The source of all comfort

Nothing beats the comfort of a baby in the arms of its mother. Peace, safety, warmth, and love, no matter what goes on all around.

Jesus in the arms of His mother Mary, receiving the very comfort He came to give to mankind. That is what most nativity scenes remind me of.

When I look around me in the world, I see so much need for comfort. No, not the comfort as in sitting in front of the TV with a bag of chips, but comfort as in solace, relief, encouragement.

There is so much suffering, so much loneliness and pain. There is chaos and disorder. To be honest, I wouldn't know what to do or where to go if it wasn't for my Jesus who brings me comfort and joy... no matter what goes on all around me.

👉The Bible says that God is the source of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3) so why wouldn't people flock to Him? He gives peace in chaos, comfort in pain, and love when all seems lost. Why wouldn't people consider the baby in the manger, the wonderful counselor, the prince of peace?

He is the hope of the nations and He wants to heal your heart. Jesus can and will calm any storm!

🎇Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Why a change of scenery is good

"A change of place, a change of luck."

This phrase can be found in the Jewish Talmud and it reflects the idea that when we have a change of scenery, our luck (or at least our perspective) can change as well.

I do agree! A change of scenery or, according to the dictionary a move to different surroundings, can be really refreshing. It is often a great way to bring more joy and novelty into our daily life.

Last weekend we rented a wooden cabin in the forest. It was a delightful place, and although we were only there for a few days, it was truly an enchanting and very inspiring experience. Most of all, there was silence.

A change of scenery, no matter how big or small, is like stepping back and viewing a painting from a different angle, which really helps give us a fresh look. In Genesis 15:5 we can read how the Lord took Abram outside his tent (his immediate surroundings) and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

Abram needed to broaden his perspective, his view. He was way too focussed on the impossibilities of life. Don't we often do the same? 👉We keep watching or reading the same news items over and over again, day in day out, and we just don't see how God is going to change things. But He can and He will.

Turn off the tv. Step outside. Go for a walk. Breathe. Give thanks. But most of all... let's look up. Our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth! He will give us a fresh and hopeful perspective!

Rulers of this world

It shouldn't surprise us anymore that the rulers of this world mainly exalt themselves and thus ignore God. It has been like this for thousands of years, there is nothing new under the sun.

Rulers and leaders of countries (yes even tiny countries like the Netherlands, where I live) and worldly organizations have been given (or taken) positions of importance, even though one scandal after the other surrounds them, with no one taking proper responsibility.

Although the Bible says that, in general, authority has been given by God, many do not represent God or the people for that matter, but only themselves and their far-out ideas and world views. Thousands of years ago, the Psalmist figured out what was behind such attitudes:

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 (Psalm 2:1-2).

👉How foolish of leaders and rulers to plot/conspire against God in their endless pride. If we look at history, none of them ended well. King David (himself a leader) wrote about this:

Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They deal corruptly, their deeds are vile, not one does what is right (Psalm 14:1).

Perhaps even more foolish is the fact that these 'rulers' can only continue to function as long as they can count on servile subjects, people who do exactly whatever they prescribe. We have to be alert and awake! We can serve only one lord: God or the world. This is a choice everyone will have to make at some point in life

This morning I was thinking of an old song: 'I Will Serve No Foreign God'. The Dutch version goes somewhat like this: I praise You Lord God of the universe; the Prince of Peace, who is to come. I bring glory to You, for You reign in me. And I serve no other lord; no idol and no king. I long for You only; my heart is your home. And with my heart, I raise my hands.

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.

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?

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.

30 Days of prayer

This week marked the beginning of the Ramadan, the fasting period for millions of Muslims worldwide. That same period is being used by Christians all over the world to specifically pray for the Islamic world.

You can pray on a small scale (for your Muslim neighbor or co-worker for example) and on a much larger scale (for the situation in the Middle East or Africa for example).

