So Blessed!

This week marks the "Rentrée" in Brussels, which means that after nine weeks of vacation, the children are going back to school and thus, things are back to normal here in Belgium. It also entails that there is more traffic here (thank God this doesn't really affect me, as I go to work by bicycle) and that the work at the EU institutions is taking up again. There is pressure on many services now to finish certain procedures before the Christmas break, which is actually less than four months away. Especially this fall promises to be interesting, because as of 1st November, a new Commission will be implemented, headed by the German politician Ursula von der Leyen. Being abroad for so long, I haven't followed much the political life in my home country, but I like this woman. I wouldn't have expected that a female would get this high rank position, but she really seems to be the right choice in this political chaos. I especially like the fact that she is actually a medical doctor. Thus, she might be open to implementing more health enhancing programmes and activities among the workers in our institution.

It's always interesting when a new Commission is implemented after five years. You can feel the wind of change blowing; new Commissioners bringing new ideas, there are staff changes (especially in the senior management of the different services), and the "foot soldiers" (i. e. little officials like me) are motivated to give their best in this new term.

This past Sunday, we returned from our annual church retreat in Eupen, German part of Belgium. It was such a blessing to be there once more. We have a very nice venue there, which is a relatively newly renovated hostel. The staff is very pleasant, and they are even able to somewhat accommodate our dietary needs. This year, I decided to supplement the choice of foods they could offer us, namely by making some plant-based spreads, granola, and getting some avocados. We were a smaller group than last year, mainly due to the fact that since then, quite a few families left our church for other pastures. Nevertheless, we were very blessed with Pastor Denny from Brazil as our main speaker. Our own Pastor, who is a close friend of Pastor Denny, was also present and involved in the programme. There was something in it for everybody, and our time together really helped to bond with each other. The messages were very practical, and I think everybody learned something that they are going to apply in their lives. My main resolution is that I'm going to start a prayer journal, as I think this will be really helpful. Thus, you can document answers to prayer requests and keep track how the Lord has worked.

I would like to share one thought I took home from our spiritual weekend:

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in Him will I trust." ~Psalms 91:1-2~

To dwell in the secret place of the most High (or to "live in His shelter" as the Common English Bible translates) doesn't mean to just visit, or to come by for tea. It means to spend time in His presence. It's also quantity that counts here. Do I spend adequate time with the Lord in the daily hustle and bustle of life? Do I praise Him for who He is, i. e. for His attributes, like His omnipotence, faithfulness, His infinite power? Do I also pause from time to time to listen to His voice? And not only "bombarding" God with the "T's" and "G's", i. e. saying thank you for xyz and please give me this and that? May the Lord help us to get closer to Him, and thus get ready to spend an eternity in His holy presence!

With Pastor Denny and his mother Marli

Love that picture of our children!

Group picture on Sunday - unfortunately we forgot to do it on
Sabbath when more people were there and sun was shining brightly!

Year End Blessings

As I'm writing this post, I'm at my parent's home in Karlsruhe. This past Friday, they have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. It was held in the closest family circle enlarged by some dear friends. I'm thankful that my parents have made it that long. It doesn't go without saying after all that couples stay together nowadays, whether they are Christians or not.

In a way, the months of November and December were much quieter for me than the previous, rather hectic months when I didn't really have help in the office. Actually, at a point when I couldn't have gone any further, things worked out for me to have at least a temporary help until January, and then as of mid-January, I'm going to have a new colleague who promises to be very nice and competent.

For Thanksgiving, I had another dinner with co-workers at my home. It was a smashing success. They really liked the food, and I was also able to raise some money for my project in Serbia. I'm very thankful for these opportunities.

On Wednesday, I'll be headed towards Puerto Rico, where I'm going to visit a former lifestyle guest with her husband. Sister Ada already wanted me to come visit a couple years ago, but then it didn't work out; and last year I wasn't up to flying overseas already having just returned from the US. But now I really look forward to this sunny break, even though it will be only for a couple weeks. I will also preach there and give some health talks at the weekends. This time, I will have some help from Christine, a former co-worker from Uchee Pines. I pray that the Lord will bless our efforts.

