We glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience, and experience, hope – Romans 5:3-4
When we are suffering physically or passing through a time of great trial, it doesn’t seem possible that any good could ever come out of it. Yet Paul says we glory in tribulations; and the reason we do is that, though at the time we cannot see it, something good is going to come out of the trial. The suffering itself is not good but the patience, the experience, the hope that spring from it is very good. When we face trials that are outside of our control, we are made to learn the lesson of patience. Whether we want to or not, we have to wait. We don’t get what we want immediately. But so often, when the trial is finally lifted, we are able to see how God has used even this difficulty to shape our lives, and the lives of others perhaps, in ways that we could never have imagined. Thus, trials give us experience of God’s wisdom and faithfulness. In the time of suffering we come to place great value on the promises of God. We may know the promises by memory, but they are never so full of meaning as when we claim them in our darkest hours and deepest struggles. The patience and experience we have gained from past deliverances gives us hope to trust in the Lord and in His promises. Good has come from our trials because we now have a greater sense our weakness and God’s strength. We have been drawn to a closer walk with Him, and His promises are not just words but a reality in our life. So with Paul we “glory in tribulations.” Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" - Genesis 3:1
God is big on giving man freedom and boundaries--freedom to manage what He has entrusted to us, boundaries to protect us from evil. The boundaries in the Garden of Eden were not set for the purpose of limiting Adam. Man got into trouble when he questioned those boundaries. God had provided everything he would need for life. He also entrusted man with responsibility to manage and work the Garden. God gave him freedom in that responsibility. God knows we were made to express ourselves creatively through our work. Each of us must have freedom and boundaries in our work life. Whenever you are hired for a job, you must have the freedom to make certain decisions. You must have the authority to manage things within your area of expertise. You must also have limits within your area of responsibility. You need to know where those limits are and stay within them. Both freedom and boundaries are always under the umbrella of God's authority and our authorities at work. Jesus understood these boundaries. When He was tempted for 40 days by the devil after being baptized, He was challenged by satan to go outside His freedom and boundaries. (See Matthew 4:1-11.) Satan said that He had the power to turn a stone into bread. Jesus was hungry and easily could have justified using His power to feed Himself. However, Jesus understood He could do nothing outside the boundaries of God's will for His life. It was God's will for Jesus to be tempted and to withstand the temptation. God was showing His Son that "man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Mt. 4:4b). You and I are tempted every day to go beyond our God-ordained boundaries. Whether it is solving financial problems that have arisen through debt, making wrong decisions due to pressure, or manipulating someone in order to achieve our ends, it all represents rebellion toward God. Ask God to show you His freedom and boundaries for your life. These are meant to enhance your life, not hinder it. All 22 of us were standing in the shop and listening to our guide explain the unique nature of the porcelain works we were visiting. Made from a special mineral-content clay taken from nearby Turkish hills, some of the beautiful work was on display around us. All of us were interested in the process.
