrong answers here. There is however a surprising biblical answer.

Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (James 1:2-3). Calling the testing of our faith pure joy is kind of weird, I mean... I would never come up with that. But the Bible says that's the way we should look at the trials in our life. Well, let me put it this way, the trials are not necessarily pure joy, but the testing of our faith is, because it develops perseverance.

Why is it so important to have perseverance? Listen to what the next verse says, Perseverance must finish it work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Now we're talking! I love this verse because it tells me that the development of perseverance in my life must finish its work; in other words, there is an end to every test of faith, thank God! And then there is the answer to my 'why do we need perseverance' question; so that:

• you may be mature
• and complete,
• not lacking anything

When looking at that kind of end result, the testing of our faith should be pure joy indeed!

The maturity mentioned here is the Greek word teleios, which stands for: a right relationship with God that bears fruit in a sincere endeavor to love Him with all one's heart in undivided devotion, obedience and blamelessness.

The completeness mentioned here is further explained in James 2:22, faith and actions working together makes our faith complete!

Not lacking anything is a Biblical promise for believers, Psalm 34:9 says Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing!

The testing of our faith through trial and error is nothing more than the development of perseverance which will make us mature, complete, lacking nothing! Is that pure joy, or what?

Growing in grace (4)

Let's continue with chapter 6 of Grace of Giving.

We can be strong in that grace which is ours in our union with Jesus! First of all, we have to be very serious in our relationship with Jesus. Just having Him as one of our acquaintances, along with many others, is not the unity that the Bible speaks about. Unity involves a bond that cannot be broken, not even for a little while, for whatever excuse we have. Second of all, we have to exercise our walk in grace. Second Peter 3:18   says, Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We must continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of him, just like Jesus and the early disciples did. It is not enough to accept God’s gift of grace, say thank you, and store it with the rest of all our stuff. That would be the way of the thief! The Bible calls for a new lifestyle. We must turn away from our sinful lives and grow in grace! We have to grow in the grace by using it, giving it out, and, in doing so, multiplying it. Paul emphasized this in 2 Corinthians 6:1, As God’s fellow workers, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain!

We can tap into God’s grace if we are sincere about becoming givers, the way Jesus had in mind when he spoke to the rich young guy. The man did not have the strength to do it; but then, he denied the invitation to become a disciple of Jesus. He was not in unity with him; he wasn’t willing to give it all. Is our attitude towards Jesus right? Is our commitment to live according to his teaching sincere? Jesus said in John 14:23, Whoever loves me will obey my teaching. We can become cheerful givers if we stop trying with our own strength. We have the example of Jesus, the help of the Holy Spirit, and the grace of God.

We can start off with self-disclosure. Check your attitude: see in what areas you are holding on to things. Evaluate your relationship with God. Is it a vibrant friendship, or are you bored with him? Is honesty a basis in your relationship with him? Reread the Scriptures that talk about giving and grace. Feed your spirit with Jesus’s teaching by meditating on his words, by reading it aloud, and by talking things over with him. Last but not least, check your giving. Pray over your money, bless it, and give to God what belongs to him. For starters, bring ten percent of your paycheck to the church that feeds you, your storehouse. Do so before you spend it on anything else, and watch God at work.


Be joyful in your giving, and you will notice you have entered that experience called grace.

The Will of God

The instruction is general, the responsibility is personal

A few weeks ago we traveled to North Eastern Germany where we were invited to give a series of workshops at a conference. My husband and me enjoy teaching as a team and during that weekend we spoke on the will of God, the plan of God, the voice of God and the power of God in our lives. I thought it would be fun to share some of the nuggets on this weblog, in a nut shell of course :) So, let's start with the will of God for our lives.

The will of God is a general instruction for all believers. There is really no such thing as the will of God for our individual life; that would be called the plan of God. Often, we confuse the will of God with the plan of God. The will of God = the Word of God = the Law of God. His will is His system, or His testament for the believers. Jesus states in Matthew 12:50, Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, is my brother and sister and mother. His will is something we do, not something God will do for us. We proclaim it in our prayers: Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). God desires His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven! He tells us to proclaim that. It is our role/assignment to execute His will (His testament) here on earth. The instruction is therefore general, but the responsibility is personal. 

It takes a change of mind to execute His will, instead of waiting for it to happen. Romans 12:2 says, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So, what is God's will for you and me, for us all? Scripture teaches us a few basics:

• Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).Well, that would give us enough work for the rest of our lives, right?
• It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality... (1 Thessalonians 4:3). No theology needed to explain that one, right?
• For my Father's will is that everyone who look to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life...(John 6:40). Here we see God's will through Jesus, transferred to us.

Is everything that happens on earth God's will? NO! Even in a few scriptures as mentioned above, we see what God's will is on earth, but often we see the opposite happening. This is however not a reason for despair, but a call to action. There is work to do for the believers.

Let's stop asking for His will, but start doing His will!