I'm currently transcribing some talks on mental health that I have found insightful. One of them is by Vickie Griffin from Michigan, US. I can highly recommend watching it under this link on Audioverse.

"It is possible to feel wrong and to do right. God gives us the energy, and it’s a miracle. It’s not all about feelings. As a matter of fact, the opposite of depression is not joy. It isn’t. The opposite of depression is resiliency. It’s the ability to tunnel through problems until you get to the lighter side of things, until you get to solutions. God actually uses trials to build character and resiliency into our lives. So we are waiting to get happy when there won’t be any problems anymore, but God allows problems to grow us into resilient people that aren’t depressed."

I also appreciate the fact that there are verses in the bible that don't only tell us that God is our helper and comforter right now, but that also contain promises for the future, like Psalms 27:13-14:

“I had almost fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart.” 

Yes, even if we don't feel like praising the Lord right now, we can believe that we will see His goodness in the future, and that He will make a way out of any darkness we may find ourselves in!

"Why are thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." (Psalms 42:11)

My parents on their big day

Change of Blog Name

Sometimes I have contemplated how I would name my blog should I leave Brussels and continue my life somewhere else.

Today, I came to the conclusion that I should go ahead and change it now. Not that I have any plans to leave at this point; however my ministry has never been confined to Brussels only. For example, only a few months after my return from the US, I went on a mission trip to Hungary and Serbia. Then of course I'm involved in the German ministry "hoffnung weltweit e. V.", and I'm quite active there, especially when it comes to our annual summer camp meeting in the Westerwald region.

Furthermore, wherever I travel, even if it's not an official mission trip, I have opportunities to minister to people. At work, I minister to my colleagues who may then be able to pass on something I have given them (a health information, a thought, etc.) to somebody in their respective home country. Who knows? The Lord's ways are unfathomable. Only on the New Earth we will eventually grasp the whole extent of our influence in this world. How amazing this will be!

With all this in mind, I decided to call this blog from now on: "Under His Wings" - because if it weren't for this fact, I would not be alive today. I'm proud of my guardian angel, because he must have been extremely busy to protect me from the attacks of the enemy. And indeed, even if the "tempests are wild", I can still trust my Jesus; because I know He will keep me - because He has redeemed me and I am His child!

You may listen to this hymn here

Under His wings I am safely abiding

Though the night deepens and tempests are wild

Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me

He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Under His wings, under His wings,

Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings my soul shall abide,

Safely abide forever.

Under His wings—what a refuge in sorrow!

How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!

Often when earth has no balm for my healing,

There I find comfort, and there I am blest. 

Under His wings—oh, what precious enjoyment!

There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;

Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me;

Resting in Jesus I’m safe evermore.

Ixelles Cemetery

I guess it's time for another blog post!

Tomorrow, I'll be headed off to Hannover, Germany. The annual ASI convention will be held there, and Walter Veith will be the main speaker. I really look forward to it. I'm going to help with the interpretations into English, for those few attendees who don't understand German - including my friend Violeta from the Flemish part of Belgium, who will be attending together with her husband Sacha. They are actually going to give me a ride there.

My roommate Larissa is still staying with me, however her programme in Brussels is coming to an end tomorrow. Then she will be continuing in Tilburg, Netherlands, for the next part of her master's studies. It has been a real blessing having her at my place, and I hope she will be doing as well at the other places as she has been here.

On Sunday morning, we went to IKEA (I accidentally found out that they had an open Sunday), as I needed some items for the home (bedding, kitchen stuff, etc.). It was a wonderful sunny day, and in the afternoon, we took a walk to the nearby cemetery.

Well, normally it's unusual for me to visit a graveyard unless there is somebody resting there that I have known. I like to visit the local cemetery at my home town from time to time, since both my grandfather and great-grandmother are buried there. However, in this case, there is no close relative or friend of mine whose grave I was interested in visiting. In fact, I haven't even known them. It actually concerns twin girls who were born prematurely to a young lady of my church. She was only five months pregnant when there were sudden complications, and so she had to give birth. The little infants were alive, but they were not viable. Of course this brought a lot of grief into the family. Myself and some other people from church attended the funeral last April, which was very sad.

