I want to give you a Pentecost experience - well, sort of. Travel with me around the globe and hear God's people praising! We have different nationalities, different looks, different styles and different languages, but we are one in the Spirit!
Now let's go to South America. Salvador
If you are still with me, let’s go to Africa and I'm sure you will fall in love with Sonnie Opute from
If instrumental jazz on the piano is more your kind of music – sit back and listen to this. We all know that many black people love Jesus with heart and soul. Listen to this man who sings for Jesus (and for his mother). And although the next song is played in an Opera House by Anthony Walker, it is not opera music but a smooth jazz rendition of Mary Mary's I Just Want To Praise You! (Shackles - just ignore the first beep and the test screen, it will get better...)
We started with Hillsong in
And last - hopefully not least - do you like to hear two contributions from my little country? This is a country trail band, singing in a traditional Dutch reformed church (My Jesus, I love You, I Call You My Friend!) and these Dutch brothers and sisters from Bethel Free Baptist Church are Friends of God too. Imagine what it will be like when we are all singing God's praises in Heaven! Blessed Pentecost to you all!
PS And let me know if there's some music video I really must add to this global praise selection!
“So many people are searching for truth and integrity. Jesus never told us that our doctrines are the truth. He did say, ' I am the truth.' And he said more than that, because he said, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.'
Now you and I, together with all other followers of Jesus, can become a mighty army for God’s Kingdom. An army consisting of people that want to follow and serve their Lord wherever he leads. That army consists of different legions and these legions are not exchanging friendly fire, but they are fighting the enemy side by side. That army is not wasting energy and fire power to convince its own troops, but all soldiers give everything they have in order to gain territory for the Master and his Kingdom. This will be a conquering army, because its power comes from Jesus’ victory on the cross.”
Quote taken from Volg jij Mij (You follow Me) - a challenging book written by Dutch author Hans van der Lee. I published this book in Dutch, but how can I share these inspirational thoughts with you if you can't understand my funny language? Well, either you all start learning Dutch, or I translate some thought-provoking words for you, which I did now. To return the favour, you can pray this prayer for Pentecost with me - all around the world!
Thank you for Pentecost, Lord Jesus. Please give us more from your Spirit, reunite us and help us to understand each other's hearts and languages, so that we can stand together as your unbeatable light force. Amen
Every God-begotten person conquers the world's ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:4 - The Message)
Have a look at Johan Huibers' official website. This fellow Dutchman is building a replica of Noah's arc and with this extraordinary project he is getting media attention from around the world. For example, check out the video clip that was broadcasted on Russian state TV!
A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present “Seven Wonders of the World.” Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes: Egypt’s Great Pyramids, Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon, Panama Canal, Empire State Building, St. Peter’s Basilica and China’s Great Wall.
While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many.”
The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.”
The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ are: to see, to hear, to touch, to taste, to feel, to laugh and to love.”
"The things that are most precious to us are the things that are invisible - love, tenderness, happiness, air, feelings, emotions - those things we cannot touch, but they are very real."
Max Lucado
“The West is like Judas Iscariot, who ate with Yesu, only to later deny him. The West ought to fear the fate of Judas, lest it hang itself on the tree of learning. You have so many privileges. We in the East have to give up many things when we become Christians. For you, it is not so. Therefore be careful that you don't lose your only possibility for eternal happiness. I am reminded of the hunter who was pursued by a tiger. He had no fear because his hut was nearby and he was sure that he had the key in his pocket. On reaching it, however, the key was gone, and although there was only the thickness of the door between him and safety, he was lost.”
“Once when I was in the Himalayas, I was sitting upon the bank of a river; I drew out of the water a beautiful, hard, round stone and smashed it. The inside was quite dry. The stone had been lying a long time in the water, but the water had not penetrated the stone. It is just like that with the "Christian" people of the West. They have for centuries been surrounded by Christianity, entirely steeped in its blessings, but the Master's truth has not penetrated them. Christianity is not at fault; the reason lies rather in the hardness of their hearts. Materialism and intellectualism have made their hearts hard. So I am not surprised that many people in the West do not understand what Christianity really is.”
