Testimony: my baptism and the faithfulness of God

Dear brothers, sisters and friends,

With great joy I like to tell you that I will be baptized in the 'Church of the Nazarene' in Vlaardingen on sunday the 14th of february 2010.The guide for this baptism is a special part of the Romanletter of St.Paul, Romans 6:1-14. The old life be devoured through the new life. First with Him into the (water)grave and after that resurrect with Him and walk then in newness of life. Died with Christ and risen with Him! God has been very faithfully in my life and has forfilled all my desires and made me happy and never lonesome. To Him be the glory.

In this baptism the old black life will be symbolized by a black christening gown to go with me into the watergrave and after rising with Christ a white christening gown will be coated to symbolize the new life.

"Your old sin-loving nature was buried with Him by baptism when he died, and when God the Father, with glorious power, brought him back to life again, you were given his wonderful new life to enjoy."

Romans 6:4

"Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with Him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin's control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin; for when you are deadened to sin you are freed from all its allure and its power over you. And since your old sin-loving nature "died" with Christ we know that you will share his new life.

Romans 6:6-8"

This my dear friends is the deep meaning of baptism. Trust always in the Lord and live a new life with Him who conquered new life on the death.

Glory for his blessed Name, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Be welcome on my baptism in the "Church of the Nazarene", Zwanensingel 1, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands.

deceased in the Lord Jesus

Dear friends,

On the 20th of november at 6.55 am my dear mother died in the age of 93 years old. She suffered already about 10 years of demention. She deceased in the Lord Jesus Christ, we blessed her and prayed with her just before she left us.

She has always been a believer in our Lord and now she is with Him and my deceased father and other family. She was the last of her generation still alive and with her pass away my sister and me are orphans.

Her funeral last wednesday was a witness for the Lord, with a nice psalm and hymns sung.

It was a funeral with dignity .

On the mourning card was written a part of her nice character:

"Let your magnanimity be manifest to all. The Lord is near..." (Philippians 4:5)

and then:

Awoke in the Light asleep in Jesus.

She told us before her demention : "I have had a very good life and be greatful to that."

So we will miss her but gone before us to heaven she will dwell with Him in eternal life and light.

May we all find the way to that eternal home through Jesus Christ our Lord !

With my love in Christ,

Hans

adult baptism

Dear friends,

Many of us are baptized when we were a baby. But to oversee all the consequences of baptism you must be an adult. Its so beautiful to consider baptism in all his meanings.

I mean conversion and forgiveness of sin, buried with Christ to resurrect in anew life,the washing of sin and a new life start.

Amazing near comes the Father of light through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.Buried in the deadwaters of sin and lost, rising in glory with the Lord of living in a new life.

Its so symbolic that I consider a re- baptism, not that the children baptism is without worth, but to realise and confess all what I believe and that I wanted to belong to the Lord all my life.

'Your old sin-loving nature was buried with him by baptism when he died, and when God the Father,with glorious power, brought him back to life again, you were given his wonderful new life to enjoy.'

Romans 6:4

'For in baptism you see how your old, evil nature died with him and was buried with him; and then you came out of death with him into a new life because you trusted the Word of the mighty God who raised Christ from the dead.'

Colossians 3:12

'Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given to you; and be sure of this: That I am with you always, even to the end of the world.'

Notes of this day

Its a beautiful day today because I realize now at this very moment that the Lord is risen indeed!

Nobody can take my gladness because He 's alive.

So praise now the Lord.

Never ending love

Dear friends,

Its now after the holiday and I hope you all had a great vacation. Hope you also did not leave and forget your faith in the love of God. You can be so busy with the things of relaxing that you easy forget that the biggest relax is to know the God of love through Jesus Christ.

That will give you the peace and knowledge of the never ending love of God.

'We know how much God loves us because we have felt his love and because we believe him when he tells us that he loves us dearly. God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.'

1 John 4:16

holidaytime

Hello everybody reading my blogs,

Its now everywhere summerholiday in Holland , so I'll come back in september 2009 with new blogs, be welcome.

Have a nice holiday and hope to see you again.

abernie

The prodigal son

Look at this painting of Rembrandt. The returning of the prodigal son.Most people know the story of the prodigal son and if not you can read it in Luke 15:11-32.

Its a moving painting, look at the hands of the father who was waiting daily for his lost son. So is our heavenly Father waiting for us when we are lost and will there be joy in heaven when we return to our Father. Outspoken divine love without restrictions.