Using a booklet (that you can get HERE) will help you to pray for different people, countries and issues every day. The emphasis is on freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

You know, watching the evening news in horror and reading/sharing all the bad things that are happening in our world is not going to change a thing. As a matter of fact, it will sow fear and hatred. Let us pray for our fellow men (Muslims, Jews and Christians) in countries where there is no peace or freedom to receive the peace that surpasses all understanding.

The peace that only Jesus Christ / Yeshua ישוע / Yasu' al-Masih يسوع المسيح can give.

Please, act now and join us worldwide in praying (and fasting) for a world in need!

God, a mystery revealed (3)

In this blog series I want to focus on Colossians 1:15-20. We have already seen the awesome truth in verse fifteen: Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things.

We cannot see God, but Jesus made Him known during His life on earth in the things He did and said. There were thousands and thousands of eyewitnesses and many of them have passed on their experiences from generation to generation and later entrusted these stories to paper. Reading the Bible is one way to get to know God.

As we continue in that first chapter of the letter the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Colosse (which is now in Turkey), we read the following:

For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him.

My Dutch translation says 'everything was made for His glory'. Pooh, what went wrong, you may wonder. There have been quite some world rulers and governments who have made a mess of it, even up till now. As a matter of fact, it seems to get worse instead of better. Dictatorships, evil regimes and suppression ... that can never bring honor of God, right?

No, of course not. Personally, I read in those words that no one and nothing can ever exist without Jesus decision to create. And He has created everything and everyone (including leaders and people in authority) with a purpose, namely to honor Him as Creator of heaven and earth. So, it definitely goes wrong when people do not acknowledge this and put themselves above God by ignoring Him or denying His existence.

That arrogance has led and still leads to horrible situations in which personal gain and power are elevated above the welfare of a people. It should not be so. Psalm 2: 10-12 says: O kings and rulers of the earth, listen while there is time. Serve the Lord with reverent fear; rejoice with trembling. Fall down before his Son and kiss his feet before his anger is roused and you perish. I am warning you—his wrath will soon begin. But oh, the joys of those who put their trust in him!

Maybe those words sound a bit harsh, but apparently every leader and every government [and ultimately every person] has a choice to make!

What about a prayer group?

Several years ago we started a prayer group in our house, called Prayer for the Nations. With a group of friends we would come together once a month and specifically pray for our European continent.

There are prayer groups in most of our cities and churches of course, but we noticed that they are often focused on people and personal needs, and not so much on nations. And boy, do we need to pray for this struggling world.

During Prayer for the Nations we focus on God's Word, not on the daily news. We proclaim Psalm 67 over the nations of Europe, May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

We pray for governments, for the church, the economy and the harvests. We pray that God's righteousness and truth will be revealed, that His peace will become known and His love shared. We cry out for God's will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven. The prayer meetings are very encouraging and inspiring.

We no longer meet in our house. We have moved to Twinkeltje, a little 2nd hand shop that friends of us opened up a year ago... with all proceeds going towards our non-profit organization Traveling Light. We often present pictures from the countries we visit during our travels and that really helps to pray specifically. With contacts in more than 30 nations there is always something to pray for!

I am curious about the prayer group(s) you are involved in. Anything you want to share?

If you're not involved in a specific group, may I encourage you to start a prayer group? 

Give me an H

In my Bible alphabet blog series H stands for Hope.

And I am not talking about the kind of hope for a sunny day or a winning ticket, although there is nothing wrong with that. No, I am talking about the hope that sustains our very being.

The hope that keeps us going when all else stops. The hope that says YES when all other voices say NO. The hope that goes beyond this life... into eternity.

I am talking about Jesus Christ, Hope of the nations... may He fill your heart with peace and joy, so there will be no room left for fear and worry.

While the secular media pumps one hopeless message after another into society, the silent whisper of hope takes root in hearts all over the globe. Each day more. My New Year's wish is that you will experience this hope in 2016.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

(Romans 15:13)

Good, better, best news!

Sometimes you see certain video clips come by that just want to make you scream Hallelujah! That's the BEST news I've heard this week. Share it!