This is how the patch for the premature births looks 
like. Each child has this stone with a star on it. 

Some of the graves even bear a name

And some are even decorated with toys around

A visit to a cemetary is always interesting. For example, I saw a tomb of a woman who died a few years ago, at the age of 39. And this is what her mother wrote on that grave:

To my unique daughter
Pray for me that the Lord will help me
to overcome this grief of thirty nine years
Because by myself, I won't be able to do it
Know that the Lord will render you justice.
Your mommy who loves you so much

Well, if she meant that her daughter should pray for her, that sounds a bit weired to me. She is sleeping after all. Nevertheless, this text expresses a lot of pain and grief.

There was also a grave with a broken stone that nobody seemed to care about any longer. A man who died in 1944 was buried there - his wife followed in 1981. This made me think of my great grandmother, who was a widow even for longer than 37 years.

Of course it's always a time of grief and sadness if you loose a loved one, at whatever age. However, I think it's particularly tragic if somebody has to die who hasn't even had the chance to live! Well, the young mother of these twins will be able to raise them on the New Earth. There, she won't have any trouble disciplining them; she won't have any sleepless nights because of them - she will just be enjoying them! I think we have a great source of comfort here. I actually realized that I will have a sibling on the New Earth that I have never seen; as my mother also had a miscarriage in her life. Maybe it will be the sister that I had always wanted. This thought makes me smile indeed. What a wonderful hope we have!

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4

In Memoriam of Erich Höllein

This past Thursday, my grandfather would have turned 90. This had actually been one of his goals; as he loved life - especially after his retirement in 1986.

In the summer of 2008, when he was admitted to the hospital because of a quite aggressive and fast developing type of cancer, he said to the doctor: "I would like to live three more years!" They were discussing how they should proceed with treatments, but I'm so thankful that they never even had the opportunity to start chemotherapy on him. He went to his rest during the night of July 14 of 2008 - while I was waiting to board my plane at the airport in Denver, Colorado. I was volunteering at Eden Valley that summer, and a couple of days before, I was told that grandfather was dying. It was a traumatizing experience. I remember getting out of the train at the railway station in my home city. I had only expected my father to pick me up, but it turned out a whole delegation waiting for me, as my aunt and uncle were also present. Then my aunt shared the bad news with me. Well, I found comfort in the Lord. Maybe it was actually the best that could have happened (question is if he had recognized me at all if I had come a few hours earlier). At least he knew that I was on my way, and he was looking forward to seeing me. And he was also looking forward to the "new Heaven and the new Earth", as pointed out in Revelation 21. This made me think about resurrection morning; when the dead in Christ will wake up from their sleep. I will have to make sure to find him quickly then!

Grandfather was a believer, however he didn't talk much about it with others (indeed, this topic has always been kind of a taboo in my family). I remember at about age 19, when I was a baby Christian and didn't know anything about the Adventist church yet, I once spent a few days with my grandparents at their vacation appartment in the Black Forest. On Sunday, I wanted to go to the Lutheran church in this small village, and since grandfather was Lutheran, he would come with me (grandmother is Catholic, so she would attend her church in the meantime). I remember an interesting question the pastor asked the congregation that morning: "Would you like your sins to be forgiven?" It came as a surprise to me, because a Lutheran pastor wouldn't usually ask such questions to their flock (they would rather tell them: "All your sins are forgiven now" or something like that), so I was hesitant to give an answer - all the more Germans are not really used to interacting with the pastor or whoever is speaking up front at church. However, my grandfather affirmed loud and clearly: "Yes".

Anyway, the experience of losing him taught me a very important lesson, i. e. that we should never take things for granted. If you say good-bye to somebody close to you today (no matter who that person is or in what kind of health condition they are in), how can you know that you will ever see them again? When I came for a visit from the US in the summer of 2007, I had no clue that this would be the last opportunity to see my grandfather alive. When we departed, I was sure I would see him the following year when I would come visit again. Well, I did get to see him, but his body was cold, and he couldn't see me anymore.