Also the angry son, who stayed home and served his father always is included in his love.
The father said: "You are always with me and all mine is yours, but your brother was dead and became alive again, he was lost and is found again." Come and celebrate his coming home, don't be angry but glad that your lost brother is saved and home.

This parable reminds us of the everduring love of God. How far we will astray from Him he still invites us to come back to Him.The angels in heaven will rejoice when a sinner returns and converted to the Father.This parable told Jesus and Jesus is the image of the unseen Father God.

God's love lasts forever!!

speak in tongues

The Holy Spirit was coming with all his fruits and gifts. One of his gifts is 'speaking in tongues.' We don't know really how and what to pray as it ought to be. Therefor we got the gift of 'speaking in tongues.'

Be still for God and wait for Him. There are so many, many things to pray for and to thank for. Too many! In that case, with that feeling, I 'll open my mouth in my mind and say the words I don't know what they mean, but they come in a stream and they are prayer to God. Its relaxing connection with God through the Holy Spirit. Very simple and very helpful in your prayers.

'And in the same way-by our faith- the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how to pray as we should; but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying as he pleads for us in harmony with God's own will.'

Romans 8:26,27

'So a person "speaking in tongues" helps himself grow spiritually, but one who prophesies, preaching messages from God, helps the entire church grow in holiness and happiness.'

1 Corinthians 14:4

So you see friends "speaking in tongues" helps you to grow spiritually but is not the biggest gift. That gift is LOVE!!
Please read 1 Corinthian 13 and 14. All about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.The fruits of the Holy Spirit you 'll find in Galatians 5 :22,23.

Pentecost

Pentecost now here. The Lord did not leave us without sending us his Holy Spirit. The power of God on earth. This morning watched a BBC- pentecostal service in Peterborough, England from the King's Gate church.The glad message of changed lives through the Spirit of God who came in to dwell. Up is ask God for his Spirit, down He will come in by asking.

Ten chosen were baptized and started a new life. The old life with sin was burried in the watergrave and from the watergrave they rised into a new life with Christ like Christ raised from the grave through suffering and dead into new everlasting life. Now He is at the right hand of the Father and King of Kings and Lord of Lords. From now on we will live with Him who loved us so dearly.

Never alone with the Holy Spirit sent. Be aware all your days when you feeling lonely that He is at hand. The Comforter is there and will always help you through.

This fire will burn, a fire of love. Ask Him to come in, He will never leave you. Lift then up your hands and hearts to receive Him.

after holiday

After a very nice holiday in Diano Marina in Italy we returned home last saturday. We went with a bus with a christian group of 46 people. We have seen a lot of this beautiful part of Italy, called 'the flower riviera'. Every evening after diner we sung together psalms or hymns and the tourleader was a woman who held a short reflection of the past day from the Bible.There was a very good spirit among the participants of the trip and all this built us in faith.
Grateful to God who gave us all we now take up normal daily life. Praise be to God.

Holiday in Italy

Now on holiday in Italy. With a group in Diano Marina. A group of christians of diverse churches in Holland.We see a lot and every evening we have a kind of service. We came by bus, two days drive and will go back next friday 22 st of may.
Later will be back on the logs to write more. Love for all who read this and blessings for you all of The Most Highest.

Mother's day

A tribute to all mothers on this mother's day. In most cases she is the one who learned us to know the Lord in our youth, with biblestories, songs and with the christian way of life as the example of Jesus life on earth.

Be blessed all the mothers in this special way. My mother still alive, nearly 93 years old but demented. Still she is happy and satisfied with her life without knowing anything. All she forgot but the Lord on her side she will go her last years in peace travelling to the eternal Light through Jesus Christ her Lord.

So wish all the (very) old mothers the closeness of the Lord in their illnes and age.
Trust in the Lord always! He will make it well for you.

Life without limbs

With great admiration this morning watched the 'Hour of power' from the 'Crystal Chathedral' in Garden Grove - California, USA.

Here spoke Nick Vujicic, born without limbs, an ambassador of the message of Christ Jesus.

He told how the Holy Spirit is using him for the gospel spread and the love of God. So disabled and so gifted with grace and love through our Lord is a miracle.He is a witness whatever can happen in our lives and how dark it can be: God knows about and will turn the darkness into light. More than conquerers in Christ our Lord.

How true is the word of God:

"Trust in the Lord instead. Be kind and good to others; then you will live safely here in the land and prosper,feeding in safety.Be delighted with the Lord. Then He will give you all your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him to help you do it and He will."

Psalm 37:3-5

http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/

Departure

Many times in our life we have to move from one to another place. Moving in our own city, in our own country, abroad and so on.

