Crush that serpent!

Psalm 91 is one of my favorite Psalms, I must have read it hundreds of times. The words always encourage me, boost my faith, and ease my worries.

The best thing is that I still find new insights while contemplating the ancient words of wisdom. The other day verse 13 caught my attention:

You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

This verse is, of course, about spiritual warfare. This verse is about us silencing the voice of the enemy (in the Bible Satan is depicted as a serpent and compared to a roaring lion). This verse is calling all of us to take action. I have read it many times before.

But this time the word fierce stood out for me. We will not just crush any lion or serpent, but fierce ones! That are ferocious, vicious, aggressive, brutal, and relentless ones. No matter what kind of attack the devil brings our way, we will set down our foot and crush his stupid efforts.

Jesus said to His followers: I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you (Luke 10:19). So, the writer of Psalm 91 must have had a prophetic vision about the ins and outs of spiritual warfare. I love that Jesus refers to what was already written in the Tanakh (what we call the Old Testament).

Throughout the Bible we see people dealing with the issue of spiritual warfare, don't be mistaken. The apostle Peter has quite a serious warning for all believers. Let's take it to heart.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith (1 Peter 5:8-9).

We are called to stand firm against the enemy (not people, but the devil), to trample and crush him under our feet! Think about that if you are feeling attacked by godless situations and circumstances. Jesus gives the orders, not the enemy!

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.

Teach me (3)

'What if we would fill up on spiritual truth instead of earthly knowledge?' I asked in my previous blog. Earthly knowledge can be acquired through reading, listening, learning, and experiencing.

We receive spiritual truth basically through revelation upon reading, hearing, believing, and doing the Word of God.

Could this be the difference between 'tell me' and 'teach me', I wonder? When we say 'tell me what I need to know, tell me what I need to do, tell me what to say', we expect pre-packaged answers and quick (easy) instructions.

When we say 'teach me how to live' for example, we cannot expect a short answer, we rather prepare to commence on a journey. We can find the cry 'teach me' numerous times in the Psalms. For example in Psalms 27:11,

Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.

Now David was involved in military warfare as well as spiritual warfare. So, however we look at this, I believe we can still learn from the cry of his heart. No matter whether we find ourselves surrounded by enemies of flesh and blood, by powers and principalities, or both... we need to be led along the right path, so we won't perish.

Enemies are waiting for us, all the time. We can pray for them to go away, but they'll pop up somewhere else or in a different form. Let's pray as David prayed: Teach me how to live, O Lord!

Teach us how to live in a crazy world that You loved enough to share Your precious Son with, our Prince of Peace.

The good armor (8)

In this last post about the armor of God, I would like to take a look at all scripture verses we discussed and well in full context, that is as in Ephesians 6:10-18.

I will do so step by step for clarity sake (the words in italics are Bible verses):

• Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power. 👉The power is the Lord's, we should not event try to rely on our own strength!
• Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil's evil tricks. 👉What is the purpose of this armor? It will enable us to stand up gainst evil, even if all others and everything else is falling down.
• For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age. 👉Never forget this, the fight is NEVER aginst people, it is against the powers of darkness.
• So put on God's armor now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy's attacks; and after fighting to the end, you will still hold your ground. 👉Again: let's make sure we keep standing. Do not bow down to Satan.
• So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate, and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace. 👉Stand ready, be alert, don't be sidetracked, keep attention!
• At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One. And accept salvation as a helmet, and the word of God as the sword which the Spirit gives you. 👉At all times, don't wait for better times, stand ready now!

And so we have come to verse 18. It looks like a new sentence, even a new paragraph, but we should not seperate it from the prevous verses, If we do so, it will lose value and we will miss a very essential part of the armor.

Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people.

We can arm ourselves from head to toe ... but if we don't do so in prayer, we can't take the fight. Always pray, pray persistently. Is that possible? Yes, otherwise it wouldn't say so. Praying is talking with God, which is possible anytime, anywhere ... we don't necessarily have to sit at the table with our hands folded. Be alert. Is that possible? Yes, I believe so. It does mean that we have to put aside all things that distract us.

With good armor, we fight a good fight (2 Timothy 4: 7).

The good armor (7)

Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation... we looked at it briefly in the previous blogs. They are the God-given weapons we need to fight with and to protect ourselves with in a hostile world.

When we read verse 17 in the sixth chapter of the letter to Ephesians in its entirety, it says:

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. So, what is this sword? The Spirit of God or the Word of God, or maybe both? Surely, we are not supposed to stab people with Bible verses, as if we were in a sword fight ...

No, that would not be wise. However, this verse does show us that the Word of God is sharp, and no doubt powerful. The Bible is not just a book full of letters, it is a book full of life. Jesus said to His disciples, The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63).

