The phrases in Christ, in Him or in Whom that are found in many books of the New Testament are vitally important. If we do not understand these terms we will never have a proper insight concerning our who, and we will be frustrated as we spend our lives trying to improve our do. Acts 17 :28 says : For in Him we live and move and have our being. When we receive Jesus as Saviour we are considered to be in Him. What He earned and deserves we receive by inheritance.
After listening restlessly to a long and tedious sermon, a 6-year-old
boy asked his father what the preacher did the rest of the week. "Oh, he's a very busy man," the father replied. "He takes care of church business, visits the sick, ministers to the poor.... And then he has to have time to rest up. Talking in public isn't an easy job, you know." The boy thought about that, then said, "Well, listening ain't easy, either." Are you listening? Psalm 5:3 NV
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 Psalms 46:11 NV 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 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Rom 12:1
The first thing for all of us to do is to present ourselves to God as alive from the dead, and our bodies as living sacrifices. The path of blessedness can be entered by no other gate. It is only as we refuse to be conformed to this world, and yield ourselves to be transformed by the free entrance of the Holy Spirit into our minds, that we can learn all that God will do for us. We are nothing; He is all. And He is prepared to be and do all things in us, if only we will He open to Him as the land lies open to the summer sun. Those who really live the yielded life, do not need to ascertain God's Will by signs. They recognize it by the whisper of His voice and the touch of His hand. It is as we refuse to be moulded by the world, and give ourselves up to the transfiguring Spirit of God, that we prove what is His good, acceptable, and perfect will. But more than that, we begin to live for others, and draw by faith from the fullness of God, that we may minister to them aright. First, we understand what the Will of God is; then we present our bodies that it may fulfil itself through us; then we discover that it means goodwill to men, and we become the happy channels of heavenly ministry to those around us in one of the spheres enumerated in Rom 12:6-8 of this chapter. It is impossible to cherish jealousy, because the Head may use this member or that; it is equally impossible to be proud, because we have nothing that we have not received. Let us always remember that each has a special ministry to fulfil, and that we shall find in our daily lot the opportunity of fulfilling it. How many resemble the landowner of the Eastern story, who sold his property in order to go in search of diamonds, and lo! The man who purchased his property found it full of diamonds. Indeed it was the famous Golconda region. In the dally drudgery of life you will find your heavenly opportunity. How many who are pining for a great mission, will never be permitted to enter it, because they despise the low and narrow door of humble service to those in their immediate neighbourhood. But we can never realize these divine ideals of service merely by an external obedience. We must be constrained by a holy love to our Lord and to one another. What a despair these ideals would be apart from the Holy Spirit. That holy love comes from Him. I suspect there are some reading these words might take exception to the title: "We Do Not Lose Heart". You do not mean to lose heart. You do not want to lose heart. You know that you should not lose heart. But, you are. You are losing heart or at least you feel like you may be losing heart.
You have dreams that seem to be fading. You think about opportunities that have passed by, or never came. You see obstacles that are too big and too powerful to overcome. You are faced with problems that seem to have no solution. You feel the pressure, you are perplexed, you feel you are being attacked on every side and from the most surprising people, and are afraid that if you are knocked down one more time you make not be able to get back up. You feel weak, tired, and defeated. What are you going to do? What can you do? Start here. Read what Paul wrote, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." (2 Corinthians 4:7-12, NIV) Does that sound like you? At least the "hard pressed, perplexed, in despair, persecuted, abandoned, and struck down" parts sounds familiar? The other things? Not so much right now. Read what he wrote at the end of the chapter, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NIV) Feel any better? Does it help to know you are not alone in your struggles? Do you find any comfort in hearing that others have experienced the same difficulties? Maybe? Maybe not? I know. I have been there. Before you quit take a deep breath. Before you slump off into depression and hopelessness because you still cannot figure out how to fix all the stuff that is wrong in your world read this third paragraph that fits between the other two. This is where Paul reveals the reason he does not lose heart. He wrote, "It is written: 'I believed; therefore I have spoken.' With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." (2 Corinthians 4:13-15, NIV) Did you see it? It is right there in the middle of the paragraph. One sentence: because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. That is the secret. That is the key. That is what can keep us from losing heart. Look up. Look at Jesus. Rely on the fact that He will raise us up. Our struggles show that the Gospel is at work in us. Our difficulties will be turned into His glory. There is a lot we cannot see if we stay focused only on what we can see. This is temporary stuff. We are about the eternal. I pray that through our faith in Jesus Christ who will raise us up we will not lose heart. Today (and everyday)
Say out loud: I am valuable I have more than what it takes I am more than a conquerer I am smart I am loved by God Today, I will over come I will make a difference in lives of others. I will walk with God I will draw closer to God through Prayer John 21:22
HE answered, '..... What is that to you? You follow ME.' - We often get over-concerned about everything and everyone else. - Don't compare yourself to others. - Do what you need to do and follow God with all your heart. - HE will take care of the rest. PRAYER: Lord, I want to follow You with all my heart. Help me not to be distracted or side-tracked, but may my heart follow hard after You. Amen. The One who died for us … is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Rom 8:34 MSG Jesus is praying for us… Jesus has spoken and Satan has listened. The devil may land a punch or two. He may even win a few rounds, but he never wins the fight. Why? Because Jesus takes up for you… "He is able always to save those who come to God through him because he always lives, asking God to help them" (Heb 7:25 )… Jesus, at this very moment, is protecting you… Evil must pass through Christ before it can touch you. And God will "never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it" (1Co 10:13 MSG). When Christ Comes (Max Lucado) |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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