Keep silence before God

Keep silence before God

Habakkuk 2: 20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

Some places and occasions ask for silence. So I visited with my family a cemetery of American and Canadian soldiers. There you can see all those white crosses and on each cross is a name. Each cross stands for a killed soldier. But if you look beyond you can also see the ages of when they died. And then I got really quiet, I see some ages as 18 and 23 are, young fathers and newlywed men. When I realized what those people have done for us, then I was silent and I let it work inside my head. By the silence you can better reflect and realize how great the sacrifice of these people is.

Keep silence, is what Habakuk calls us up to. Not just for a moment, as for instance for a football match is held a minute's silence and then move on, but real silence. Be silent to get closer to God, be silent and make contact with Him, be silent and consider what Christ has done. Silence is a way to worship.

If you're silent you can concentrate better. You can keep other thoughts out of your head and your mind focuses on God. You're going to think about Him and you can contact Him. So you can get to know Him better and He has the opportunity to you to teach you who He is. Because if you are silent, you are not distracted. In our society there is not much silence. Everything is done with sound. Many people you see on bikes with earphones and those are not able to create silence, but to listen music. Many people think silence is even scary because then they should start thinking. Silence is relax and your mind thinking. 

Are you looking for that silence too sometimes? Don’t listen to music, but be silent for a short time. Maybe the beginning of the day, a good time for being silent, but it could also be that you prefer the middle of the day or at the end. But if you want silence and trie to make contact with God, then you will contact Him and you will notice that He makes contact with you too.

You usually be silent out of honor and respect. At a war cemetery it is usually very silent. Anyone who walks there is silent out of honor and respect for what those people have done for us. So it is with God. You may come to Him in silence and in that silence you adore Him. You let him see your submission, your reverence. He is, after all, that God who created the Earth and who has overcome death. He is that God who loves us while we deeply didn’t want to deal with Him? Be silent before him!

This does not apply to just a select group of people, but for whole of the Earth. Everyone is called to be silent for the great King. Everyone is called upon to show respect for Him and to show how great God is. It may not be that you do not have to be silent before God! There is no valid excuse to not be silent before Him. He desires it of us and then you don’t want to do anyway?

In the silence you will be filled by him. As He claims, He gives as well. That silence gives you peace and strength to continue. Also if it is hard or pressure is high to live or whatever in your life applies. If you be silent before Him, He gives you what you need!

a powerfull Sarah

A powerful Sara

Hebrews 11: 11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Sometimes there are things in your life you think it’s difficult, or you think you can’t do it. Everyone has such things, though is one person faster by doing things and try than the other. You can think of assignments at work or during an illness, but also quite common at home with different things. Maybe you do have things you really like will and that but fails, then we read today in the Bible a text that wants to help us.

It is the letter to the Hebrews and we are in the middle of the part of Christians. There is a whole list of people who have done things by faith that they actually could not do by theirselfs. Moses is between them, but also Enoch who walked with God. Abraham stands there and Jacob, Joseph and even more. It is very instructive and discovering to this section, a quiet read through Hebrews 11. You will find that you are not alone in dependence on God, but also that all the people who have had important functions in the Bible also needed Him. They would not succeed without his help, but through their faith they could do what they needed to do.

But there is a very special name between, Sara. If I think about Sara, then it is the story that she starts to laugh when she hears that they still going to get a child. She doesn’t believe it, at least so it seems at first sight. She's been an old woman and how can she still get pregnant and then also still carry the child, that is not possible. Even when getting pregnant isn't the problem, then it's still the physical strain on her body. 

But Sara did carry the child! In our text: by faith she received power to become pregnant and give birth to a child, despite her pregnancy. It was in humans opinion impossible, but with God it became possible. He opened the womb of Sara and let there arise a child. But also give birth to the child did succeed. Give birth to a child is a very difficult task for a woman, we men don’t understand it at all. The pain is unimaginable and the force required to put the child in the world is not by us to imagine. That's going our thinking above. However, Sara succeeded in old age. Powerfull, isn’t it? 

But she could not from herself, no she has received the power from God. God has given her the strength to carry and give birth to the child. God has done that for Sara because He had promised them and they were faithful to him. That is the core of the pregnancy by Sara and the birth of Isaac. God had promised and did it. He has not informed or only partially helped Sara , no God has opened the uterus, but also gave strength. He has made sure that everything went well. Sara had probably her doubts, but they trusted God, who does what he promises.