Sadhu Sundar Singh (1889-1929)
“Sadhu Sundar Singh's dramatic encounter with the living Christ, his refusal to clothe his faith with western trappings, and his absolute devotion to the way of Jesus make for compelling reading.”
Richard J. Foster, author, Celebration of Discipline
You can download a free e-book with some of Sadhu Sundar Singh's writings here! (PDF) I highly recommend this book (even published the Dutch edition myself...)
Dutchman Johan Huibers is building a working replica of Noah's Ark as a testament to his Christian faith. The 47-year-old from Schagen, 45km (30 miles) north of Amsterdam, plans to set sail in September through the interior waters of the Netherlands.
Johan's Ark is a fifth of the size of Noah's and will carry farmyard animals. Mr Huibers, who plans to open the vessel as a religious monument and zoo, hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands. Source
"These religious people were so blinded by their false pride and so deafened by their ignorance, that they wouldn’t recognize an eye or ear doctor if he was standing right in front of them..."
I couldn't help myself. I noticed this strange combination of audio and video clips on the website of the Dutch TV News informing us about the escaped gorilla Bokito (see yesterday's blog entry) and the resignation of World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz. Maybe you can see a connection between these news stories? Please let me know!
This big male gorilla called Bokito escaped today in Rotterdam's Zoo Blijdorp... Several people were wounded, one woman was dragged away and bitten by this big animal - according to news reports she is severely wounded. The gorilla has been captured again. Brrr - I'm happy we didn't visit this zoo today! Dutch TV
A woman protecting her child in the restaurant of Rotterdam's Zoo Blijdorp. Both visitors and Bokito were panicking. Bokito also escaped from Berlin zoo in 2004, when he climbed over a three-metre glass wall. He was moved to Rotterdam in 2005. Some other gorilla's (one male, two females) were recently transported to Shanghai Zoo. Just my guess, but could it be that Bokito is angry about this?
Latest video (Including some footage of Bokito's earlier escape in Berlin's Zoo)
Would your arms be open or would you walk away?
Or would the love of Jesus be enough to make you stay?
Is there anyone that fails, is there anyone that falls, am I the only one in church today feeling so small? Cause when I take a look around everybody seems so strong. I know they'll soon discover that I don't belong. So I tuck it all away like everything's OK. If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too. So with the painted on grin, I play the part again, so everyone will see me the way that I see them.
Are we happy plastic people under shiny plastic steeples with walls around our weakness and smiles to hide our pain? But if the invitation's open to every heart that has been broken maybe then we'll close the curtain on this Stain Glass Masquerade.
Is there anyone who's been there? Are there any hands to raise? Am I the only one who's traded in the alter for a stage? The performance is convincing. We know every line by heart. It's only when no one is watching can we really fall apart. But would it set me free if I dare to let you see the truth behind this person that you imagined me to be? Would your arms be open or would you walk away? Or would the love of Jesus be enough to make you stay?
Are we happy plastic people under shiny plastic steeples with walls around our weakness and smiles to hide our pain? But if the invitation's open to every heart that has been broken, maybe then we'll close the curtain on this Stained Glass Masquerade!
Lyrics and music by Casting Crowns
Defenitely a site to add to your bookmarks: Art and the Bible (Carol brought this to my attention). This site is a great source if you want to know more about biblical themes in art. Being a Dutchman, I had to select a piece of art from our famous master painter Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, of course. This is an etching depicting The Good Samaritan at the Inn. By the way, I have no idea what the doggie is doing there...
Please take some time to read this Letter to the Global Church from The Protestant Church of Smyrna (PDF).
It is a long message, but I do urge you to read it and I also ask you to pray for our brothers and sisters in Turkey.
In an act that hit front pages in the largest newspapers in Turkey, Susanne Geske in a television interview expressed her forgiveness. She did not want revenge, she told reporters. “Oh God, forgive them for they know not what they do,” she said, wholeheartedly agreeing with the words of Christ on Calvary (Luke 23:34).
