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!

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...

Church growth

Last month we were in Israel, for the umpteenth time :) It has been more than thirty years ago that we first set foot in that country. And yet, each time we go again we discover new places; villages, beaches, forests, parks and excavations that we skipped during previous visits.

This is so much like my travels through God's Word. I am currently reading, for the umpteenth time, through the book of Acts... and yet, I discover news things again. In chapter nine, verse 31 I read the following: Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

We have come to believe that the church grows best during times of persecution and crisis. This is a principle of all times and places. But here it clearly says that the church grew during a time of peace. So, that is a possibility we should not ignore. It seems to me a great encouragement for the church in the Western world. We do not have to wait for persecution in order to grow.

I have been reading many articles recently about a general decline in church membership. But something has to be wrong in the way we think. From a biblical point of view the number of believers can grow in a country where there is freedom of religion and peace. According to the above scripture there are only two conditions:

• living in fear of the Lord, and
• encouragement by the Holy Spirit

The NKJV says in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. Well, that is surely good news for all churches decreasing in  numbers. Let's put aside our plans, ideas and strategies and designate a few (Sun)days for all members to fall on their knees and to cry out to the Holy Spirit to do His work.

I would love to hear good reports.

Those who had been scattered...

'Read your Bible, pray every day, pray every day... and you'll grow, grow grow.' Remember that song? I used to sing that as a child, not realizing the words were/are very prophetic. The song is a payer, a proclamation: read your Bible and GROW!

Currently I am walking through the Book of Acts and I am taking my time to do so. It is not about reading a Bible book as fast as I can, but for me it is all about stopping and thinking about the scriptures I am reading. That way, traveling through the Bible becomes a real adventure. In the coming weeks I will share some of my thoughts on this blog, just for meditation purposes. I have done so before, when I took you all on a journey through the gospel of Luke. The blog posts I wrote then, were short and powerful. I hope you will find inspiration again.

This morning I was reading in the 8th chapter of Acts. It describes how persecution began against the first Christians, On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

That is bad news, for sure. Just imagine that they would come to your house and dragged you off to put you in prison. Such a horrible thought. Yet, it still happens every day in many nations around the world.

Verse 4 of the same chapter tells us how those first believers reacted to this situation, Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Wow! The believers were being scattered throughout the land. Did they give up all hope? Did they complain about their circumstances? Did they feel sorry for themselves? NO! They made good use of the situation, they preached the good news wherever they went. They used their negative situation in a positive way. We can surely learn a good lesson from these first believers.

The question I am asking myself and you, as reader, is: how do we react to negative circumstances? Are we able to use them in a positive way?

Happiest church

At the moment I am reading an interesting and inspirational book. It is called Faith under Fire, written by Andrew White (the vicar of Baghdad).

Apart from my own books and books by fellow bloggers, I hardly ever recommend or review books on this blog (simply because by doing so, people will try to put me in a box). But books about the world wide (persecuted) church really have a place in my heart. They ALWAYS teach me important life lessons. At some point Andrew White writes:

"Despite the fact that St. George's is constantly under fire, it is the happiest church I have ever served in..."

That one sentence jumped off the page and I thought: wow... It puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Father, forgive us for being spoiled...

Baptism unraveled (5)

In my previous posts I wrote about 'the doctrine of baptisms' as the Bible mentions it. We have taken a closer look at that one baptism, the beginning of everything, namely the baptism into the body of Christ, our rebirth. I also wrote about the baptism in water and about the baptism in/with the Holy Spirit. The Bible mentions one more baptism which is again different than the ones I just mentioned: let's call it the baptism of suffering.

A huge crowd has gathered around Jesus as he prepares his disciples for things to come. Right in the middle of all his practical instructions, Jesus suddenly says,  I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished... (Luke 12:49-50). I cannot read this any other way than that Jesus is talking about his suffering. Jesus longs for the fire of the Holy Spirit to be ignited on earth, but He has an assignment to fulfill: the suffering for the sins of mankind.

The Bible tells us also about another conversation Jesus had with his disciples where the same subject came up. James and John wanted to obtain a place next to Jesus in his glory. But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Mark 10:38). There we have that baptism again. It is here that Jesus connects the baptism of suffering with the cup He is about to drink. That cup is of course the symbol for the new covenant, but also for the suffering. Right before his arrest in Gethsemane Jesus prayed: O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will (Matthew 26:39).

The suffering Jesus experienced was horrible. He was tortured and crucified, while innocent, to pay for the sins of all mankind. His suffering brought us forgiveness of sins and deliverance form guilt, shame and sickness. His assignment was completed on the cross. Yet, in his conversation with the disciples He forewarns them that a form of suffering would come upon them. In his discussion with James and John he says: You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized (Mark 10:39). Jesus warns his followers, be careful : you will suffer. Jesus did not talk about suffering as a result from sin and sickness, because that is exactly what He died on the cross for. He talks here about suffering because of the gospel. Hundreds of thousands of Christians worldwide are experiencing this.

The disciples discovered later on in life what this baptism of suffering really meant, and they wrote about it on several occasions, for example:

• Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! (1 Peter 4:12-16)
• This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News (2 Timothy 1:6-8)

It is no coincidence that scriptures about suffering for the sake of the gospel often mention the fire or flames of the Holy Spirit as well. Let's take this warning serious and never forget that with the fire of the Holy Spirit a suffering for the sake of the gospel comes along!

Jewish king

Last week Europe woke up from her winter slumber after the shooting at a Jewish school in Toulouse, France, where four people were killed (three of them children). The discussion about anti-Semitism once again heating up.

I am sure everyone will have an opinion, I am sure everyone will know what must happen with the person who did this. It is, after all, so easy to point a finger at such a horrible crime. But I ask myself: how many Christians are out there who do not have a love for the Jewish people and Israel? How many Christians are out there who do not stand behind the Jewish people and Israel? How many churches still exist that never even mention the Jewish people and Israel? How is it possible not to have an outspoken love for the Jewish people when the King of the Jews has made His home in your own heart?

Meanwhile Yeshua stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Yeshua replied.

(Matthew 27:11)