He began by explaining the work of the master craftsman whose wheel was turning. A skilled artisan would take the clay and mold it under the steady pressure of his trained hands. Then, when the piece was in the form the master desired, it would be placed in a kiln heated to some 1,200 to 1,400 degrees Celsius. The delicate-looking plate, vase, or bowl would be left in that extreme heat for 14 hours, then allowed to cool for ten. In the transforming heat of the kiln, the clay forms glass and metal particles that interlock to form fine porcelain that has high mechanical strength and hardness. Henceforth, it is both resistant to thermal shock and penetration by chemicals that would weaken or discolor it. Finally, the translucent piece will be colored by an artist and glazed for the sake of brilliant and lasting color. Fascinating as the narration had been to someone who knew nothing of the process, the part of his account that impressed me the most was yet to come. Reaching for a large bowl, the narrator asked, "Does anyone know how to distinguish high-quality porcelain from its inferior cousins?" I certainly did not and looked around only to see similar blank looks on the other 21 faces in our group. He smiled, balanced the bowl with the fingers and thumb of his left hand, and lifted it for all of us to see. "Please," he said. "Listen!" With that, he thumped the lip of the translucent piece with the forefinger of his right hand. A distinct and resonant ring came from it and wafted over his audience -- a sound almost as beautiful as the sight of the piece he had lifted for us to admire. "Now," he continued, "listen to the sound from this piece that is flawed." Lifting a piece with his left hand that looked identical to the first, he thumped it with his right forefinger. And the sound reminded me of one I used to hear as a child when I threw rocks onto the rusty tin roof of my neighbor's barn. Grating. Harsh.. Anything but beautiful. How like human character! All of us are being formed by life's experiences and our practiced responses. Through the pleasant and unpleasant days, we are formed. Then the crisis moments put us into the fire. And we emerge - refined and matured, or embittered and brittle. "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow" (James 1:2-3 NLT). If life gives you a thumping this week, pray that your heart will ring true. Wanneer God jou na 'n afgrond lei,
Vertrou Hom ten volle dan sal net een van 2 dinge gebeur, of Hy sal jou vang wanneer jy val, of Hy sal jou leer om te vlieg!' Dis die krag van hierdie een sinnetjie! God gaan dinge vir jou vandag rondskuif sodat dinge vir jou kan uitwerk in jou guns. God maak deure toe wat geen mens op aarde oop kan maak nie & God maak deure oop wat geen mens op aarde kan toe maak nie. A while back Steve and I went to the Middle East ministering with others, to faithful workers of the Gospel. We fell in love with our fellow brothers and sisters over there and believe that our lives have been forever changed in a positive way.
On this trip Dr. David Ferguson was one of the teachers. What he spoke about can be a lesson for us all, especially in our marriages. So, for this Marriage Message we'll be summarizing a portion of what he taught. David talked about common hinderances to presenting the gospel. He said, "We may be living out the only gospel message some people will ever witness." That's one reason why we need to communicate the gospel not only with our words, but also with our actions so they don't overshadow what the Lord is saying to those He brings our way. It tells us in the Bible in 1 John 3:16, "We know love by this --that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." Relating to this scripture, Dr. Ferguson pointed out that: "We need to both SHARE the gospel and LIVE the gospel. The Bible is both a TRUTHFUL GOSPEL, which points out, 'He laid down His life for us,' and a RELATIONAL GOSPEL, which says, 'and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.'" Too often our words to others are overshadowed by the contradictions they see in how we live our lives together. They sometimes look at us and think, "Why should I listen to a word he or she says to me about the love Christ has for me and wants me to have for others when I look at how they treat each other, and see just the opposite? Why would I pay attention to what they are saying? It seems pretty hypocritical to me!" As Dr. Ferguson says, "The relational testimony of my life will either CONFIRM the truthfulness of the gospel or it will DISTRACT from the truthfulness of the Gospel." People need to see that I'm willing to lay down my own agenda for the sake of the gospel --to deny my own willful ways of doing things and give of myself on behalf of the "brethren" --whether outside of my home, and especially inside of my home with my spouse and