In a country where blood-for-blood revenge is as normal as breathing, many, many reports have come to the attention of the church of how this comment of Susanne Geske has changed lives. One columnist wrote of her comment, “She said in one sentence what 1000 missionaries in 1000 years could never do.”
To the Church in Smyrna (= Izmir)
Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. Revelations 2:10
Please visit the website of the Protestant Church of Izmir, Turkey.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. John 8:6-8
If LeAnn Rimes' country voice is too sweet for your liking, you can also listen to Aerosmith's good ol' rocker Steven Tyler singing this same hymn in church with Juliaette Hamilton (Dude Sings With a Lady) - just click here.
Amazing Grace that saved a wretch like me... so true! And what about Chris Tomlin's version of Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)? Click here. Tell me: which version do you prefer?
Yes! I just received a reply from Jason Kefalas from the website Patmos Island!
Thanks for taking time to send me this email, Jason, it's great to hear from you and I really appreciate your help - please also read my first comment on this entry...
This is Jason's message from Patmos today - not a new revelation but an interesting read nonetheless,
Hi Paul,
sorry for the delay, things are picking up here for the tourist season and I have been thinking about this email and trying to see where to start from.
I would have to start from Patmos has become a tourist destination, tens of thousands of pilgrims show up with the cruise boats and visit the monastery of St. John and the cave of the Apocalypse, all in high speed, not having enough time to absorb our island.
Our island is dry, there is not enough water to go around so we import water from neighbouring islands, it has been dry as long as history can tell, its dry and rugged terrain is one of the reasons Patmos was a place of exile hence the arrival of St. John.
As for Christianity, all the locals are Greek Orthodox, things get very holy around Easter time but lost during the summer were locals work hard to gather as much money as they can to cover there expenses over the long winter, busy season is July and August for all the island, although some people are busy already.
To speak about the island of the Apocalypse would be like talking about The Book of Revelations, its very personal, you can read it a hundred times and have a different feeling at the end, different people either theologians or professors from around the globe come up with there own theory about what St.John wrote about, the truth is that St.John didn’t write a word, his student Prohoros wrote The Book of Revelations, St. John was in a daze and tried to explain as much as possible of his vision.
I could go on and on, but one things for sure the Apocalypse has a different meaning for every reader and so does the island it was written on. The only way to see what it means to you, is come and read it on the island it was written and see for yourself.
Jason Kefalas
Please click on this link to read all about my quest for information about the Greek island of Patmos!
Yesterday we visited the Batavia Yard in Lelystad to see some great examples of historical shipbuilding (replicas). 
If you want to see live images from a White-tailed Eagle's nest with one young bird (Sea Eagle or Zeearend in Dutch, belonging to the family of Bald Eagles), just click here. The Dutch national forestry, who owns the reserve Oostvaardersplassen, has put up a webcam that allows the nesting eagles to be followed. Sometimes you can't see any images due to too many web visitors - don't give up if that's the case, just try again! Not when it is night here in the Netherlands, of course ;-)
"On May 22, 2006 it was announced that a pair of White-tailed Eagles was breeding in a nature reserve Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands. They arrived naturally, not as a reintroduction. This is the first time the bird has bred in the Netherlands in modern times. Early in 2007 the eagles returned to their nest." (Wikipedia)
Yesterday I went to Oostvaardersplassen with my colleagues from Ark Boeken Publishing House (our yearly day out / fun day for team building). On this blog and on my photo blog I will upload some pics soon. Stay tuned!
Yes! We have 6 new little baby swans in our street and - looking at the eggs in the swan's nest, still 2 ducklings to go! The other couple of water birds (moorhens) have left their nest now and moved on to another location. It looks like the two swans didn't accept their presence so near their own nest... (see this earlier posting)
Click pics to enlarge
I came across this interesting website from the Orthodox Research Institute. In the first comment on this entry (see below) you can read the text of my email to this organisation. Now... let's wait and see if I can get an answer from them! In the meantime, feel free to let me know what you think of this next stage of my world-wide virtual island hopping tour. By the way, I could use some help with this quest. Please join me in trying to get in touch with people who live on Patmos or who have been there as a tourist. I haven't received any replies from this island yet, so your help with this will be highly appreciated!