The very last picture I took of both of my grandparents in the summer of 2007
during my last visit in Germany before grandfather got ill

Yesterday, grandmother turned 87. I'm so thankful how she has been able to cope after this loss. They had been married for 63 years after all, so in the beginning it must have been really difficult for her. Nevertheless, she is doing just great considering her age.

My grandfather's death was the second loss in my family that I experienced. In 1990, it was my great grandmother who went to sleep (also due to cancer). Another dear person I look forward to seeing again.

Indeed, the more people pass away whom I have appreciated, the more I look forward to Heaven. As difficult it may be to lose them for a time, the happier the reunion will be on that great day when we all meet again!

Now this hymn comes into my mind:

1. Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
   Sing His mercy and His grace;
   In the mansions bright and blessed
   He’ll prepare for us a place.
   • Refrain:
     When we all get to heaven,
     What a day of rejoicing that will be!
     When we all see Jesus,
     We’ll sing and shout the victory!
2. While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
   Clouds will overspread the sky;
   But when trav’ling days are over,
   Not a shadow, not a sigh.
3. Let us then be true and faithful,
   Trusting, serving every day;
   Just one glimpse of Him in glory
   Will the toils of life repay.
4. Onward to the prize before us!
   Soon His beauty we’ll behold;
   Soon the pearly gates will open;
   We shall tread the streets of gold.

Seven Years Abroad

Do you sometimes have thoughts like what happened in your life x years ago at this time? I have been reminiscing lately about the amazing ways the Lord has been leading me ever since I left my home country. This month, it is exactly seven years ago that I first came to Brussels, and of course this meant a big change in my life.

After I had finished my training in 2000, I was indeed ready for an adventure - I had no intentions to stay in my home city, but none of my endeavors to go to another country (like working for the German embassies, the GC headquarters, the Euro-Africa-Division...) were fruitful. So I happened to become a temporary staff at a research center of the European Commission located in my home city, and the Lord kept me there for 3 1/2 years. In 2003, I succeeded in a staff competition in Brussels. This is an achievement envied by many people, as it means being placed on a so-called "reserve list". One has to be on such a list to be able to apply for a permanent position at the EU. The problem was that they couldn't offer me such a post in Germany at this time, so this meant I had to apply for a job at headquarters. However, I had already established my life in my home town now: I had my first own apartment, I was active at my local church, etc. Now I didn't want to leave anymore. Yes, I still wanted to go abroad sometime, but definitely not to Belgium! I was devastated. I remember coming back from my job interviews in Brussels, realizing that this relocation was inevitable. I went to bed that night and I just cried. It was indeed a difficult time, but there were indications that the Lord was leading me to go to Brussels. Thus, I not only came to accept it, but I also started looking forward to this new era in my life.

Of course, every beginning is difficult. I remember passing through a snowstorm when I drove my car to Brussels, which I found a bit scary. For the first few months, I had a furnished place in a rather shabby area of town where lots of people from Turkey and North Africa live. I don't have very pleasant memories of this. The first two weeks were the most difficult for me. I remember one day getting lost again in one of these Commission buildings. I felt like crying, but then I asked myself: "Hey, what is the problem?" I think this was some kind of a turning point. I was somehow fully adapted after this short time, and I felt like having lived in this town for quite a while already.

Being a permanent official of the EU, I was now granted the privilege of taking an unpaid leave from my job. This opened the door for my long-cherished desire to get some medical missionary training in the US. So off I went there after I had worked in Brussels for a little over two years. The Lord couldn't have orchestrated it in a better way, since I'm the only Adventist in my family, and they would have certainly decleared me insane if I had completely given up my job in order to go the States. But I could tell them that I'm only taking a prolonged leave from my work and that the door was open to go back there.

And finally, I'm still amazed how the Lord worked out my comeback to Europe. When the time of my planned return drew closer, I started to get worried about my living situation there. It had worked out that a young couple from the church in Brussels took over the lease for my apartment, but there was no guarantee that they would move out again upon my return. But "coincidentally", they happened to move exactly around the time when I came back. They had taken over most of my furniture and they even left some of their own stuff for me, so I didn't need much to get re-established. If this hadn't worked out, it would have been so much more difficult to settle back.

