A wave of the sea

I am currently working on the final stages of my new book (yeah!). People are proofreading, I am editing, making corrections, and rewriting sections here and there.

My new book will be the tenth and final book in a series about the Ten Commandments in the 21st century. The book is based on the first commandment that tells us not to have other gods before Him.

It will probably come as no surprise that the title of this new book will be 'No other gods' and it basically deals with the importance of undivided loyalty towards God and His Word. My free translation of 'no other gods' would be 'no compromise.'

👉Undivided loyalty will make us stand firm, especially in a world that is getting crazier by the day! We see new ideas, trends, and philosophies popping up like mushrooms and people are being tossed around like ragdolls trying to follow all that is 'new'. 

I will not be tossed around for I am standing on solid ground and I hope the same is true for you. We need to guard our position, however, and pray for wisdom. James 1:6 says about such prayer, But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

Aha, we will be blown and tossed by the wind if our loyalty is divided. We should therefore ask ourselves if we feel like a ragdoll because of everything that is going on in the world. If the answer is yes, we should check our loyalty towards God and His Word. Does the Good News still stand above all the bad news in our lives?

James continues: Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. Ouch. Instability is the result of divided loyalty. I have the feeling that it's time for a faith check-up for many believers. Let's do it now!

Snakes and doves

Have you ever been sent out to do a certain task? 

Maybe you had to sell raffle tickets, gather up a group of people to do some volunteer work, visit someone and bring a message, or go to some foreign country to preach Jesus.

Sending out

Whatever the case, such 'sending out' is often accompanied by a wish for good luck, farewells, warnings (be careful, come back as quick as you can), and lots of advice of course.

When Jesus sent out His twelve disciples, He said this:

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves [Matthew 10:16].

One or the other

Uh, excuse me Lord? You want me to be as a snake and as a dove? I don't think that will go very well together. It's either one or the other, right? One is either clever or stupid, extravert or introvert, loud or quiet, obnoxious or sweet. Oh, how we love to add labels and put people in boxes. We don't even realize how much we limit ourselves when we do so.

Perfect example

God is different. With Him all things are possible and He wouldn't be God if He had not set the perfect example Himself. Jesus is the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah. Yeah, both the lamb and the lion. Jesus displayed tender compassion as well as harsh anger. He is the judge as well as the savior.

We have a tendency to accept the side of God we like the most and ignore the rest. But, let's not forget, God is love but He is also just. Yes, God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Yes, God forgives but He also corrects and disciplines.

Pure in an evil world

When Jesus says we should be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves, He is not asking for the impossible. He wants us to be pure in an evil world. He wants us to be determined and yet dependent on Him. He wants us to be outspoken and diplomatic at the same time. He gives us both courage and meekness, power and love, alertness and rest.

In Him, we will have the perfect balance. In Him, we will speak up when necessary and be silent when required.

Dwelling place, or how to escape the chaos

Constant noise

Have you ever been in a busy city where traffic flies by constantly, where sidewalks are crowded, and where there is constant noise?

I have been to many such cities all over the world, traveling with my husband. From New York to Calcutta, from Mexico City to Cairo, and from Kuala Lumpur to Santiago de Chile.

Change of scenery

In order to escape the chaos we would often enter a church, even at a time when we were not really interested in finding God. The change of scenery and atmosphere when we stepped into a church or cathedral was often dramatic. Just one step would take us from total mayhem to serene silence.

Kingdom atmosphere

I have read somewhere that the architects and builders of many old churches purposely wanted to create a Kingdom atmosphere (in sharp contrast with the world outside) where the peace of God ruled and where beauty and art were the norm. Somewhat like in Biblical times when David wrote:

I love your sanctuary, Lord, the place where Your glorious presence dwells.

You can find this in Psalm 26;8. Some translations say: the house, the temple, the dwelling where You live. I don't know what David had in mind, there was no temple at that time. A  sanctuary, a tabernacle... it doesn't really matter how we picture it; it is the place where His presence dwells (abides).

Our body, our responsibility

Today I was thinking about how blessed we are to live in a time and era where God's presence is with us, all the time... well, if you believe in Jesus. Our body is a house of God (a temple) where the Holy Spirit lives. We carry Him within, wherever we go (1 Corinthians 6:19). We don't have to wait till Sunday to meet with Him 😁

This privilege gives us responsibility as well. We must take good care of our temple, since we belong to God, no longer to ourselves.

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👉 In my book 'In My Name' I discuss the presence of God in more detail!

Finalizing the tenth book

It has been a while since I gave an update on my WIP (work in progress) as far as my book series is concerned.

As most of you know, I have been working on a series of ten books about the Ten Commandments in the 21st century. Last year, the ninth book in this series came out: First Love.

Encouragement

Just the other day I received a message from a friend, who lives in the Republic of Georgia, about how much she enjoys reading this book. Such messages are always a huge encouragement; for any writer I guess.

Anyway, the ninth book. Almost there, I thought. Almost done, one more to go. Mind you, work on this series began back in 2004. Yeah, nineteen (!) years ago. Talking about determination, endurance, and also... procrastination (anyone who can relate?).

Editing stages

Never thought it would take me so long 😏 but here we are, in the final editing stages of the tenth book in the series: No other gods.

Yep, that will be the title, and the book is based on the first commandment where God spoke the words 'You shall have no other gods before me.' Uh, excuse me? Other gods? I thought Christianity and Judaism were monotheistic religions... just one God right, the great I Am.

👉Well, if there are no other gods, the first commandment would have no value. That makes sense, right?

Stay tuned

So, yes there are other gods and no, we should not have them before God. In this new book (which proofreaders are busy with, right now) I use our own travel experiences to describe the supremacy of the God of the Bible.

Stay tuned. I will keep you updated!

A committed life (or, how to live in this evil word)

Committed to the cause!

Politicians, athletes, activists, and businesspeople are committed to their cause, whether that is serving people, winning a medal, reaching a goal, or making millions. They are people willing to give their time, energy, and devotion to something. They are often totally focused, loyal, and dedicated. 

What about Christians?

What about us? Are we committed to the cause, to a life that pleases God? Are we focused, loyal, and dedicated or are we standing with one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom? I pondered those questions the other day, wondering why so many Christians are being influenced (and sometimes end up being paralyzed) by everything that is happening in our world today.

Our instructions are quite clear

The Bible calls us to live a certain way. 👉 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God (Titus 2:12). It doesn't say we should live in this evil world with fear, worry, and anxiety. Quite the contrary.

Maybe you say, 'Marja, that's not easy.' Well, no one said it would be easy. If we continue to read in that same chapter we will find out how it is possible to live that way. We are called to look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

A committed life

So, we can and should live a life devoted to God while looking forward to what is to come. And then comes verse 14: He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. Totally committed to doing good deeds. It is the antidote to being sucked into the dramas of this world if you ask me!