Please click on the labels Patmos or Virtual Island Hopping to read all related posts.
You were stunning the crowd with your surprise appearance and public proclamation on the Feast of Tabernacles, and you picked the perfect moment to make your announcement in a loud voice at the summit of this feast. I just love that! (Read more here.)
Today Robin played the electric guitar in the band of our youth church X-Pact. It was his debut and he did really well!
The flash light of my little camera wasn't strong enough, but as a proud father I still like to share this with all of you, of course...
Cori is writing about a subject that - as she rightly puts it - is a hell of a topic. Yes, the issue at hand is eternal damnation and the existence of hell. I just want to share my thoughts with you and would like to have your take on this.
In the first part of my comment (see below) I am referring to Cori's thought-provoking words about the 'living Word'. Cori writes, "We speak of the Bible as the 'living Word' and then very quickly kill it. We make it as quiet and uncontroversial as possible. We tame it and put it in a box. We make it simplistic, black-and-white, absolutist, clear-cut, unemotional, rational, cold. If it were really to be alive, it would be scary and complicated and emotional and irrational and difficult and demand from us real, authentic, often painful, costly engagement. But that's far too messy for the most of us." (It's easy to see why I tagged Cori for the Thinking Blogger Award!)
These are my thoughts on this difficult topic:
Paul says in 2 Cor 3:6, "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
And this is what Jesus says, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." (John 5:39,40)
Jesus is the Living Word. He didn't write his words down - other people did that. When Jesus spoke, the truth was spoken as if it was carved in stone. And people did recognize his authority immediately and his words still speak to our hearts!
The message of the cross is that Jesus went through hell and back to save us from God's judgement. He took our place. It seems to me that Jesus was very outspoken about hell - he talked about it a lot. 
Of course I know that he was often referring to Gehenna (the name derived from a burning garbage dump near Jerusalem, the valley of Hinnom, see pic), but I do believe that there is a place of eternal separation from God. God doesn't want us to end up there (John 3:16), or like Peter said, "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
I hate the idea of hell and I can't understand why it has to exist. It is the hardest topic you can discuss. But I can't reason hell away because I have a personal problem with it or because I just don't like to accept its existence...
I do feel that it is good to know that God will be the perfect, righteous Judge of all people and I can't be more loving or more righteous than God - so I trust that He will make no mistakes!
God is just, and Christ only judges people based on the knowledge for which they are responsible. All who die rejecting Jesus are separated from God forever. Everyone that God saves goes to heaven through Jesus. That's what I believe and that's what the Bible teaches - as far as I can understand it.
It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. (Ephesians 2:1-6 from The Message)
Sorry that it took me so long, but I still have to tag 5 blogger friends for the Thinking Blogger Award that I received some time ago from Carolanne for this blog and from Vicki for my devotional Reflections blog.
Okey, here goes. Hope I am not disappointing anyone... I want to tag these 5 bloggers: Katrín from Iceland; Cori from South Africa; Matthijs and Marc from the Netherlands and - last but not least - I want to encourage my daughter Sosha with this award.
I think Katrín is doing a great job in sharing her faith and she is constantly giving us opportunities to totally agree with her: yes indeed, Life is Beautiful! Cori's blog is worth checking out too. She shares her thoughts about life and faith and I appreciate her respectful approach to people with different views - like her man Kevin who blogs about his journey through life as an ex-Christian. (He certainly deserves this award too, but I let Cori be the judge of that). Matthijs and Marc are innovators, urban missionaries and church planting pioneers; both of them represent the 'church outside the box', or organic / emerging church movement in the Netherlands. Matthijs writes in the heavenly language (Dutch - of course); Marc is truly international in his approach and blogs in down-to-earth English so that the rest of the world can join the discussion too. Sosha deserves the thinking blogger award because she is the only 13 year old Dutch girl I know of that writes so eloquently in a foreign language. She's not ashamed of sharing her pure faith and she is showing what she's got - and that's a lot. (I have to give Vicki some credit too, because it was her idea to nominate Sosha).