family. It's not that we are to let our spouse victimize us or that we enable their sinful ways to continue, but we're to live out the ways of Christ in such a way that the words of the Bible ring true, "they will know us because of the love we show towards one another." And it's not that we have to "act" as performers so people will be more willing to listen to the gospel --but we live our lives in such a genuine way that it shows that what we say we TRULY believe. There's truth in our actions, as well as what we say. It's of little use to live our lives one way in front of open doors and another way behind closed doors. Eventually that which is done in darkness is revealed in the Light of Christ. And at that point it can have a serious impact on the testimony of the Lord. Being a follower of Christ is about living Christ's ways whether we have a human "audience" or not. But we need to be aware of the fact that there is always a spiritual audience. It's tragic to think how we "entertain" the enemy of our faith and cause evil to rejoice as we hurt each other with our words and/or our actions. What's even worse is to know that because God always sees us, we grieve His heart as HE watches us hurt each other! We hope that whether your spouse treats you as he or she should, or not, you'll ask God to help you stay true to what you know the Lord would want of you. The question is always, "What would Jesus do in this situation?" It will help you to live out the Gospel Message. As one pastor wrote, "There are two reasons people don't become Christians: (1) They've never met a Christian... (2) They have." We hope you'll prayerfully consider this message and if you realize that you have not be LIVING the Gospel Message that you'll ask forgiveness for this inconsistency and will do what it takes to line your life up with the message of Christ. As we are told in God's Word: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3) "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and my ministry, which I received from the Lord Jesus Christ, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24) Please know that our love and prayers are with you as together we strive to make our marriages the best they can be so they Reveal and Reflect the Heart of Christ to the glory of God! Cindy and Steve Wright Die dood, begrafnis en opstanding van Jesus het 29 Ou-Testamentiese profesieë vervul. Die kans dat dit per toeval gebeur, is amper onmoontlik. Die wiskundige, Peter Stoner, verduidelik dit so: "As jy die hele staat van Texas se oppervlak 70 cm diep bedek met pond-muntstukke, en jy maak 'n merk op een, wat is die moontlikheid dat 'n persoon wat geblinddoek is daardie muntstuk met sy eerste poging sal kies? Dis die ekwivalent van die moontlikheid dat net agt profesieë in een leeftyd vervul word. Jesus het 29 in een dag vervul!" Hier is 'n paar van die profesieë: 1) "... hulle bind my hande en voete vas." (Ps 22:17 NV). 2) "Hulle verdeel my klere onder mekaar en trek lootjies..." (Ps 22:19 NV). 3) "Daardie dag... laat Ek die son helder oordag ondergaan, maak Ek dit donker op aarde terwyl dit nog ligdag is..." (Amos 8:9 NV). Jesus het Sy dood en Sy opstanding voorspel: "Jesus het hulle geantwoord: 'Breek hierdie tempel af en in drie dae sal Ek hom oprig.' ... Met 'hierdie tempel' het Hy egter Sy liggaam bedoel." (Joh. 2:19-21 NV). Jesus was in beheer van elke gebeurtenis. Hoekom? "... sodat die geskrifte van die profete vervul kan word." (Matt 26:56 NV). Jy kan dus jou Bybel vertrou, want wat daarin staan is waar. God is in staat "om oneindig meer te doen as wat ons bid of dink..." (Ef. 3:20 NV). Let op die woorde "oneindig meer". Wat vir jou onmoontlik lyk, is moontlik vir die Here.
Sielekos: 2 Kron. 5-7; Luk 14:25-35; Ps 119:81-88; Spr. 21:17-19 Deel 1
Skape raak gewoond aan hul herder se stem, en leer om hom te vertrou vir alles wat hulle nodig het. Hoe kan jy gewoond raak aan God se stem? Hier is 'n paar idees: 1) Gee vir God jou gedagtes as jy wakker word. Gee vir God die eerste sekondes van jou dag as jou kop nog op jou kussing rus en jou oë nog toe is. Sê dankie vir die nag se rus en sê: "Vandag behoort ek aan U." CS Lewis het geskryf: "Die oomblik wat jy wakker word, bestorm al jou wense en hoop vir die dag jou soos wilde diere, en jou eerste taak vir die dag is om teen hulle te stry. Jy moet luister na die ander, groter, sterker, stiller kant van jouself." 