Light of the world (3)

'Light shines in the darkness, we certainly do our best with all our lights and candles during the dark winter season. But let's not forget, the One who can truly take us out of darkness (enlighten us), the real light is Jesus! With those words I ended my previous blog.

How wonderful when a person receives that revelation. Let's take a look at someone who experienced that a long time ago ...

A certain Simeon lived in Jerusalem. He was a good and honest man and he deeply respected the law of God. He was full of the Holy Spirit and lived in the firm expectation that the Christ would soon come. When he saw the child Jesus in the temple he began to shout to God: ... my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel (Luke 2: 30-32).

Simeon saw the prophetic words from Isaiah literally fulfilled and it made him sing for joy. It's going to happen, God has kept His word. The light is here! Can we sing like he did? Do we dare to sing like Simeon because we actually believe that Jesus Christ is the light for the world?

When Jesus grew up He confirmed that truth: As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9: 5).

Light of the world (2)

'The Bible frequently speaks about light in darkness', I wrote in my previous blog. As a matter of fact, this already starts in Genesis 1 where we can read that darkness was over the surface of the deep... until God spoke: "Let there be light." And there was light.

Light in the darkness, we can also read about this in the first chapter of the Gospel of John. Kind of a recurrence of Genesis 1, but with a profound truth revealed:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

That creation story, ➽ light in the darkness, keeps coming back in the Bible. The prophets understood it, just as the disciples did. In Isaiah 42: 5-7 it is written like this: This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. God gave Jesus as light to the people of Israel and then also to the other nations.

Light shines in the darkness, we certainly do our best with all our lights and candles during the dark winter season. But let's not forget, the One who can truly take us out of darkness (enlighten us), the real light is Jesus!

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world (John 1: 9).

Light of the world (1)

'What shall I preach about, this Sunday', my husband asked. 'About the light of the world, I answered quickly. Such a beautiful topic during these dark days before Christmas. And so he did. And I decided to write a short blog series about it. Will you join me in contemplation?

We live in a world with a lot of darkness. War, violence, terrorism, pain, abuse, sadness, and loneliness, you name it. There is, of course, nothing new under the sun. About 700 years BC the prophet Isaiah wrote: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned (Isaiah 9: 2).

A land of deep darkness, brrrr, recognize this?. The light was a promise, something to look forward to. The Bible frequently speaks about light in darkness. Quite logical if you ask me, because the Bible is the Word of God and God is light. In 1 John 1: 5 it says: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

How does that light come our way? Into our world, our country, our cities and into our personal darkness? Well, God sent His Son Jesus to the earth, this event will be celebrated worldwide at Christmas time. Jesus said: I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness (John 12:46). Are you in the dark? Does it feel dark around you? Jesus wants to get you out of the dark! This, my friends, is not an empty promise.

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12).

Prayer for your area

In my previous blog post I wrote about Prayer for the Nations, a prayer group we set up years ago. Besides this group, where we focus on nations and people groups, we have also started a prayer meeting where we specifically focus on our region.

This group came into existence about two years ago when we were praying with a group of family and friends for my brother-in-law, who was very ill at the time. When He went home to be with the Lord, we decided to continue the prayer meetings and shift the focus to regional prayers.

We come together once a month and we pray for towns and villages, for the mayor and political parties, for the churches and healthy leadership.

We are small in number (10-16 per evening), but we pray with people from various denominations (such as Dutch Reformed, Evangelical, Pentecostal etc.). We share communion and we thank the Lord for what He is doing in our region: Alpha courses, prayer meetings, adding new believers, starting up new churches, vacation Bible schools and much, much more.

We thank Him for His healing and saving power and the testimonies we hear in our region. It is so encouraging to come together in this way and focus on His promises. We always get words and impressions from the Holy Spirit to share with each other. I write everything down in a special notebook, so we will know when certain prophetic words will come to pass!

Corporate prayer will not replace personal prayer, but it certainly strengthens the bond we have as believers.

Prayer WILL change this world.

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

Blessed woman

This past week I decided to read the gospel of Luke once again. I do not follow a certain Bible-reading-plan, but try to mix Old and New Testament as much as I can. And I keep learning new things :)

This time I discovered a beautiful verse that must have skipped my attention during previous reading sessions. Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, is having a conversation with Maria, the mother of Jesus, and she says: Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! (Luke 1:45). Blessed is she...

Elisabeth spoke those words to Maria and I never noticed the prophetic meaning before. Her words are so much more than a common pleasantry, they are applicable to my own life. Actually, I believe every woman can adapt them: Blessed am I who believes that the Lord will fulfill His promises to me.

We can find many tools and promises for a blessed life throughout the Bible, for example:

• Psalm 1:1, Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers
• Psalm 41:1, Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble
• Romans 4:7, Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered
• James 1:12, Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him

And of course we have the Beatitudes! But for now I want to leave you all with the words as written in Luke 1:45, Blessed are you who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to you.

PS: Is there a certain promise or word you want and need to hang on to?

Remembering the 1953 flood in Holland

My friend placed some pictures of the flooding that happened here in Holland in 1953 (now sixty years ago) on her quilt blog Sweet Home Ala Marja. One of the pictures shows our house, all the way in the lower left corner.

Our town is situated on a dike that is supposed to keep the water out (remember that most of our country is below sea level). But on January 31st in 1953 the dikes broke in several places and parts of the country flooded and thousands of people were killed. Many survivors remember that horrible day all too well.

Sometimes the water in the river still rises to dangerous levels, especially during a storm and full moon. 

I was born ten years after that national disaster, but I remember looking, together with my brothers, through the book The Battle of the Floods. We were filled with fear and sorrow when we saw the pictures of people in boats, of houses covered in water and of dead animals. We even recognized some parts of 'our dike' in the book. We really hoped nothing like that would ever happen again in Holland.

Natural disasters are not new, they have always happened. Noah witnessed the earth being under water for 150 days. In the Bible we can furthermore read about storms, droughts and earth quakes. The battle between mankind and the elements is a battle of all times. Cold, heat, drought or floods... they come and go, as do the opinions about our climate changes. Too cold, too wet, too warm or  too dry... Do we have to worry?

The Bible says:

As long as the earth endures, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.

(Genesis 8:22)