The Holy Spirit ABC (1)

This past weekend we were in Ludwigslust, Germany, where we gave workshops on the person and the work of the Holy Spirit during a conference. We absolutely LOVE to do this kind of work: making complicated things simple and practical.

The theme of this conference, which was being held during the Ascension Day weekend, was: Transformation. A great theme in light of the ascension of Jesus. His return to the Father marked the beginning of a new era for all believers. An era of big changes and worldwide revival, we are still in it today! Jesus talked about the reason for his return to the Father, However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you] (John 16:7, AMP). It is profitable for us that Jesus went back to the Father. Why?

Because Jesus was able to reach only a limited amount of people while He walked the earth as a man. On foot and by ship He reached thousands in the Middle East, but as far as we know He never came to Northern Europe, or the USA for that matter. That is why the Holy Spirit had to come, because He can live in millions of people at the same time. And these people can go all over the world and do what Jesus did. This is how God had ordained it. Jesus said: Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12). Please, read and re-read these words in the context. It is so exciting and so clear what Jesus is saying to us.

The Holy Spirit came to replace Jesus here on earth, so we would not be left alone. He is our friend, our teacher and our comforter. He is near us and in us, always. In order to get to know Him better we have to develop our fellowship or friendship with Him. I will write more about that in my next post.

For now, have a wonderful weekend. Here in Holland we celebrate Pentecost big time. It is a public holiday, a long weekend! We will be camping at the Pentecost Festival, where about 60.000 people from all churches and denominations come together over the weekend to celebrate the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Blogging buzz....

There is always plenty of writing stuff happening in blogging-land. Please, find below some highlights and interesting news items:

• The Carolina Christian Writers Conference will be held April 20-21. So, if you're somewhere in the neighborhood, feel free to sign up. Visit the Writers'Conference website for more details.
• The Coffeehouse for Writers offers interesting courses for writers and bloggers alike. For example: blogging for profit or pleasure, creating characters, promotions 101 etc. Make sure you check it out!
• Amazon now offers a way for promoting your books through Amazon Author Central. Open your own account today, if you don't already have one, and upload your books and bio. Please check out my page and see how it can be done.
• If you're experiencing setbacks, discouragement and negative thoughts, please read Rachelle Gardner's post: 6 reasons for writers to be optimistic.
• For great reviews on Christian books, make sure to visit Christian Book Notes. Owner Terry Delaney reviews a wide variety of books. You can submit your work for reviewing purposes too.

The Voice of God

Communication is more than uttering words

Based on the workshops we gave in Germany I have written posts about the will of God and the plan of God for our lives. We noticed that the will of God is not so much something we keep asking for, but rather something we should DO! His will is a general instruction for all believers. His plan, however, can be different for each individual because it depends on our personal situations. When we begin to walk and act in His will, the steps of His plan for our lives will be slowly revealed. The next question would be: how do we hear His voice?

When we think about the voice of God, we often think about an audible voice. The truth is, that most people will never hear God speak audibly to them, exceptions to the rule of course. Because we tend to focus on audible communication, we often miss it. Our idea of communication is often very limited! God speaks to us in many ways, but not necessarily through spoken words. In Hebrews 1:1-3 the Bible says that God has spoken to us through His Son, that is Jesus Christ.

Jesus is called the Living Word, He is God's Word, His voice if you like, because He only spoke what the Father had taught Him. One simple way to hear more from God is to read your Bible out loud, especially the words of Jesus. You will hear God's Word loud and clear, through your own voice. In John 10:3-5 Jesus speaks about the Good Shepherd and how the sheep will recognize his voice. In order to hear the voice of the shepherd, we need to know the shepherd. The more we read about Him, the more we study His words, the closer we get to know Him, the easier it will be to hear His voice, even if he doesn't use words. Right before Jesus goes back to be with the Father He explains to His followers what the Holy Spirit will do: He will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (John 14:26). All communication takes place through the Holy Spirit who is living in us and who knows all about God!