2) Gee vir God jou gedagtes as jy besig is om te wag. Ou getroudes het al die waarde van 'n gemeenskaplike stilte leer ken. Hulle hoef nie aanhoudend te gesels nie. Probeer om stil te wees saam met God. "Wees stil en weet Ek is God!" (Psalms 46:11 NLV). Dit gee jou die geleentheid om bewus te wees van God se nabyheid. "Ek bid dat hulle almal een mag wees, net soos U, Vader, in My is en Ek in U, dat hulle ook in Ons mag wees, sodat die wêreld kan glo dat U My gestuur het." (Johannes 17:21 NV). Wanneer is jy die meeste bewus van Christus se teenwoordigheid in jou? Het jy Hom genooi om Homself te kom tuismaak in jou hart? Hoe het jou intieme verhouding met God ontwikkel in die afgelope paar jaar? Sielskos: 1 Kon 21-22; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 66:13-20; Spr. 6:23-25 Deel (2) Gee vir God die gedagtes wat jy fluister. Christene het oor die jare ook die waarde van kort, kragtige gebede geleer. Dis gebede wat enige tyd op enige plek gefluister kan word. Frank Laubach het konstant met God in kontak gebly deur Hom vrae te vra. Hy het elke twee of drie minute gebid: "Doen ek wat U wil, Here?" Dink jouself in hoe sal dit wees om elke oomblik as potensiële tyd vir gesprek met God te sien. Teen die einde van jou lewe sou jy ses maande by rooi ligte stilgestaan het en vyf jaar lank in verskeie rye gestaan het. Hoekom gee jy nie hierdie oomblikke vir God nie? Eenvoudige frases soos "Dankie Vader", of "Ek staan op U Woord", of "Dit is my begeerte om U te dien" kan 'n gewone rit huis toe in 'n pelgrimstog verander. Jy hoef nie uit die kantoor uit te gaan of op jou knieë te val in jou kombuis nie. Jy kan bid net daar waar jy is. Sluit die dag af soos wat jy dit begin het - in gesprek met God. Dank Hom vir die goeie dele en vra vir Hom vrae oor die slegte dele. Vra Sy genade en krag. As jy jou oë toemaak, moet jy sekerheid vind in die belofte: "Waarlik, die Beskermer van Israel sluimer nie en Hy slaap nie." (Psalms 121:4 NV). As jy aan die slaap raak terwyl jy bid, is dit nie 'n probleem nie. Daar is geen beter plek om aan die slaap te raak as in jou Vader se arms nie. Sielskos: Op 1-4; Matt 20:17-34; Ps 70; Spr. 6:26-28 Those who try to keep their lives will lose them. But those who give up their lives will save them. Luke 17:33 There is a rawness and a wonder to life. Pursue it. Hunt for it. Sell out to get it. Don't listen to the whines of those who have settled for a second-rate life and want you to do the same so they won't feel guilty. Your goal is not to live long; it's to live. Jesus says the options are clear. On one side there is the voice of safety. You can build a fire in the hearth, stay inside, and stay warm and dry and safe… Or you can hear the voice of adventure—God's adventure. Instead of building a fire in your hearth, build a fire in your heart. Follow God's impulses. Adopt the child. Move overseas. Teach the class. Change careers. Run for office. Make a difference. Sure it isn't safe, but what is? He Still Moves Stones (Max Lucado) "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her...” Ephesians 5:25
The famous psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud, once said, "The great question that has never been answered, which I have not been able to answer, despite my 30 years of research into the feminine soul is, "What does a woman want?" The Bible actually answered that question centuries ago. The number one thing for all husbands to know is that our wives' greatest need is to feel loved. What is meant by "loved?" The word used in scripture is agape which means unconditional love. It's not speaking of romantic love. Agape love means loving people in a way to meet their needs. Yet most women have a need for romance, and there's no doubt that romantic love is important. But over the long haul, what is needed most of all is a mature, unconditional, committed love. Scripture mentions other traits a woman seeks from her husband, such as patience, kindness, and understanding. These are certainly important, but all of these traits keep coming back to the base need to be loved unconditionally. In fact, if you love her unconditionally, the other traits she needs will usually follow. So, while it is certainly okay for you to keep on buying your wife chocolates, never let material gifts be a substitute for your clear responsibility to provide her with pure agape love. When religion is used for profit and prestige, people are exploited and God is infuriated! When Jesus entered Jerusalem the first day of Passover week, Matthew 21:12-13 says, “He went into the temple and threw out all the people who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of those who were exchanging different kinds of money, and he upset the benches of those who were selling doves. Jesus said to all the people there, ‘It is written in the Scriptures, My temple will be called a house for prayer. But you are changing it into a hideout for robbers!’”
Hucksters. Faith peddlers. People making a franchise out of the faith. This was not a temper tantrum. It was an intentional message from Jesus. Cash in on my people and you’ve got me to answer to. God will never hold guiltless those who exploit the privilege of worship. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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