It is part of life and separation brings many times lots of grief and pain to our family and friends. Still over the hills and far away life seems better and prospourous than were we stayed and lived.

First let me say it is good to move for holiday from time to time, for visits to friends,
seeing other things, meeting other persons, cultures and behaviour.

But today's restlessness in the world is the modern escape from a restless heart and mind for many people. They are unhappy and think to find rest with travelling away and escape for themselves. The way to find rest in a restless world is to go to Jesus, the Son of God.In prayer with an open heart to receive His blessings:

"Come to me, all whose work is hard, whose load is heavy, and I will give you relief. Bend your necks to my yoke, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble-hearted; and your souls will find relief. For my yokeis good to bear, my load is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

Wish you a good departure and travel to Him who can change your restlessness into rest. Leave there by arrival your burden and find relief, He will give you rest for time and eternity.

Messiah and experience

This very morning experienced CD with "The Messiah." Beautiful music and more....going higher...., then also experienced an article of a Dutch pastor in the newspaper and his experiences of faith. When he looks to the clouds its an image of religious experience and something that goes higher we can imagine.

Look at his face, compassionate and simultaneously higher and higher. Through His unity with His Father He took us all and draw us to God. He was rejected and despised, despised and with grief, a man of sorrow. Image of God, Jesus Son of man.

"In the world you will have trouble. But courage! The victory is mine; I have conquered the world."

John 16:33

Footballplayer and christian

Kew Jaliens as a footballplayer and christian seen in a interview on the Dutch television by wellknown presentator Martin Simek.

It has been a sweet testimony for our Lord Jesus Christ. Kew is baptized as an adult in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He knew what he did. And now the heavenly Father has taken him for His account. The Son will forgive him all his sins and the Holy Spirit will lead him always now in the path of the Father and the Son, because the Three are One.

I am glad you did not deny our Lord, you and your family, and will pray to you all His blessings for now and always!!
Rejoice in the Lord always, again I said rejoice!! (Philippians 4:4)

birthday

Yesterday celebrated my birthday. My friend and me stayed in a hotel near Apeldoorn. We were there for 3 days. We cycled a lot through the woods and had a marvellous time.

Every year older (64 now) reminds me our life has an end. Still healthy as far as we know, but there can be a time life is not so joyeus as we expect it should be. Then it is good to have an anchor in life. That anchor is our Lord Jesus Christ. He will be there in need and joy, in despair and fear, yes always. Ask Him simple in your life, he will come! You dont have to feel it He came in, but believe it. And when he came already long time ago, keep Him alive in faith and His Holy Spirit will lead you always to abundant life.
If you dont know Him say the simple prayer and it will happen:

Dear God, come please into my heart,
forgive my sins and anew my life.
Let me be a new creature in your name
and let me be a blessing for many people
on my road to heaven.
This all I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son.

Amen.

Just normal life returns

After the Easter holidays 'normal' life be back again. But life never is 'normal', it is a gift of God. When we have nothing left He is always left for us.

And also when you look around you will still find things to be glad. Trees in a abundant blossom beauty telling their own stories, birds in this spring busy with their nests and sometimes young, people you love always still there.

Try to see what you have left after loss as pain, sorrow and dead. One will be always with you. Ask Him in your life, He will never forget you and forsake you, because He is God and deepest Love of Him is always available, through his Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Easter Monday

Jesus said to Mary 'Why are you weeping? Who is it you are looking for?'
Thinking it was the gardener, she said, 'If it is you, sir, who removed him, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.' Jesus said, 'Mary!' She turned to him and said 'Rabbuni!' (which is Hebrew for 'My Master')
John20:15-16

And just as Jesus to Mary appeared so He appeared to many people after his rising from the death. This that you all may believe He is the Son of God and in Him is everlasting life.

Easter

CHRIST IS RISEN,

HE IS RISEN INDEED!




Now He is alife and lives forever.

He said: 'Full authority in heaven and on earth has been commited to me.
Go forth therefore and make all nations my disciples; baptize men everywhere in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. And be assured, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE END OF TIMES' - Matthew 28-18-20.

Silent Saturday

Now is the Lord at rest after all the suffering. It is all done.

By the power of the Father waiting for his resurrection. The ties of death cannot hold Him.

Wait in faith! The Lord's ressurrection is near.

Good Friday

Then they took Him out to crusify Him. A man called Simon, from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they pressed him into service to carry his cross.
They brought Him to the place called Golgotha,which means 'Place of a skull.' He was offered drugged wine, but he would not take it.Then they fastened Him to the cross. They divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should have.The hour of the crucifixion was nine in the morning, and the inscription giving the charge against Him read, 'The King of the Jews.'

