God, a mystery revealed (4)

Not too long ago I had a conversation with someone who did not believe that Jesus is God. Such opinions can lead to very interesting discussions and I certainly do not avoid such talks. However, let's not forget what the Bible has to say about it.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. This is how the passage begins that we are examining in this blog series (Colossians 1:15-20). It is a section in which the apostle Paul writes about the superiority of Jesus. The more often we read that piece, the more we learn about Him. Just do it.

We are coming to verse 17 where Paul lifts the veil a little more. I just love 💗 the Good News translation:

Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place.

Jesus has always been there, He is the eternal God and in union with Him all things have their proper place. That tells me if something or someone is not in union with Him, they are not in their proper place... kind of being lost. In union with Him we find our purpose, our existence will begin to make sense.

Somewhere else in the Bible that connection (union) with God has been described as follows: ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ (Acts 17:28). In Him we live and move and have our being, if you decide to believe and accept that, a totally new world will open up for you. And then (sometimes at once, sometimes step by step) that mysterious God suddenly comes very close. Awesome, isn't it?

God, a mystery revealed (3)

In this blog series I want to focus on Colossians 1:15-20. We have already seen the awesome truth in verse fifteen: Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things.

We cannot see God, but Jesus made Him known during His life on earth in the things He did and said. There were thousands and thousands of eyewitnesses and many of them have passed on their experiences from generation to generation and later entrusted these stories to paper. Reading the Bible is one way to get to know God.

As we continue in that first chapter of the letter the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Colosse (which is now in Turkey), we read the following:

For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him.

My Dutch translation says 'everything was made for His glory'. Pooh, what went wrong, you may wonder. There have been quite some world rulers and governments who have made a mess of it, even up till now. As a matter of fact, it seems to get worse instead of better. Dictatorships, evil regimes and suppression ... that can never bring honor of God, right?

No, of course not. Personally, I read in those words that no one and nothing can ever exist without Jesus decision to create. And He has created everything and everyone (including leaders and people in authority) with a purpose, namely to honor Him as Creator of heaven and earth. So, it definitely goes wrong when people do not acknowledge this and put themselves above God by ignoring Him or denying His existence.

That arrogance has led and still leads to horrible situations in which personal gain and power are elevated above the welfare of a people. It should not be so. Psalm 2: 10-12 says: O kings and rulers of the earth, listen while there is time. Serve the Lord with reverent fear; rejoice with trembling. Fall down before his Son and kiss his feet before his anger is roused and you perish. I am warning you—his wrath will soon begin. But oh, the joys of those who put their trust in him!

Maybe those words sound a bit harsh, but apparently every leader and every government [and ultimately every person] has a choice to make!

God, a mystery revealed (2)

"If there is no God, there is no reason for our existence and if there is no reason for it, there is no hope," I wrote in my previous blog post as an introduction to this new blog series in which we examine the supremacy of Christ. .

The Bible passage that I use for this series is Colossians 1:5-20. Verse 15 begins beautifully: Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. In that one sentence we find the key to believing in God or not ... Jesus Christ has made God visible, has made Him known. We must go to Him with all our questions about God, eternity and the purpose of our existence.

That same verse continues like this:

He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things.

Some translations say: the firstborn over all creation. Jesus as always been there. His time on earth (about 2000 years ago) was only a very small part of His eternal existence. As if we were allowed to peek inside his life. He is and will always be superior to all created things.

Shortly before Jesus was taken prison, He prayed to the Father for all believers and said: Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world (John 17:24).

What a great prayer! The love of God was there before anything came into existence! Which makes perfect sense when we consider that the Bible says that God is love. It is with that same love that He loves the world (all people) 💖 ... yes, even if you reject him!

God, a mystery revealed (1)

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” [Psalm 14:1]

How often has it been said that the atheist actually denies the very God, he/she is angry with? The denial of a God who created the heavens, earth and humanity is leaving many (young) people in an existential crisis. If there is no God, there is no purpose and if there is no purpose, there is no hope.

But let's say God exists, then who is He? Has He made Himself known to His creation or can we conveniently make up our own god(s)? The latter has resulted in a smörgåsbord of opinions, pictures and images of God. It seems that the more we advance in time and knowledge, the lesser we understand who He really is.

I grew up in a Christian family. That doesn't mean, I automatically had a clear picture of God. He was real but distant. When I seriously began to read my Bible, I started to get to know Him better. In this blog series I will share some of the things the Bible teaches about God. Actually, I will share one of my favorite parts: Colossians 1:15-20. The sub heading reads The supremacy of Christ. It will bless your socks off, I promise!

It starts like this:

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

Such depth in one simple sentence, incredible! This is the key to knowing God. Jesus Christ has revealed the invisible (mysterious) God. We do not have to make up our own image, we can simply look at the life of Jesus if we want to know who God really is. If you have never done so, grab a Bible and read the Gospel of John or see the movie with the same name. You will find out for yourself whether there is truth in the words above or not.

A writer's glorious blues

Musing over a blog post? Re-writing an article for the umpteenth time? Discouraged about a book-deal gone wrong? Well... most of us have been there. We procrastinated. We failed and tried again. We cried and picked up the pieces... again.

And so the story of our writing journey continues. 👉Who knows we are writing life stories for a next generation that is growing up with smart phone language and emoticons. Although some people will never read a book in their life, let alone write one, one day someone will be inspired and motivated by the words we are putting on paper.

I must have been 5 or 6 years old when I knew I loved reading and writing. I ran up and down to the local library several times a week to get new books. I wrote little journals, diaries and short stories at a very early age. God put it in me, I just know that for sure.

Back in 2006 my first book was published in the USA. It has been a long and bumpy road ever since. I have doubted my calling. I have had writer's block. I have been discouraged a thousand times. I wanted to quit several times. But you know what? I am still here and I am still writing. Even if no one would ever read my stuff, even if no one would ever buy one of my books... I would still write. Simply because it is what I love to do.

I am getting used to the up's and down's this journey brings. I learn from my mistakes and I cherish the highlights.

I entered my latest book In My Name in the Reader's Favorite 2018 Awards. Knowing that they receive thousands upon thousands of entries in more than 140 categories I knew I needed God's favor to be noticed. But a girl can ask, right?

My book did not win an award. But I am thankful to announce that In My Name was a finalist in the category Christian - Devotions and Bible Studies. Such moments make the writer's blues glorious again. We get pushed forward, we believe we can do one more article, one more blog or yet another book :)

Thank you readers, thank you bloggers. Let's continue to encourage one another!

My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer [Psalm 45:1]