Such an awesome statement. The words of Jesus are spiritual and full of life, which is why they are still speaking to people today (two thousand years later)! His words are not theory or theology, but spiritual truths. In Hebrews 4:12 the Word is described like this:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The sword, we cannot and should not live without it. Reading (and then doing) the living word is essential everyday food!

The good armor (5)

Truth, righteousness, and the willingness to be a messenger of peace, I mentioned these weapons in the previous blog posts about the spiritual armor.

Let's read a little further in Ephesians 6 until we arrive at verse 16: In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. The TLB translation says: In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.

Flaming, fiery arrows of the enemy? Faith as a shield? So, how exactly does this work in our daily lives? Faith is the assurance of things we hope for and the evidence of things we cannot see (Heb. 11: 1). Faith basically means that we do not doubt the existence of God, that we accept the Bible as His Word, and that we know He keeps His promises. If we can see that kind of faith (assurance) as a shield, we will understand that it will ricochet everything that brings doubt or goes against God's Word.

Everything yes, because flaming arrows are fired at us on a daily basis; thoughts that suddenly enter our heads or our hearts ... Is it all true? Does God Really Love Me? Have I been forgiven? Is the Bible actually true? etc. etc. We can extinguish those fiery arrows (meant to set our thoughts and feelings on fire) with faith.

The kind of faith that makes us say aloud: Jesus is the truth, God loves me with an everlasting love, Jesus has completely forgiven me of all sin, and His Word endures forever. I dare you to raise that shield when all kinds of lies and doubts about God and His Word are coming your way. Go right against it, proclaim the truth. This is how we fight the spiritual battle.

The good armor (4)

"We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments," writes the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:4.

He understood spiritual warfare like no other. And you know what, God's weapons are just as much for us today. In my previous blogs, I wrote about truth and righteousness.

Let's continue to read about the armor in Ephesians 6:15, where it says that we should wear as our shoes the readiness to announce the good news of peace. Other translations speak about sandals of willingness, shoes of preparation.

👉We put on shoes when we are about to go out of the house. On a shelf they have little value. Knowing we can bring peace in a situation is not the same as actually doing it! The willingness to be a messenger of peace is much more than a good intention, it is something that must be put into practice.

Let's make it practical. Part of our armor is to be peacemakers in difficult situations, to offer God's peace when someone is troubled, to settle arguments that have been going on far too long, and to share the good news about the Prince of Peace... Jesus.  Easy? No. Possible? Yes!

Jesus had a good reason for saying: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5: 9).

I want to be blessed. What about you?

The good armor (3)

Being encircled (girded) by truth, what a nice thought from my previous blog. We can survive in a world full of lies when we are protected by the truth!

Let's continue to read about the spiritual armor as described in Ephesians 6. Verse 14 speaks about a breastplate of  RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Now, in general, most of us don't walk around in medieval clothing items anymore, but I think the idea of our righteousness being able to take a beating (attack) is quite clear.

The Bible says that no one is righteous by nature, not one! (Romans 3:10). Only God is righteous. Jesus is also called the Righteous One. Why? 👉Because He came to earth to present His righteousness in exchange for our failures and mistakes, for our sins.

Righteous means as much as: good, virtuous, upright, worthy, ethical, principled, moral, high-minded, just, honest, innocent, faultless, sinless, uncorrupted, pure, noble... well, you get the idea, it ain't about us! Within Christianity, as well as in all major world religions, we can see people trying to achieve some form of righteousness by working hard and following all kinds of rules. But then again, the more people try, the more they feel like failing.

This is exactly why Jesus' offer is so crucial. Our sins in exchange for His righteousness. What a deal! He offers forgiveness for our iniquities and thereby declares us righteous. 💓That righteousness (knowing that we are forgiven!) is our armor; it protects our whole being. In Romans 3:221-2 it says:  But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. 

Not because of good deeds, but because of faith we are declared righteous before God. This eliminates guilt, shame, failure, fear, and judgment. Knowing that we are forgiven... we should wear it like impenetrable armor. If you have made the choice for Jesus, don't let anyone tell you that things are not right between you and God. This is an area where many spiritual battles take place.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The good armor (2)

Thank you for joining me in this new blog series. Spiritual warfare, oh my goodness, such an important topic.

There are different ways to arm oneself in the battle between good and evil. Some people opt for aggression, others for cynicism, and still others for campaigning. Defense, attack, or run away, it is all possible.

The Bible also speaks of armor that we can reach for. His weapons are of a completely different order, a spiritual order.

You can find the basic text for this series in Ephesians 6:10-13. It will help you to read it regularly, as a reminder that 1) there is a spiritual battle, 2) God gives us weapons, 3) we do not fight against people and 4) we can stand firm (yeah!).

If we continue reading in Ephesians 6, we come to verse 14, which is a strong appeal: Stand ready, the Good News translation says. In other translations: Stand firm! Be prepared! The message is clear: get off the couch!