God promises us that he will help us. Whatever's on your way and which mountain you have to beat, God wants to help you. If you're depending on him and let God first, then you will see that he guides you and helps you. Entail that you really have to believe that he does it for you, because otherwise it's idle-talk. You may even appeal to God when you ask, because he does what he promises! You may hours speak to him about these things and present it all to him. He has helped Sara and will do so with every prayer that comes to him, He will be there for His children.

Humiliated, but yet Sparkle

Humiliated, but yet Sparkle

Luke 2: 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Christ, the son of the highest God, Who is in heaven and the King who rules over the entire earth. He sits at God's right hand, it is He who is loved by God. It is he who has power in heaven, he is the one who sticks out above everything and everyone. He sits on the perfect place, at the place where everyone is jealous about, a place without pain and without sin and sorrow. A powerful Kingdom, everything is so majestic, it will  be glorious in heaven and what will Jesus enjoy his children with him.

But then, Jesus goes to the Earth. He should be human and descend to the world that is ruined by sin. He should go live among the people who don’t want to deal with Him, between people who think only of themselves and only see themselves as important. A place of war and sorrow a place where people hurt each other. What a contrast and what and step of Christ to do that. We cannot imagine how big the difference actually is not even close, but it must be incredibly large.

Jesus could still come to Earth as King and as a powerful ruler of the people. That would do justice to His position, but no Jesus comes on Earth in a stable and then laid in a manger. He is wrapped in swaddling clothes and He must spend his first hours in a stable. What a terrible contrast with that beautiful heaven.

Why is Jesus doing all this? He does this out of love for his Father, but also out of love for us. His love is so incredibly large, that love has no limits. Look carefully at the situation, would a man ever do this for someone else? No, that love of Jesus is so big it is so very wide and deep and so intense that we cannot realize. Our mind is too small.

But Christ doesn’t want us to understand His love, he only wants us to accept his love. How can we say: it's really great that you come to Earth, but please let me out of Your love. I don’t want to, or at least not at this time. His love is for everyone, including you. Accepted his love every day and over and over, let fill you with his Spirit and you will blessed.

Christmas is the epitome of love and we should celebrate it every year. We celebrate the love of Christ and the love of God for sinners. We celebrate the day of lights, because despite the stable, the Manger and the cloths, radiates the divine from Jesus. He is divine serving . And  what we taste, we may handing it out, then you and I also have a light. We should celebrate Christmas in our hearts every day and every day being a light. That is a piece of love we can give back. It stands in contrast to his love, but Christ has us occurred.

Lord Jesus, thank you that you've come to Earth and that you have humiliated Thee. We have not earned, but Thy love is so great. We are grateful for it. Thank Thee Lord Jesus that Thee have come and that we may be a little light in this world. Let us be a light that shines through Thy light! Amen. 

The real thirst quencher!

The real thirst quencher!

Philemon 1: 7 For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

It is very hot outside. You have a lovely bike ride at your program. What is the most important thing to take with you? Water of course. Imagine you are on the way and after an hour cycling in the heat you'll find out that you have forgotten the water bottle. Oh, no that’s stupid. Another half hour do you still drunk nothing, but you've also got no word said against your bike buddy. You actually don’t dare to ask, because you feel a bit stupid that you forget it. Then all of a sudden give your pal his water bottle to you and you may be drink. Without you’ve asked him to, you get water from him and the rejuvenated you, because it's hot and you are thirsty. Nothing is tastier than water at that time.

Paul used that image in his letter to Philemon. Philemon is a brother in Christ and he welcomes the congregation in his house. They have the meetings with him. He gives much love to hear the people involved in the municipality. Philemon give love to the people around him, just like Christ love gives to us. He's rich, but he doesn’t keep it just for himself, he shares it and thus he restored the people. He quenches, figuratively, their thirst.

Philemon refreshed his congregation, but Christ even more. Actually every man has great thirst. Some people don’t know and don’t want to know anything about it. They go on with what they are doing and finally they fall down. They have succumbed in their thirst. They did’t drunk the water of their Buddy. Would you like to let your thirst also be quenched?