The rules for participating in the Thinking Blogger award are these:
And friends, please don't forget to read my other recent postings, because - being a thinking blogger - I did put a lot of thought and effort into them and I do want to share my experiences with you!Should you choose to participate, please make sure you pass this list of rules to the blogs you are tagging.
The participation rules are simple:
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn’t fit your blog).Please remember to tag blogs with real merits, i.e. relative content, and above all - blogs that really get you thinking. Keep in mind that each blog can only be nominated once.
May 4 and it is still dry and sunny in the Netherlands. We haven't had rain since March 22. We are all enjoying the beautiful weather right now and they do expect some rain next week, but with average temperatures 5 degrees Celsius higher than normal during this time of the year, it looks like we are already facing some signs of the Inconvenient Truth. What do you think? (Prayers for rain in Italy)
"Global warming has increased the probability of an extremely warm April as the one we observed in 2007. However, on top of this it still was a highly unlikely event, with an estimated return time of more than 200 years. The record warm, dry and sunny weather was caused by a persistent high pressure system over our part of Europe." Source
The small island of Patmos, rocky and barren, is the site of the famed Monastery of St. John the Theologian, high above the modern port of Skala. Most of the islands' approximately 2,500 people live in three villages: Skala, Medieval Chora, and the small rural settlement of Kambos. Skala, the island's main port, is its commercial center and the location now of almost all the hotels and restaurants. Its also a popular port of call for cruise ship, and, in the summer, huge liners often loom over the town for several hours everyday. There is not much to see in the town, but strict building codes have been enforced and even new buildings have traditional architectural detail.
If you are physically able, I strongly recommend taking the long hike to the top of Patmos to discover St. John's Grotto and Monastery. The Grotto is where God spoke to St. John. The story has it that the three cracks in the ground represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A priest is located inside the Grotto to over see the building. Please know that pictures are not allowed in the church.
Further up the hill is St. John's Monastery. Here is where you'll find a small yet very ornate church. As you walk in, the front wall is comprised of 24 karat gold. Frescoes adorn the walls dating back to the late 11th century. Many have been restored, but some as far back as the 18th and 19th centuries are still the originals. Source
Click on the labels "Patmos" or "Virtual Island Hopping" below this entry to see all related posts!
Caroll L. Douglas wrote an interesting comment on my first Patmos post - check it out!
I just found out that the historic centre of the town Chorá on Patmos with the Monastery of Saint John "the Theologian" and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Patmos are inscribed on Unesco's World Heritage List.
The small island of Patmos in the Dodecanese is reputed to be where St John the Theologian wrote both his Gospel and the Apocalypse. A monastery dedicated to the 'beloved disciple' was founded there in the late 10th century and it has been a place of pilgrimage and Greek Orthodox learning ever since. The fine monastic complex dominates the island. The old settlement of Chorá, associated with it, contains many religious and secular buildings. (Read more here)
MONASTERY OF SAINT JOHN
The fortified Monastery of St. John the Divine towers majestically, both physically and spiritually, over the whole island. It stands on a hilltop opposite the port of Skala, clasped tightly by the brilliant white medieval town of Chora. Source
The bible is the worlds' best selling book. All reading enthusiasts know of the Book of Revelations, but not everyone is aware that it was written on Patmos or why a book about so much destruction was written in a place so beautiful and peaceful.
Saint John the Divine (also known as the beloved disciple of Jesus) was sent here in exile, Patmos in those days was a place for criminals because it was so inaccessible.
This is what I just read on this site about Patmos. This is the official site from Patmos - and I am still trying to find a church or Christian community on this famous island that I can get in touch with via email.
Let's see if we can get an answer to these general questions...
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