The Luke 10 training is already finished by now, it was an amazing time in which I have learned a lot. In this update I will stress only one aspect, because this is the most important... The Gospel.
 |
| The team going to Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, 10 September 2015 |
Just in short where I am. Last week I paid a short visit to my family and friends in The Netherlands. Right now I am in Norway to visit friends in Kristiansand and Oslo and of course to spread the truth. Somewhere in December I will go back to Denmark and see what the next step will be.
 |
| In Kristiansand, Norway, 8 November 2015 |
Prophesy
In July 2014 someone prophesied over me that I would travel far away for a short time, but I would come back in Friesland (province in The Netherlands) to preach the Gospel. This person didn't knew that in that same year I would go to Australia, India and China to return to The Netherlands after about half a year. Back then I couldn't imagine myself preaching the Gospel. On top of that Friesland would be the last place on earth where I could see myself preaching the Gospel and ''What message do I have to tell the people?'' I questioned myself. Soon I forgot about this part of the prophesy...
During the Luke 10 training I took a team with me to The Netherlands. When we were writing an update on the Dutch website of The Last Reformation with the title: 'training in Friesland' I suddenly remembered the prophesy and realized: ''I'm going to preach the Gospel in Friesland.!''
How is it possible that I want to share the Gospel, were I couldn't even image myself doing it a year ago? Which change has taken place?
The Gospel?
The message of the Bible has not changed, the Gospel is still the same. Of course I am changed myself, but in this case that is not what makes the difference.
In the past I thought the Gospel was that Jesus came to forgive our sins. I saw that as truth, but to be honest I didn't see the relevance of it. I believed that everybody needed Jesus to be saved, but I did not really believe it. The Bible is clear about this: ''Faith without deeds is dead.'' I did not really believe that people needed Jesus, otherwise I would have told them. I didn't really believe that people would be lost without Jesus and I actually didn't really want to believe it, because if I would take this as truth then I needed to move. I rather believed it just for myself and others they just had to find it out for themselves. It doesn't matter that much... All in all it's just about human lives isn't it?
The Gospel!
As you might have noticed, more and more I have discovered the power of the Gospel, the power of the truth. I see that Jesus death ánd resurrection not only made it possible to receive forgiveness, but also healing, freedom, new life and the Holy Spirit of God.
The Gospel is true, God is never the problem. The problem is often that we don't understand the Gospel or don't want to understand it. Like I didn't understand it and also didn't really wanted to understand.
The Gospel is not first of all the love of God. The Gospel is the righteousness of God! (Rom. 1:17, 3:21-26)
''They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!'' - Psalm 22:31 (NIV)
When people see the righteousness of God and their own unrighteousness and want to be saved, there is only one possible answer that can save their life:
''(1) Repent,
(2) Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
(3) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'' - Acts 2:38 (NIV)
This is being born again according to the Bible. Jesus is very clear that you can only enter the kingdom of God when you are born again, out of water (baptism in Jesus) and Spirit, otherwise you can not enter (John 3).
First of all you have to repent from your old sinful life. After that baptism is useful, because baptism is to wash away your sin and to bury your old life. You can not be baptized before you have repented (for example Col. 2:11-13). When you come out of the water you have received new life and then the promise is also for you. You will receive the Holy Spirit. Receiving the Holy Spirit is visible and is accompanied by signs like speaking in tongues. So you can be sure if you have received the Holy Spirit or not.
The Gospel is that God demonstrated his righteousness (and also his love) by letting Jesus die for the sin of men. Jesus overcame death and he lives. In his death, through baptism, we can die to our old life and rise up in a new life, filled the Spirit of God. Not to sit down on a couch and relax, but to be a disciple and to do the things Jesus did, to proclaim God's righteousness to those who are not yet born again and to bring new life.
The power of sin is broken. As a disciple of Jesus you do not continue in sin and you follow Jesus in your new life, led by the Holy Spirit.
 |
| The road is narrow and challenging, but it is the only way. |
If you are not experiencing this new life,
there are two options:
there are two options:
(1) The Gospel is not the truth
(2) You are not yet living in the truth of
the Gospel
I know the Gospel is the truth.
How about you?
''What counts is the new creation.'' - Gal. 6:15b