This  particular one caught my attention because my husband recently went to Mauritania!

Inexpensive yet valuable Christmas presents

Yeah, I have decided to do it this December month. I have been asking myself whether 'doing it' would be considered spamming... but I have to come to the conclusion that promoting my own books falls in the following category recommendations and tips :)

And why not? The books have been and still are a blessing to readers worldwide. The award winning book Grace of Giving has been translated in German and Italian and is currently being translated in the Spanish and Macedonian language. I am thrilled to see this book going all over Europe, changing lives of believers, especially during this time of economic uncertainty. I am thrilled that pastors, leaders, missionaries and churches all over Europe are embracing the principles in the book. But, I wrote it first of all for the American public...

So, if you are looking for an inexpensive, yet valuable Christmas present for your loved ones... Please consider ordering one of my books. They're easy to read, but loaded with nuggets of truth and wisdom. They can be ordered from most internet book sellers for less than 10 bucks. I am looking forward to hear which one you all liked most!

Order now in time for Christmas!

Encourage 24/7

This week I am traveling, well digitally speaking... I am joining Tracy Teppler in her effort to encourage women all over the world, from her home base in South Africa. She does this with the help of a wide variety of bloggers. (Don't you just LOVE being part of the international blogging sphere?) I am honored to be this week's featured encourager at her Encourage 24/7 blog! If you've never been there, please stop by for a quick and powerful encouraging word. It might change your week.

By the way, you could be the next featured ENCOURAGER. Do you have a testimony? Do you have some good biblical advice? Do you want to encourage other women with what you have overcome? Looking for some extra exposure out there in the Christian blog world? Feel free to email your submission to:  247encourage@gmail.com

What are the requirements?:

• God-centred post
• Not too long
• The point of the post is to be encouraging 
• Submit a small bio with a picture of yourself so the readers can get to know you
• Make sure an email address (for Tracy's eyes only) is submitted along with a link to your blog (if you have one).

Tracy's heart is to help other women restore the broken walls in their lives. She wants to involve women who love the Lord and have a heart for encouragement. If that's you... don't hesitate and join Encourage 24/7 today!

30 days of prayer

This week I will interrupt the law & grace, an uneven match? series for the announcement of the 30 days of prayer for the Muslim world.

Today is the start of the Ramadan, the fasting period for millions of Muslims worldwide. That period is being used by Christians all over the world to specifically pray for Muslims. You can pray on a small scale (for your Muslim neighbor or co-worker for example) and on a much larger scale (for the situation in Egypt for example). Using a digital booklet (that you can get HERE) will help you to pray for different people, countries and issues every day. The emphasis is on freedom for the Islamic countries. Freedom of speech and freedom to choose whether you want to be Muslim or Christian.

There is huge unrest in the Islamic nations at the moment, and no one knows whether things will improve or get worse for the people. But we can pray for our fellow men (Muslims and Christians in those countries) to receive the peace that surpasses all understanding. The peace that only Jesus Christ / Yeshua ישוע / Yasu' al-Masih يسوع المسيح can give.

Currently I am reading the book Prayer - The real battle by Brother Andrew and Al Janssen, wow, what a great inspirational book. It will really help you to pray effectively for Muslims.

Please, act now and join us worldwide in praying and fasting for a world in need!

(Choose any form of fasting; you can fast from sugar, coffee, alcohol, television, meat... anything)

War of the worlds

If I mention the country Serbia, what picture comes to mind? What do you know or remember about Serbia? To be honest with you, I do not know much about this country that used to be Yugoslavia and was torn apart by a bloody civil war. Yet, it is right there, in the middle of Europe.

Although news media may have painted a negative picture of Serbia, we are not afraid to stand up for them and we have started a project with our organisation Traveling Light, because time moves on and we must look ahead. A new generation is being raised up, a generation that wants a positive future and is desperate for God. Yes, new believers are added to the number of Christians every day. Sometimes they come to Jesus from a life of drugs and alcohol abuse. That is why 12 years ago Sasa and Svetlana Ivanovic started a rehabilitation home for people with life controlling habits, all under the flag of Teen Challenge in Southern California, where we were members of the Advisory Board in Ventura. This is so much more than getting people off of drugs, it is basically a discipleship program that forever changes men and women once they have an encounter with the living God.