But Christ offers to everyone His water, it's for everyone. No one is too small for him, because he wants to give all of its drinking water. Anyone who is thirsty come unto me and drink the living Water, he says. He wants to give it to you and please let him give it to you. Don’t spoil the water because you know everything by yourself and that you do not want to be dependent on Him. Drinking of the water and it will invigorate you, just like those biker who has thirst. It was for him as a sparkling fountain. Never before he has water tasted like that and appreciated as right now. It also tastes delicious, better than anything you can tastes. What do you think is delicious? This is a thousand times better. Take the Water that he gives to you.

Philemon refreshed his congregation, and you? Are you also an invigorating water within your congregation? Do the people close to you tast something of the love of Christ? They see the joy and they feel the consolation? Aren't you the one who strikes an arm around someone or are you giving a Word. It may already be something very small. But also radiate the joy that you may belong to Christ. People can see that in your life? They see the joy in Christ or do they see joy in other things?

We must follow the example of Philemon. Be a refreshing water for your congregation members. Let them see that you are from Christ and the living Water that you've been drinking. How? Send a card or walk to someone. Maybe the one next to you in the Church is now lonely or needs a listening ear. You have to give yourself not quite exposed, because often there is not waiting. They want to be heard or an arm around their shoulder. There are many ways to be invigorating, you should just be open for it. And take a look around you what you can do!

Lord teach me Thou love and let the living Water flows through me. I want to feel the swirling River of Thou. Would Thou fulfill me so that I can be that invigorating water to the people around me. Let me be a Philemon to Thou glory.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ!

Romans 3: 23 and 24 for all have sinned and lack the glory of God, being justified by his grace, through the redemption in Christ Jesus.

When I go to a football match, then I'm not going down the line and watch to certain types of bird in the sky. It is of course possible, but that’s not why I'm going to that football game. Would you like to bird watching, then you better go to another silent place. This might be a crazy example, but what do you think  it means? 

What is faith about according to you? Have you ever wondered that? Many people have an opinion about it. It should be about your sins or about God. It should be about what we can and cannot do or about love. Many different opinions, but this should not at all rest on an opinion. It is written in the Bible which says: it should be about Jesus Christ!

If I have ask you: who is Jesus Christ? Then you can hear different views. Outside the Christianity they know him as a prophet, but within Christianity as the son of God. Jesus Christ is the Son of the highest God! He is not just a man who has lived on Earth, no he is God and He came to Earth as a man. A man of flesh and blood. 

Christ had to come to Earth, because we miss the glory of God. Every person has sinned, and is of God departed, every man will miss the glory of God. You are missing then what it's all about in life. It runs all out to the glory of God! That is the purpose of our lives, without Christ we miss our goal!

But that is not all, Christ is come to Earth! He had to be tortured, he had to be killed. But He is risen from the dead. That Christ has not abandoned us, but brought salvation for us. He has given our lives a purpose and that purpose is: the glory of God! And all that for free. You can add anything or pay by yourself, no he has fully paid for the sin. You should keep your hands open and He shall fill them with his grace. 

Faith runs only to Christ! If we talk to each other about all kinds of things, but we're not talking about Christ, that is missing its purpose. If we draw up rules within the Church, but it is beyond the perspective of Christ, then it is missing its goal. Everything we do outside Christ, will misses his target. Think about that!

Let Jesus Christ be the center of your life, he does it all for you. Let him fill you with his grace, then everything comes to stand in a different perspective. The way we stand in life, what we do and don't do. What we say, think and do. The way we do in Church and Bible study. He wants to reveal himself to us over and over again and then we see more and more of his glory. There you may enjoy it, it's wonderful to belong to Christ, not always easy because we are still sinner, but with a purpose!

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ, for what Thou did for me. I may now live ever closer to Thou hand. Flow over your heart with love for us, your grace is so great! I thank Thou for all thou give. I can't live without Thee, because then everything is missing its goal. Thou are so great and Thou are worth it to be served. Let me serve Thou completely so Thou will be increased in my life! I love you!

The hands of Jesus

The hands of Jesus

Luke 9: 16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude..

Look at your hands and just think what you can with your hands. You cannot think of something whether you're using your hands for it. Some people have golden hands, they can make everything. Jesus also had Golden hands, we look at what He did in three situations.