To sum it up, I'm really grateful about how God took care of me during these seven years. It makes me think of the quote in Life Sketches, p. 196:

"We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history."

Indeed, what shall I fear for the future?

His Perfect Example

The week is over and I'm so glad it's time to rest again.

The training course I attended on Tuesday and Wednesday was very fruitful. It was on public speaking and given by a British lady who had a theater background. My primary motivation to follow this course was to improve my skills in this area, mainly for my medical missionary endeavors (and also for my work whenever necessary). We all had to give a 10 minute presentation in front of the group, and I chose the topic on sugar and its impact on the immune function. I had presented this before at Uchee Pines and even at my last cooking class, but after learning all the theory about public speaking, I was quite apprehensive. The teacher was very encouraging, as I honestly didn't think that my performance was "fantastic", but this is what she said. I also got positive feedback on the topic itself, as they were quite intrigued by it. The improvement suggestions were very useful, and I hope to be able to apply them in the future.

I went through chapter 7 of the Desire of Ages this evening and I'm really touched by it. Jesus gave us such a perfect example of a life fully consecrated to the Lord and to the people around Him - already during His childhood and youth:

As a child, Jesus manifested a peculiar loveliness of disposition. His willing hands were ever ready to serve others. He manifested a patience that nothing could disturb, and a truthfulness that would never sacrifice integrity. In principle firm as a rock, His life revealed the grace of unselfish courtesy.  {DA 68.3}  

Jesus was the fountain of healing mercy for the world; and through all those secluded years at Nazareth, His life flowed out in currents of sympathy and tenderness. The aged, the sorrowing, and the sin-burdened, the children at play in their innocent joy, the little creatures of the groves, the patient beasts of burden,--all were happier for His presence. He whose word of power upheld the worlds would stoop to relieve a wounded bird. There was nothing beneath His notice, nothing to which He disdained to minister.  {DA 74.1} 

Reading these quotes, I wish so much more to be a blessing to the people around me - at church, at work, or wherever else I get in touch with people who are sorrowful and sin-burdened. However, I tend to think that I'm still far away from Jesus' example. I can only pray that He may draw me closer to Him and mold me more into His image. But the key is that we draw closer to Jesus, and this is only possible by studying His Word, His life, and His character.

Every child may gain knowledge as Jesus did. As we try to become acquainted with our heavenly Father through His word, angels will draw near, our minds will be strengthened, our characters will be elevated and refined. We shall become more like our Saviour. And as we behold the beautiful and grand in nature, our affections go out after God. While the spirit is awed, the soul is invigorated by coming in contact with the Infinite through His works. Communion with God through prayer develops the mental and moral faculties, and the spiritual powers strengthen as we cultivate thoughts upon spiritual things.  {DA 70.4}  

May this be all our experience!

Patience

My job search is still keeping me in suspense. I only got another negative reply for one of the posts that were not on top of my list. The head of unit even called me to tell me that I had been their second choice out of 15, and he gave me a tip how to do things better next time. I found this very thoughtful of him. So in principle, things have been going according to the plan. However, I thought I would know by Friday whether I would get the post I'm interested in, but I was told that they had two more candidates to interview on Monday, and that they would call me back afterwards. So there is nothing I can do now but wait. I know that the Lord can make things happen. The One who can move a King's heart can also impress this man to hire me if this is where He wants me.

Interestingly, the pastor of the French speaking church preached about patience today. This motivated me to do a word study on this topic. The Bible clearly points out patience as one of God's characteristics (Romans 15:5, Revelation 3:10), but there are a lot of references on the importance of it in our lives. According to Romans 5:4 and James 1:3 patience is the fruit of our trials and tribulations, which was also true for Abraham, who obtained the promise after he had patiently endured (Hebrewes 6:14). It's a characteristic that we should definitely strive for (Colossians 1:11; 1 Timothy 6:11). But is this easy to accomplish nowadays? Well, I guess it has never been easy for human beings to be patient, but today we are living in a society where we can have everything immediately. There are fast-food chains, high-speed trains and airplanes, high-speed internet; and if we send out an e-mail to somebody we could get an instant response. However, the problem is that life doesn't give us always immediate answers. Sometimes we have to wait for just a little while, sometimes it may take longer. I don't know if I can say this at my relatively young age, but I guess that life is actually a chain of situations where we are in uncertainty of something, eagerly wait for a prayer to be answered or a desire to be fulfilled. Nevertheless, we have a God who loves us and who wants to come through to us in all these trials; and I'm sure He can reveal Himself to each of us in a special way if we only let Him.