Up till now most of their support came from faithful supporters in the USA, but we believe there is a shift taking place. It is time for Europe to step up and take responsibility for their own projects and initiatives. We, as Traveling Light, are taking humble steps by planting seeds of hope in as many countries as we can. We are in URGENT need of help for Serbia, please check our weblog! We believe a person, a family, a street, a town, a country... yes, all nations will be changed by the love of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Contrast of events

It was an interesting week here in the Middle East. Well maybe that is an understatement.

We witnessed first hand how a nation welcomed back their lost son. We saw how a country celebrated the safe return of one of their kidnapped soldiers, despite the heavy price tag. We learned that a human life is valued and loved here in this tiny nation. The people of Israel cried silent tears before the television as they remembered the lives of the hundreds of people who died as the result of terrorism. More than a thousand prisoners received grace and went home. Will they be thankful? 

At the same moment we watched how a people captured their leader, tore him to pieces and slit his throat. The killing of a human being is a horrible thing to watch, no matter who it is. Only one thing came to mind: the people have become as vicious as their leader. The contrast of events couldn’t have been bigger.

As I pondered about the week's events I was reading Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and just had to stop here, May you come to know His love-although it can never be fully known-and so be completely filled with the very nature of God. (Ephesians 3:19). Those words really stayed with me the whole week. God is love, it is His desire that we come to know His love. Why? Because it will fill us with His nature, which is love. And where there is love, all fear, all anger, all rage, all failure will disappear.

A word of promise and hope for believers, but I kept thinking... how in the world do we get this message to the heart of people who know no love?

Please pray!

Why do the nations conspire?

We will see great changes...

Over the past few months I have written several times about the turmoil in our world. It is hard to make sense of all the drama and violence that is going on around the globe. For one thing, it urges me to read the Prophets in the Bible. No, not so that I can point a finger and condemn, but so that I may learn and know how to pray. Although I often do not understand all the doom and gloom in their messages, I can clearly see that in the end there is always hope for the people, for the nations.

Yesterday, one particular scripture in Zechariah 2:11 caught my attention: Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. How awesome to read such a promise in the midst of all the uproar worldwide. It is God's plan and will that many nations, if not all, will become His people! It brought me back to the promise God gave Abraham, You will be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4). Not just Israel (although they are His treasured possesion), but many nations, including all Arab nations. A little later God confirmed His words about Abraham and said, all nations on earth will be blessed through him (Genesis 18:18), and in saying this He was pointing to the Messiah who was to come from Abraham's bloodline.

God desires the nations! I believe that is why Jesus gave us the great commission: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations... (Matthew 28:19). We have a calling to disciple the nations, to share the love God has for them, however it may and can be done! Many people and nations do not want to hear that message, which is also something that has been foretold long ago. Among the signs of 'the end of the Age' is the fact that Believers will be hated by all nations because of Jesus (Matthew 24:9). That hatred should not scare us, it is all the more reason to see God at work in this world. The Bible reveals it over and over again, like I wrote at the beginning of this post: in the end there is always hope.

The last book in the Bible talks vividly about the battle for the nations, it also holds a precious promise and our hope in troubled times: All nations will come and worship before you (Revelation 15:4) We might not see it yet in the natural, but it has been foretold in the spiritual and it will happen! I really believe all the uprisings and turmoil and rebellion is because of what the prophets said so long ago. The book of Revelation holds some beautiful Messianic songs, one in the 5th chapter says:

...with your blood

you purchased men

for God

from every tribe

and language

and people

and nation.

When that realization begins to sink in, we will witness big changes around the world, especially in the Middle East!

PS: what is your prayer for the world? Any particular nation you frequently pray for?