First of all, He took the bread and blessed it, then He broke it and left handing out. The hands of Jesus just kept breaking, there was no end to. Thousands of people were fed with five loaves of bread and Jesus broke all those pieces. Those hands don’t stop, they continue to break through, they take no rest breaking because Jesus wants to fill the bellies of the people. He understands that they need to eat and wants to give them food. Jesus also wants to give us our food every day, He wants to give us a lot more than just food, but also the food we may receive from Him.

Another moment that Jesus used His hands is when He blessed the children. Jesus puts His hands on the children and blesses them. That hands of the Master, He touches the children. He loves them and they let Him lay His hands on them to show them. Jesus shows with his hands his love and warmth, you may come to me. He also wants to let us know that we may come to him. He wants to lay his hands on us and blesses us, so that we may feel his love and warmth. He wants to bless us and embrace. At times when we are struggling, he wants to lay his hand on you and then he says: I am with you. I have your love, that's the most important thing in your life. Come to me with your pain and sadness, but also with your joy and gladness. 

Jesus hung at the cross, with nails through his hands. He let them drop the nails through his hands so that we can see his love in it. It is a sign of love and loyalty for us. You don’t have to do it yourself, Jesus hung for you at the cross, thereby are you saved. He wants to draw every person to Him and for every human being there is forgiveness. His hands are for us the signs! Just look closely at his hands, because that can save your life. For Thomas were those hands and the holes in it the moment when his eyes opened: My Lord and my God!

The hands of Jesus are priceless and he wants to cover us with his hands. Do you let his hand in your life? Let Him change your life, even if it hurts. Those hands are as a Potter, they want to form you. Those hands give you peace and also want to bless you and me. Let his hands bless and you will be happy, in fact you will be saved. 

Lay but still you hand in My hands, then I lead you on the way to the future. I lead you to the country where you will have joy forever. 

What a wonderful wealth lies there in those hands! Thank You, Jesus!

Christ as mirror image

Christ as mirror image

.2 Corinthians 3: 18  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

The text today goes back to Moses in the Old Testament where Moses has seen God. He was not allowed to see God's face, but did have seen God. When Moses had seen God, beamed his face, even so radiant that he towels needed for the people not the dazzle. Moses should not see God's face, but in the text today we read that we with unveiled face as in a mirror, may see the glory of the Lord.

What is the glory of the Lord? That is his goodness and love, his mercy for us as people. That is the pure love of God, through his son Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Saviour proved to be. God's glory is indescribable and goes beyond our intellect, but he has shown us in His Son. He has shown in the atoning blood and broken flesh. To take care of the people who has chosen against him, He did repair the fracture repair again, as Almighty descend to Earth to save sinners. That is the glory of the Lord, but it is even greater. That we cannot contain, but we will soon see that Christ returns! 

We may behold that glory as in a mirror. We have, as it were, a mirror in front of our face and we normally see ourselves with a mirror, we now see Christ. If we see ourselves then we see nothing of the glory of God, but only destruction. But if we see Christ in that mirror, we see God in his glory. Christ shows us himself and so God sees us as well. He sees us in Christ, you are no longer at your own expense when Christ has become Saviour, no he has the account paid. What a mighty Gospel and what is God a great and good God. It's wonderful to hear and every day with Him should you look in the mirror and see him! 

We are transformed, so we see Christ. But that will change us personally as well. We like him, all our life changes because it is focused on Him. We are not centrally, but Christ is central. It is He who we see in the mirror and He is getting more important in our lives. We are getting smaller, He takes our place. That is also the most beautiful thing a human can experience, like Christ. We will always keep our broken flesh, but still growing, growing in holiness.

The mind works it all in us, that we don't need to do it ourselves. We are strengthened through prayer and through prayer we grow. Maybe you'll read this and you don’t dare or you see it sit and sit around. The spirit wants to help you. Open your hart and let your heart be fulfilled by the spirit of God. He has sent the Holy Spirit to Earth through Christ and He wants to lead us. We don’t have to do it all alone, the spirit is with us. 

Christ, thank you that when I look in the mirror, that I may see you. That I do not see muself, but your love and your faithfulness. That I may behold your glory. What a miracle, what a grace and what a love from Thou! Nothing is to compare with Thou and Thou are above everything. Will we see you in Thou glory, Maranatha! Thank Thou for Thou wants to be our God, Hallelujah!