Die kerk is soos 'n tuin; dit het groot potensiaal om te groei en mooi te wees. Maar om tuin te maak, vereis tyd en harde werk. Dit behels ook dat mens gedurig die onkruid uittrek voordat dit te veel groei en jou plante verdruk. Twee van die mees algemene onkruid in die kerk is: 1) Begunstiging. 'Toe het Petrus aan die woord gekom en gesê: "Waarlik, ek begryp nou eers dat God nie onderskeid maak nie, maar in enige volk die mense aanneem wat Hom vereer en doen wat reg is. Julle weet dat God aan Israel sy woord gestuur het ...' (Hand 10:34-36 NV). Petrus, wat met vooroordeel geworstel het, het gesê: 'ek begryp nou eers dat God nie onderskeid maak nie.' Wat van jou? Besef jy dit ook? Of meng jy slegs met 'jou eie mense? Klieke in die kerk is hoogverraad vir die Koning van Konings. As daar 'n eensame mens in jou kerk is, het jy werk om te doen! Die Bybel sê 'God laat eensames in 'n huisgesin woon' (Psalm 68:7 NV). As mense skaam, verwond, onseker of wantrouig is, moet jy na hulle uitreik en binne jou gemeenskap inbring. 2) Skinder. 'Moenie van mekaar kwaad praat nie, broers...' (Jakobus 4:11 NV). Sodra jy 'n geskinder oor iemand hoor, moet jy dit dadelik beëindig. Tensy jy gewillig is om direk met die persoon te praat, moenie oor hom praat nie. En moenie dat iemand anders oor hom of haar praat nie. Skinder is die kuns om niks te sê nie en niks ongesê te laat nie. As jy harmonie in die huisgesin wil bevorder, hou jou daaruit.
Sielskos: Rigters 1-3; Mark 14:1-11; Ps 121; Spr 12:23-24 I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around.
We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, "This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received." I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world. Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.. The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth. Finally! At the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section," my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed. "How is it that there is no work going on here?" I asked. "So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments." "How does one acknowledge God's blessings?" I asked. "Simple," the angel answered. Just say, "Thank you, Lord." "What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked. "If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead, and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy." "And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity." "If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day." "If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 700 million people in the world." "If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are envied by and more blessed than three billion people in the world." "If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare." "If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm. You're unique to all those in doubt and despair." "Okay. What now? How can I start?' If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special, and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all. Have a good day. Count your blessings. And if you care to, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are Philippians 4:13
'I can do ALL things through HIM who strengthens me!' - With God in our lives anything is possible. - You are able to do ALL things because HE strengthens you. - God makes this a possibility and a reality in our lives. - Don't give in to negativity and doubt. PRAYER: Lord, I am so glad that You want to strengthen me. Come and strengthen me right now so that I will be able to do ALL things because of Your strength. Amen. Daniel 6:22
'My God sent His angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in His sight.' - God can shut the mouths of the lions' that want to destroy you. - The lions could have devoured Daniel, BUT God intervened. - The best time for a miracle is when we need a miracle. - May we be found 'innocent in His sight'! PRAYER: Lord, help me to do what is right and give me the victory in my situation. Amen. The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. The clouds poured down water,
the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. (NIV) Psalm 77:13-19 O Lord, Through this Psalm, we know that You are holy and incomparable. We know that You are the One who performs miracles and displays Your power among the people. You are the One who has the power and the desire, to redeem Your people. Your power is displayed as incredible power over nature. . the waters obey You. . .the skies resound with thunder. . .Your lightning lights up the world. . .the entire earth trembles and quakes in Your presence. You were the One who lovingly cared for Your people by parting the waters of the Red Sea to provide deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians. Although You did not leave a visible mark through Your footprints, the people knew You were the only One with the power to deliver them! O Lord, if You can do all that, why do I doubt Your power at work in me? or Your power at work in others? Help me to see Your power at work around me today. . .and may I continually acknowledge Your glory and dominion over all Your creation! Amen Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip. After a good dinner, they retire for the night, and go to sleep.
Some hours later, Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend. "Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see." "I see millions and millions of stars, Holmes" exclaims Watson. "And what do you deduce from that?" Watson ponders for a minute. "Well, astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful, and that we are a small and insignificant part of the universe. What does it tell you, Holmes?" And Holmes said: “Watson, you idiot, it means that somebody stole our tent.” 2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
- Fear can have a debilitating effect on our lives. - By entertaining fear, it has a chance to develop in our lives. - By focusing on God and His word, faith has a chance to develop. - Fear is NOT something that comes from God. - Don't allow fear to grip your heart. DECLARATION: I will trust and not be afraid! "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact
you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV). King Duncan writes about Larry Doby who was one of baseball's finest hitters. He is well known by baseball fans because he was the first African-American to play for an American League team. "The year was 1947. Doby was a promising rookie for the Cleveland Indians but he didn't look very promising his first time at bat. He was tense and nervous. He swung at three pitches, missed each of them, and struck out badly. He didn't get within a foot of the ball. Slowly he walked to the dugout with his head down. He sat on the very end of the bench and rested his head in his hands. "A player by the name of Joe Gordon was on that same Cleveland team. Joe was an outstanding second baseman. He batted right after Doby. Gordon had a good record batting against the pitcher who was on the mound that day. But something quite extraordinary was about to happen. Joe Gordon went up to the plate and missed three pitches in a row—each of them by at least two feet. He walked slowly to the end of the bench and sat down next to Larry Doby. Then Joe Gordon slowly put his head in his hands. "Did Joe Gordon strike out that day deliberately? We will never know. However it is interesting to note that every time Larry Doby went out on the field from that day on, he first picked up Joe Gordon's glove and tossed it to him."1 One would suspect that Joe Gordon probably did strike out deliberately. Good for him if he did. Sad to say there are some people in the church who are threatened by anyone who might be able to do something better than they can do or gain a little more recognition, so they underhandedly seek to block them at every turn. Think of how the religious people of Jesus' day treated Him? They were so green with envy, they eventually had Him crucified. But thank God for the "Joe Gordons" who have the gift of encouragement and exercise it generously! Let's all encourage someone today. It could make a great difference in their life — perhaps for eternity. Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the many people who have encouraged me along the way, who have cheered me on when I was dragging my feet and lifted me up when I have fallen. Please help me to do the same for others. And above all, thank You for Your unfailing faithfulness to and everlasting love for me, even when I have been at my worst. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus name, amen." |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
All
Archives
June 2015
|