Marja Verschoor-Meijers's Blog

Who doesn't know the final words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in Ephesus?

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-11).

I must have read that a thousand times and maybe even more now that the world is in such a mess. I read it to remind myself over and over again that people are not my real enemy, the devil is. 

The battle is real

The Bible ma...

Don't you love it when you receive wise words from someone? From a parent, grandparent, or (spiritual) teacher, perhaps.

I love words of wisdom, advice, a challenge, or a warning from someone who has more experience in a certain area of life than I do. It can be about writing, finances, cooking and baking, or ministry. Anything really.

I often find myself saying: "How come I did not know this?" or 'If only I had known this..." Anyway, I am sure you've been there.

Next generation

The Bible reveals ho...

Every Tuesday morning at 6:30 a.m., I join an AG (Assemblies of God Netherlands) Zoom prayer meeting. Each week, someone opens with a short reflection, and then we pray together.

Last Tuesday, it was my turn to give a short devotion. I did so based on the words in 1 Peter 5:7-11 (NLT).

Verse 7 is a familiar one: Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Stay alert!

A lovely and encouraging text. Amen. Done, we might say, and we stop right there. But, of course, verse 7 is follo...

Have you ever tasted Turkish Delight? It is a sweet based on a gel of starch and sugar. Traditional varieties are often flavored with rosewater, mastic gum, bergamot orange, or lemon.
The word 'delight' refers to great or even extreme pleasure and satisfaction. Nowadays, we have ice cream, desserts, and even shampoos carrying the word 'delight' in their name.
Delight is also a word often mentioned in the Bible. Most people are probably familiar with the words in Psalm 37:4, Take delight in the Lor...

The church is at a crucial point in history.

I don't think it has ever been more significant who we are, what we stand for, and what we allow God to do through us.

The kingdoms of this world are falling, economies are crumbling, people are fretting and worrying, and truth has become harder to discern.

That's the dark side of the coin. Not a pretty picture.

A new church rising up

The other side, the brighter and beautiful side, is that amidst the chaos in this world, we can see a new church rising up....

Have you ever felt physically exhausted? Maybe it was after a long and strenuous hike or a day of hard work in the garden.

A relaxing evening and getting a good night's rest after such a day takes care of the tiredness we feel.

It is possible to wake up the next day, ready to go at it again with enthusiasm and renewed strength.

We can recover from physical tiredness as well as illness, given enough time. It is a different story when we suffer spiritually. Different and difficult.

The human spirit

In ...

"NYT' amends Gaza starvation story..."
Too late (again), the damage is done. What is journalism if you have to make amendments all the time?
Wouldn't it be better to be quick to listen and slow to speak?

Publishing propaganda as facts is, I am sad to say, a common practice nowadays. If that’s not bad enough as it is, the majority of people believe the narrative they read in newspapers and see on TV.

Global narrative

I asked AI the other day to define ‘global narrative’ and this is what came up on my ...

Do you ever read memoirs or (auto)biographies? No, I am not talking about the ones written by celebrities and businesspeople.
I am referring to books written by revival preachers and missionaries, individuals who gave up everything to follow their God-given calling.
Their adventures are stories of compelling courage and self-sacrifice. Most of all, their stories are testimonies about a God who calls people to do the works He has prepared in advance. While reading, you might even discover His plan ...

Every Christian has a ministry, a service for which they are called.

Yes, I truly believe so. The essence of Christianity is that we share what we have received. No one keeps the blessing for himself if all is well.

The essence of Christianity is rooted in giving, in sharing. God GAVE His very own Son to save the world. He GAVE us everything we need to live our lives.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him...

Wars and rumors of war... we live in a tumultuous world, don't you think?
Sometimes I wonder whether people have nothing better to do than kill each other. But then again, as far as I know, there has never been a time without war. Waging war is in our blood.

Maybe we don't fight on a nationwide scale, but surely within our families, workplaces, and even churches, we experience unrest and strive.

Not an easy task

This should not be so. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:17-18, Never pay back evil wi...