Back in 1949, there was a young minister you may have heard of by the name of Billy Graham. He was traveling the country, holding meetings in large auditoriums. He was having success, but he wasn't really nationally known at the time.
That summer, he conducted a meeting in Los Angeles in a big tent. A gentleman showed up by the name of William Randolph Hearst. Mr. Hearst owned newspapers all across the country. He was so touched that night that he sent a message to all of his publishers to write favorable articles about Billy Graham. The next week, the whole country was talking about this young minister. He came to national prominence practically overnight because of the influence of one man. What was that? I call it a divine shift. It was God taking him further, faster. It could have taken Billy Graham his whole lifetime to gain that kind of respect and credibility, but God used one man to show him favor and opened doors that took Billy Graham to a new level. Now, the good news is that God has already lined up the right people for you. They are already in your future. It's just a matter of time before they show up. They will open doors that you could not open. They will show you favor even though you didn't ask. They will use their influence to make you look good. They're ordained by God to accelerate His plan for your life. What's interesting is that Billy Graham didn't search this man out; he searched Billy Graham out. You don't have to go and try to find the right people. You just honor God, and the right people will find you. They'll pick you out of a crowd. They'll knock on your door. They'll show up at your office. For some reason, they will want to be good to you. That's a divine connection. God will cause them to use their expertise, even their funds, to take you further, faster. You'll accomplish more in less time. You'll be promoted beyond your education. You'll increase beyond your experience. The right people will help you go where you could not go on your own. Today, know that God has ordained the right people to be in your life. It's not about you working hard to get their attention. It's about your obedience to do what God has told you to do. If you will focus on hearing His voice and doing what He says, then everything else will fall into place. He'll bring the right people into your life so that you can move forward in the destiny He has prepared for you! "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act." (Psalm 37:5, ESV) "Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you receive from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God...that you excel still more." 1 Thessalonians 4:1
Every time the Olympics comes around, it’s amazing how small the time difference is between the winner of the gold and the other competitors in some races. It's called the slight edge. In some races, it will be a difference of just hundredths of a second. Yet, we remember the winners and tend to forget the ones who didn't win a medal. In the game of life, so often the difference between being an also-ran and the winner is that slight edge. The difference between being average and great is just a little bit of difference, just a little extra effort. Because life is a challenge for us all, I urge you to think about a personal relationship with God to find that slight edge for living. Faith in God provides strength and character to give us just the little bit of extra required to have a successful life. What a difference in the end between being average and being great. Galatians 4:6–7 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Perhaps these questions have been popping into your head lately: “If You are a Christian, why are you sick? If your heavenly Father is so wonderful, why do you have so many problems? Doesn’t your God help you, His child?” And if you have been tempted to ask, “God, I am Your child. Why is this happening to me?” know that Jesus knows exactly how you feel because 2,000 years ago, the devil played the same trick on Him—“If you are the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3) You see, the devil’s intention was to make Jesus doubt His Sonship, and the devil wants to do the same thing to you today. He wants to destroy the Spirit of sonship in you and in the body of believers. He knows that once you really believe that you are a son of God, something happens—you begin to live life as “an heir of God through Christ”. As a son and an heir of God, you inherit all the blessings of God which Jesus died to give you, including salvation, healing, provision, wholeness, favor, intimacy with God and answered prayers. And Jesus rose from the dead to make sure that what He died to give you, you get. He is alive today to enforce this rich, blood-bought inheritance in your life! My friend, you are an heir of God through Christ. This means that you are joint heirs with Jesus. (Romans 8:17) So His inheritance is your inheritance too! What is provision when you are an heir of God? He owns every beast in the forest and the cattle on a thousand hills. (Psalm 50:10) All the diamonds and gold came from Him. What is healing when you are an heir of God? He is your Creator and the very breath of your life. Beloved, enjoy every bit of your inheritance in Christ, not because you deserve it, but because it was paid for by Jesus’ blood! – Matteus 26:31-46