But let's go back to our limited view of communication. God speaks to us in many ways, first and most of all through his Word and through the Holy Spirit. But that is not all. The Bible clearly shows that we do not only hear His voice, but we can also read it, see it, sense it. Don't limit the way you listen! Here are just a few ways God can speak to us, through:

• Unctions, the still small voice within, ideas that pop up, strong feelings
• Servants, prophets, teachers, pastors, all other believers, even people that don't know you, but do know the Word
• Dreams and visions, which we see nowadays quite often in the Moslim world
• Miracles, a question or situation we have can be answered through something we see (John 10:25)
• Angels, less common  nowadays, but certainly scriptural (Old and New Testament)
• Music, art, we can experience God's presence or love or comfort
• Nature, God communicates His glory often through nature, creation

The Bible is full of examples of God speaking to His people, we have to learn to listen with more than just our ears. We can hear His voice, but we can also read it, see it, and sense it. Don't limit this! John 6:63 says that Jesus'words are spirit and life. Those are perfect gauges to test if what we experience is really God speaking to us. Spirit: does it reveal God's character? Life: does it build me up, does it bring life? Remember that communication from God never contradicts His written Word!

Personally I find that the most practical way to hear from God is praying in the spirit (in tongues) and asking for a translation. That way God can speak very clearly and directly to us. If you have received that gift you will have to practice using it. 

It might be helpful to think about the following:

1. How do you communicate with others if you cannot use words?
2. Write down how God has communicated with you in the past
3. Use your own words to describe the Holy Spirit's work in your life
4. Ask God to communicate with you and be quiet for a while, just wait. What do you feel, sense, think or remember?

The plan of God

Step by step

Two weeks ago I posted on the will of God for our lives and basically concluded that the will of God is not so much a thing we should ask for all the time, but something we should do! God's will is a general instruction for all believers, His plan is an individual destiny or purpose for you and me. Often God's will gets confused with His plan. The plan He has for us is a different story...

His plan is not the same as His will. His will is a general instruction, but His plan is an individual destiny that fits our unique situation. Of course His plan is always part of His will for this world and mankind. The Lord will start to reveal His plan for you and me as soon as we walk in His will and act upon His will. Trying to discover and work out His plan while not being in His will is a very frustrating thing to do.

The plan of God involves various levels of life. For example, God has a plan with the universe, with this world, with Israel, with the church and with individual people. When we seriously think about that it is no more than logical that His plan for our life will always fit in the bigger plan of God. I do not know what His plan is for you, my dear reader, but I can share some characteristics of His plan:

• For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). God spoke those words to the people of Israel in exile, and His words clearly indicate the character of His plans with men. They are good and hopeful and will not harm us. Please keep that in mind when you start discovering His plan.
• But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations (Psalm 33:11). God's plan is set, it doesn't change all the time. It certainly does not bring confusion, it brings clarity. Please keep that in mind when you start discovering His plan.
• About God it is said that He summons a bird of prey and from a far-off land a man to fulfill His purpose (Isaiah 46:11). God uses individual people to brings His plan to completion. The Bible is full of examples. We all play a role in His greater plan: the salvation of all people! Please keep that in mind when you start discovering His plan.

Now, the Lord will hardly ever reveal His plan all at once, simply because it would scare us and we would try to run away from it. He will reveal His plan step by step and we can recognize these steps by checking them with His Word (His will) as we have seen above in a few examples. Is the step we are about to take positive and good? Is the step certain and ordained? Is the step part of His greater plan?

So, how do we discover the first step of God's plan for our lives? First of al: PRAYER! Ask God to reveal His first step to you. Second, it might be helpful to write down what you already know and what God has already done in your life. The following acronym will help you to get started: STEP.

S = Strengths, write down your 5 main strengths, for example: I am a good listener

T = Talents, write down your 5 main talents, things that you are good at

E = experiences, write down 5 life experiences, for example: grew up without a father

P = Passion, write down the 5 things you like to do most or would like to do most

When you start doing that, a picture will be formed. A picture that you can take to the Lord in prayer, ask Him where and how He wants to use you. You will see that soon the first step will be revealed. It is then important to take that step! Let me know if this has been of any help to you.

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!