Some of the French hymns really touch my heart, like the one we sung today. It doesn't sound nearly as good in English, but underneath is my feeble effort to translate it:

Trop souvent je murmure

Quand la route est obscure:

"Oh! Ma foi faiblira"

"Oh! Ma foi faiblira"

Et pourtant, la promesse

Est là pour ma faiblesse:

"L'Eternel pourvoira."

"L'Eternel pourvoira."

Si mon impatience

Demande avec instance

D'oú le secours viendra? 

D'oú le secours viendra?

Par ta parole sainte

Tu réponds à ma plainte:

"L'Eternel pourvoira."

"L'Eternel pourvoira."

"Too often I murmur, when the journey is dark. Oh, my faith gets weak. And yet, your promise is there for my weakness: The Almighty will provide, the Almighty will provide. If my impatience asks with pleading, where does my help come from? By your Holy Word you answer my groaning: The Almighty will provide, the Almighty will provide."

Faith and Power part 2

I wanted to add something to my previous post, a story in the Bible which I found rather impressive. It's found in 2 Chronicles 20, and it's the story of King Jehoshaphat. In this episode, the people of God find themselves in great distress, as they were facing a battle they didn't consider themselves strong enough to withstand.  


Notice first how the Lord encourages His children:

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle [is] not yours, but God's. (verse 15)

Ye shall not [need] to fight in this [battle]: set yourselves, stand ye [still], and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD [will be] with you. (verse 17) 

Indeed, He knows our frame! He is actually the One who is fighting for us in every battle with sin. Only by His strength we can gain victories.

Next, something very interesting is happening:

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with [his] face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.  And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high. (vs. 18-19)

They started praising the Lord even before they went into battle! The same way, we should not only ask the Lord for the victory, but at the same time we should thank and praise Him for it and claim it for ourselves!

See what followed in this story:

And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 

 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy [endureth] for ever. 

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. (vs. 20-22)

Singing and praising the Lord, they went into the battle, and He acted on their behalf! 

I found this a very powerful lesson. Never should we wait to claim the Lord's victory on our behalf until we are actually tempted. We can strengthen and increase our faith by not only asking, but claiming victories in advance - and then trust that the battle is indeed not ours, but the Lord's!

Faith and Power

I've been learning more about overcoming lately. Do we need to learn how to overcome as Christians? Most definitely. I'm not only talking about these besetting, habitual sins that are even prevalent amongst believers, and that we usually don't even dare to admit. What about undesirable traits of character, laziness, lack of diligence, being quick tempered, given to appetite, just to name a few?

Well, I found a program that works for all of them. I'm sure most of us have experienced that if we try to overcome anything by our own strength, we most certainly fail. It's only by the power of God that we can have victory. And this power comes through faith only. In Matthew 9:29, it clearly says: "According to your faith be it unto you". And according to Romans 10:17 faith comes through the hearing or reading of the word of God.

So abiding in the the Lord through His Word seems to be the key, because this is the only way for us to sustain our faith. But we also need to ask God for the victory and know that it is ours through faith in the promises found all over in the Bible.

I decided to commit the following verses to memory:

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:2-4)

Note that we can be actually partakers of the divine nature! And 1 John 3 clearly states that "whosoever abideth in him SINNETH NOT"!