Mark 15: 21-27

'Behold the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world!'

O love divine, what has thou done!
The immortal God hath died for me!
The Father's coeternal Son
bore all my sins upon the tree.
Th' immortal God for me hath died:
My Lord, my Love, is crucified.

Is crucified for me and you,
to bring us rebels back to God.
Believe, believe the record true,
Ye all are bought with Jesus' blood.
Pardon for all flows from his side:
My Lord, my Love, is crucified!

Behold Him, all ye that pass by,
the bleeding Prince of life and peace!
Come, sinners, see your Savior die,
and say, "Was ever grief like his?"
Come, feel with me his blood applied:
My Lord, my Love, is crucified!

Maundy Thursday

For the tradition which I handed on to you came to me from the Lord himself: that the Lord Jesus, on the night of his arrest, took bread and, after giving thanks to God, broke it and said: 'This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.' In the same way, he took the cup after supper, and said:'This cup is the new covenant sealed by my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.' For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11 : 23-26

After 20 centuries still the believers in Him eat the bread and drink the wine, until He comes.
Yes still we do expect Him in faith to set us all free and establish his Kingdom promised through he prophets and by Jesus Christ himself.
'And here is one point, my friends, which you must not lose sight of: with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. It is not that the Lord is slow in fulfilling his promise, as some suppose, but that he is very patient with you, because it is not his will for any to be lost,but for all to come to repentance.'

2 Peter 3 : 8-9

Farewell discourses

As soon as Judas had received the bread (of Jesus) he went out. It was night. When he had gone out Jesus said: 'Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in him God is glorified. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself; and he will glorify him now.'

John 13:31-32

Now the Son of Man after betrayel looking after the suffering he will go through. The glorifying by the Father after his coming resurrection. But first the desolate lost scream: 'My god, my God why hast thou forsaken me?'

the final conflict

Now the festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread was only two days off; and the chief priests and the doctors of te law were trying to devise some cunning plan to seize him and put him to death.
'It must not be during the festival', they said, 'or we should have rioting among the people.'

Mark 14 : 1-2

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray him to them. When they heard what he had come for, they were greatly pleased, and promised him money; and he began to look for a good opportunity to betray him.

Mark 14: 10-11

Now the betrayer is near to betray Jesus. He who had done no evil and sin, only doing well, heal the sick, blessed the multitude of people of all kind, freed them of all principal powers of darkness.
Here the Prince of Peace goes his way to set us all free forever! Forgiveness, healing, and victory. The very high price is his suffering and dead on the cross to set us free forever. Suffering in our place and taking our sins is deepest love possible.

Lord have mercey upon us

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, that everyone who has faith in him may not die but have eternal life.


John 3:16

Depressed

Today I read a comforting prayer for the many people who are depressed and under stress. Its written by Dr. Walter. L. Weston.
I would like to pray it with you when you need it now:

God, life seems so bleak and useless right now.
I don't have any energy.
I have no ambition to do much of anything.
I am really feeling down.
I feel "down on" myself and "down on" everyone around me.
Even as I pray, I don't sense your presence.
I am going through the motions, knowing that you are still with me.

I know that I am sacred and precious but they are just words right now.
I know that my life has been worthwhile, full of many wonderful people and
experiences, much happines and joy.
I feel little of this right now.
God, all I can do is affirm the goodness of life and try to hold on until the
darkness is replaced by your light and love.

Help me to spot the lies that my depressed emotions are telling me.
Life is good. I am good. You are good. Grant me hope. My loved ones love me.
Life will be beautiful again.
Soon I will again know vitality and purpose, happiness and love.
Until then, give me the strength and hope to survive this day.

Help me to smile and laugh, even if just for a moment.
Be my strength and salvation.
I ask you to restore me and make me whole.
Fill me with the Word and Spirit that I might be recreated anew.
I praise and thank you.
Amen

In this very silent week, there is a link between the suffering of the Lord with our suffering and depressions. He knows what it is to be depressed and rejected. Maybe that can be a comfort that he knows of your suffering. He is there right now.The blessings of the Lord Jesus Christ with you all.

Greetings,
Hans.

New Life

Spring slowly coming in The Netherlands. As it is in nature it is also with faith, it must grow to bear fruits.

This week will be the good week before Easter, we think of the road to the cross of our Saviour Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb of God bearing the sin of a world lost in guilt.

Hope you all will be blessed through Him who died for us all to set us free from all evil.

Take the new life for free and you will be a new creature!!

With love,

Abernie.