The first weapon God gives us is TRUTH, to wear as a belt. We must gird ourselves with truth. To gird means to encircle or bind with a belt or band, to surround; enclose; hem in, frame, encircle, encompass.

We live in a world where the opposite will happen if we are not careful, we are surrounded (girded) by lies. I hear it almost daily in conversations ... who speaks the truth? How do I know if this is true? Why do people lie under oath? etc. etc. In order to have a somewhat clear understanding of the thousand things that come our way each day, it is crucial that we are enclosed by the truth, that we have embraced truth.

When we are encircled (girded) by truth, we look to the outside as through a filter. A truth filter. And you know what, Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Apart from Him, apart from the truth, we cannot stand in battle. If you believe in Him, He will give you the Spirit of Truth, who comes to live in you and will be with you always. 👉 He gives truth counsel.

PS: In my book Spirit of Truth I go deeper into the root cause of deception, which is twisted truth. I believe it is a must-read for such a time as this. Kindle and paperback are available on Amazon.

The good armor (1)

That we are engaged in a spiritual battle on a global scale is quite clear. Rulers, authorities, and powers of darkness are fighting for dominion. We sure can feel that on a personal level as well.

How are we supposed to fight against all the disturbing and contradictory messages, news items, and opinions we are bombarded with each day? How do we stand firm and keep on standing? As a Christian, how do we stay positive and hopeful within our realm of influence?

We all struggle with this, to some degree. I have decided to write a series of short blogs about the spiritual armor as described in the Bible. Yes, we are called to be peacemakers, but that does not mean we can neglect to arm ourselves for this spiritual battle.

No one wants a battle, no one wants opposition, no one wants war. But hiding our heads in the sand is not the right answer. 👉 The Bible prepares us so we can stand firm in a time like this. Ephesians 6 is all about that. You may have read that chapter a hundred times, maybe never. Either way, I hope you will receive encouragement, insight, and revelation from the upcoming blog posts. The basic text for this series is Ephesians 6:10-13, I broke it down into pieces:

• Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
• Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
• For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
• Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.
• Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

I hope you will join me in this series. Feel free to share the posts!

A call to resistance

One of Jesus' most famous sayings deals with the battle between darkness and light, between evil and good, between Satan and God. He keeps it simple:

The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come to give life, life in all its fullness  (John 10:10).

If He keeps it that simple, we should not complicate matters. How do we know if the enemy is at work? When we experience theft, killing, and destruction. How do we know if God is at work? When life in all its fullness becomes visible.

The work of the enemy is visible on a worldwide scale. Quite a few things are being stolen from us at the moment: freedom, joy, rights, and privileges, etc. All kinds of diseases are killing people and among things being destroyed are relationships, culture, economy, entrepreneurship, common sense, morals, values, friendships etc.

The Bible warns us ... Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith (1 Peter 5: 8). Folks, it's a spiritual battle we're in. We don't have to blame politicians, world leaders, or health experts for being where we are. They are just doing their best to keep things under control...

👉But we are not called to control the work of the devil, we are called to resist him (if you are a Christian, that is)!

I am amazed that I hardly ever hear a word from within the Christian world about how this whole crisis is the work of the enemy. Yes, I read beautiful, well-meaning, soothing messages about how to cope with the current circumstances, about how to keep our faith, and how to reposition the chairs in our churches at a safe distance. While we walk around in our churches with a measuring stick, the devil goes around devouring people.

I think the message is very simple (read it in James 4: 7):

• Humble yourselves (submit) before God,
• resist the devil,
• and he will flee from you.

The fight is never against people, no matter what position they are in. A believer's fight is against the powers and forces of darkness. Dear friends, if we are not willing to submit to Jesus Christ (who gives life), then we submit to the enemy (who takes life). There is no middle ground!

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6: 12-13).

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.

Antidote to frustration

While the age-old battle between good and evil, between darkness and light, intensifies... one might wonder whether we have any influence at all on happenings around the world. How can our voices be heard? How can our responses be of value?

A few thousand years ago, the philosopher sighed: History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Well, I would be a fool to contradict him. In general, humanity does not learn from the past. On the contrary, I would say. Humanity forgets the past rather quickly and conveniently and acts as if every happening is a new issue.

I was reading Psalms 9, 10, 11, and 12 the other day. David cries out to God about the increase of wickedness and chaos in his time. In Psalm 11:3 he asks the following question,

👉The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?

Such a great question! Such a timely question for us today. What can we do as believers? How should we respond? What is it, Lord, you want us to do in such a time as this?