Then it is essential, after asking, to thank God for giving us the victory and claim it in the name of Jesus. Our deliverance from whatever besets us is not in the future, it's available NOW! But as soldiers, we have to prepare for the battle by gathering faith through the Word on a daily basis. In Ephesians 6:16, in the context of the armour of God, it says: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

See how important our faith is? Without it, it is impossible to please God (Romans 11:6), and through faith, our forefathers "subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises,..." (Hebrews 11:33). Yes, all promises that we find in God's Word are also available to us today, including the ones pertaining to victory over sin. May this be your experience today and in the future!

This is a short summary of the concept. If you are interested, you may look it up in detail under www.faithpowerministries.com.

Thou will keep him in perfect peace

Originally, I was going to write on a different topic, but I changed my mind today. Although I'm not a preacher, I can relate to those servants of the Lord who have a tendency to mainly speak about things that personally concern them most at the moment.

I think nobody can claim that they have never been discouraged in life. After all, life is not always a bed of roses, and things may not always work out the way we would like them to. But how do we deal with those feelings?

Yes, I've found myself discouraged lately, and the main reasons were some situations at work that unsettled me. I thought "O Lord, why – why do I have to go through this? Why did I end up in this particular unit?" I don't want to go into details, but I believe I do have good reasons to be frustrated. However, should this take away my peace in any way?

Isaiah 26:3 says:

"Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

So should we focus our minds on the circumstances? No, definitely not. We need to be anchored in the Lord, and staying my mind on Him means dwelling in His Word and believing His promises. This is the only way we can build real faith in Him.

In one of the talks of Dr. Nedley, he would sing a little song about feelings. Googling it up, I got the complete quote and I found out that it's actually by Martin Luther:

"Feelings come and feelings go,
And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God--
Naught else is worth believing.

Though all my heart should feel condemned
For want of some sweet token,
There is One greater than my heart
Whose Word cannot be broken.

I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever,
For, though all things shall pass away,
HIS WORD SHALL STAND FOREVER!"

How encouraging! I'm so thankful for God's unchanging Word, and that He is actually the one who is in control of our circumstances as well as our feelings. Whenever you feel dismayed, keep looking up, for the Lord is the One in charge!

This Friday, I'll be headed to Germany for a ten days vacation. Of course I look forward to this break and to spending time with family and friends. Maybe I can take some nice pictures there, provided the spring will be coming back by then!

The year 2010 has just begun. What will it bring?

For me, 2009 was mainly a year of transitioning back to Europe: Going back to my work with the European Commission in Brussels, my current mission field. My heart is full of eager anticipation of the events to come in this year. There have been lots of changes on the political floor at the EU headquarters lately, and 2010 will be a year of transition for the European Commission, the administrative body of the EU. As for the Churches in Belgium in beyond, I can discern a “wake-up”, an increased awareness of the necessity to finish the work, but there is still so much to be done on this secularized continent, and the labor is always on the short side.

My 3-years stay in the US prepared me pretty well to face my old situation again, yet I don’t really feel adequate to serve the Lord in the capacity of a medical missionary in this challenging field. However, the statement of a brother I talked to during my Christmas visit at Uchee Pines Institute encouraged me a great deal. He considered it a good thing that I felt inadequate, “because if we feel adequate we wouldn’t depend on the Lord.” Amen to this. So I decided to accept the challenge to continue reaching out to my coworkers as well as my brothers and sisters in Brussels and beyond. I’m so thankful the Lord has planted me on this continent, and I’m grateful for the talents He has given me.

To me, the “spiritual climax” of 2009 was definitely the GYC convention in Louisville, Kentucky, which was held from December 30 through January 3. I felt greatly challenged by one of the first morning devotions, but it even became better towards the end. In fact, a great burden that I had felt was completely lifted after the Sabbath sermon by Mark Finley. I’m so grateful that I had spontaneously decided to sign up for GYC, as I had not originally planned on going there while visiting the States.

Until coming Sunday, I’m going to enjoy wintery Colorado with dear friends at Eden Valley, where I spent the summer of 2008 as a volunteer. It's rather cold and dreary today, but it's supposed to get better towards the weekend. It doesn't diminish my joy of being here as a visitor anyway!

I hope to be able to upload some pictures soon. May God richly bless you in this year 2010 - wherever the Lord has planted you!