I believe prayer is the answer. Specific prayer that is! Personally, I don't think that praying for 'things to turn back to normal' will be effective. There are larger things at stake than our comfort. Remember: We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

Once we truly realize that we are not in a natural battle between people, but a spiritual battle between powers and principalities, we can target our prayers and aim for God and His angels to move on our behalf. We should pray that:

• the evil plot will be exposed, and thus lose its power
• the truth will be revealed
• deception will be replaced with discernment, and
• love will be our language

I truly believe that targeted prayers are the antidote to frustration about the current world crisis.

Wellspring of life

Yesterday a thought came to me. Well, actually it was a Bible verse.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

You can find that in Proverbs 4:23. Above all else... I find these words intriguing. What else? All else! Yes, as in... everything else. Why? 👉Because a contaminated heart results in a contaminated life.

If we let anger, hatred, bitterness, disappointment, discouragement, fear, anxiety, or worry linger in our hearts, it will contaminate our wellspring of life. It won't take long before dirty water will come out of our mouths, so to speak.

If we let anger in, we become an angry person. If we let worry in, we become a worried person. If we let fear in, we become a fearful person. It is quite simple really.

Guarding our hearts, that is something to meditate upon these days.

Jesus said: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me (John 14:1). Do not let... again, very intriguing words. No one or nothing has the right to trouble our hearts, we are the ones allowing it to happen. Jesus says, do not let it happen. We must, therefore, guard our hearts.

Maybe you think, 'well, that is easier said than done, Marja.' Personally, I speak against negative influences that are trying to settle in my heart. Go away, in Jesus' name. I am not worried, I am not upset, I am not bitter, because I trust in God and His peace sustains me.

Besides speaking against negative influences, I fill my heart with the Word of God, not with the words of the world. The choice is yours.

It is spiritual warfare at the most basic level. Guard your heart!

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?

Got news?

How beautiful are the feet...

Thanks to modern media it is possible to easily communicate with family and friends overseas. I call, e-mail, Facebook and blog my way around the world and I love it! Topics of  discussion include the weather, my books, our travels and lately... the political turmoil around the world. "Have you seen the news? Have you heard the news?" are questions I frequently hear, mostly followed by concerns and fears about the future of the world. The other day I couldn't help but think about the words in Psalm 112, Blessed is the man who fears the Lord.... He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord (verse 7).

Bad news penetrates our society 24/7. Civil wars, uprisings, political turmoil, recession and natural disaster; not a day goes by without a constant stream of bad news on television, radio, internet and in the news papers. Although all these things are a reality, they are not the truth. The truth is God's Word and the Word says we do not have to fear bad news. Let me take it a step further, the Word says we have to spread good news! Jesus set the example when He went around, preaching the good news of the Kingdom (Math. 4:23). In Luke 4:43 He says: I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God. As a matter of fact it was all He did after His resurrection. The Book of Acts proclaims: He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).

Jesus was a bringer of good news, He knew the words of the prophet Isaiah, 'how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news'. I truly believe we should take heed to the calling and be messengers of the good news of the kingdom, instead of listening to and spreading all the bad news the world has to offer. The apostle Paul explains in detail what the message of the Kingdom should be: The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Let that be the news we deliver, let that be the news we post and proclaim! I am not afraid to say that our days, our week, our life will be so much better if we decide to spread good news in stead of listening to bad news!

Peace in a violent world

About enjoying safe pasture...

While working on my book Grace of Giving I studied the parable of the good shepherd in John 10 extensively and ultimately John 10:10 became the foundation scripture for the book. While studying however, my attention was also drawn to John 10:9. Jesus says there: I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. For the longest time I wondered about the going in and out. Once we belong to Jesus and have entered his Kingdom, who wants to go back into the world? With Him, without Him, going in and out, that would be stupid, right? That would be like the ancient Israelites wanting to go back to slavery in Egypt for the simple reason that the meat was better there! No, the going in and out had to be about something else.

Jesus is the gate to eternal life and we can only enter through that one gate; which certainly narrows our choices down! We will come in, that is: we will enter his Kingdom, a spiritual realm where God's will is being done. The Bible says the Kingdom cannot be seen, but it is within reach or within us (Luke 17:21). We will go out, that is: into the world. We are not of this world, but we still live in it! And then... we will find pasture! Wow, we will be able to find green pastures and guiet waters amidst the trouble and turmoil in this world (Psalm 23). That is a very comforting thought. Psalm 37:3 gives solid advice:

• Trust in the Lord and
• do good;
• dwell in the land and
• enjoy safe pasture!

It is possible to enjoy safe pasture despite all the unrest in this world, despite all the bad news and the uprisings, despite political and economical unstability. We have to trust God to provide that safe pasture for us. We must not engage in negative talk about this world but continue to do good! Jesus said in John 16:33, In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world!

Take heart! Be encouraged! The world cannot invade the Kingdom, but we must bring the Kingdom into the world and share our peaceful and safe pasture with others, so they will get a glimpse of what a life with Jesus is all about! Happy weekend!