Vanaf die bo-kamer het Jesus en sy gevolg na ’n karavaanpark gegaan. Mense het graag by die plek onder die bome ontspan. Daar het Hy twee van sy beste vriende gevra om saam met Hom te gaan bid. Dit voel vir my of Jesus hier begin onrustig raak het. Die ding wat aan die kom is, het aan sy senuwees gekou en ook te verstane. Onthou, Jesus was mens gewees. Hoe sal jy nie voel as jy weet jy word oor ’n paar dae aan ’n kruis vasgespyker nie? Maar vir Jesus is daar net een plek om te gaan vir raad, vertroosting en rustigheid en dit is sy Vader in die hemel. Vir sy twee vriende maak Hy ’n stukkie van sy hart oop. 38Jesus het bedruk gevoel en sê toe vir die drie saam met Hom: “Ek voel doodsbenoud. Wag julle hier. Kyk dat niemand ons hier verras nie.” Sy gebed vertel boeke vol: 39Hy het ’n paar treë verder gaan kniel. Met sy gesig tot teen die grond gebuig, begin Hy bid: “My Vader, is daar enige kans dat Ek die pad wat vir My voorlê nie hoef te loop nie? Is daar ’n uitweg? Maar Ek probeer nie allerhande planne maak nie. Maak U die planne, asseblief! Doen wat U wil.” Hier is God wat mens geword het en die mens se moed val nou so-effe na die voete se kant toe. Hoe nou gemaak? Op ’n manier sien die mens in Jesus nie nou meer lekker kans vir die affêre wat nou voorlê nie. Daarom wonder en vra Hy: “Is daar nie ’n ander plan wat gemaak kan word nie? Is daar nie iemand anders wat die bitter beker kan drink nie? Staan daar nie dalk êrens ’n deur op ’n skrefie oop nie? Ag, asseblief tog God! Maar Jesus se gebed eindig nie hier nie, want Hy besef ook die tekortkoming in sy eie gebed en dus vat Hy sy pakkie nood en kom sit dit in God se hande deur te sê: 39… “Maar Ek probeer nie allerhande planne maak nie. Maak U die planne, asseblief! Doen wat U wil.” Jesus is in ’n verskriklike stryd betrokke. Jesus is vreesbevange. ’n Mens besef nie eintlik waardeur Jesus hier gaan nie. Hy draai terug na sy vriende wat net ’n paar treë agter Hom gewag het. Hulle het geweet waardeur Hy nou gaan. Hy het dit dan in soveel woorde vir hulle gesê. Hulle moes sy gebed tot God, sy hulpgeroep gehoor het, want hulle was dan so naby aan Hom. Jesus kon seker nie sy oë glo toe Hy sien dat die perde aan die slaap geraak het nie. Besef hulle dan nie die erns nie? Besef hulle nie Jesus se vrees nie! Besef hulle nie sy doodsbenoudheid nie? Ai, boys! Kon julle nie hier net oor julle eie moegheid geheers het en Jesus in sy uur van nood bygestaan het nie? Jesus se wind was uit sy seile. 40… “Wat gaan aan? Het jy dit nie eens in jou om ’n klein rukkie saam met My wakker te bly nie? 41Vra God om julle te help om nie verkeerde dinge te wil doen nie. Ek weet julle sê julle wil graag die regte dinge doen, maar dit gebeur nie altyd so nie, nie waar nie? Wees daarom altyd op en wakker.” Kan jy glo wat hier gebeur? Nee, ek bedoel nie die manne wat lê en slaap nie. Kyk wat doen Jesus. In sy ergste emosies, in sy stryd om oor die laaste hekkie te kom, vang Hy sy getrouste volgelinge aan die slaap en terwyl Hy hulle daaroor aanvat, laat glip Hy nie die kans om die omstandighede te gebruik om vir hulle te preek nie. Ja, ek is seker daarvan dat die twee dissipels ter wille van hul Meester wakker wou bly, It is the right thing to do, maar net te moeg was en hulle oorgegee het aan die slaap. Ter wille van ons Meester, as gevolg van wat Hy aan die kruis gedoen het, wil ons graag die regte dinge doen, maar as ons ons kom kry, kies ons die verkeerde pad. En dan het ons gewoonlik flou verskonings om dit te probeer regverdig. Tog maak dit nie die neem van die verkeerde afdraai reg nie. Ons het eenvoudig nie hard genoeg probeer nie. Ons het eenvoudig nie genoeg gedoen om die verkeerde dade te stop nie. Ons weet wat reg is. Ons weet wat verkeerd is. Almal weet dit. Ons word daarmee gebore. Maar omdat ons so baie maal al aan die slaap geval het, het ons al amper vergeet wat God van ons verwag. Dis nie ’n verskoning nie. Daar is miljuisende mense daar buite wat in nood verkeer. Daar is mense om jou wat in gate wegkruip. Daar is mense wat met hul eie lewe in hul vuil hande staan en bewe en bid en skree na God. En Hy wil vir jou gebruik om daar ’n verskil te gaan maak. Is jy te vaak, of maak jy planne? Asseblief my vriend. Dit druk hard hier op my hart. Maak planne met die vaak in jou oë. It is the right thing to do! Om oor na te dink Is jy vaak? Slaap jy? Is jy wakker? Romans 6:4
'And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.' - We can live as new and living creations. - We don't have to live in the past with its disappointments. - We can enjoy the new life that HE has for us. - Don't just live a mere existence, live in newness of life. PRAYER: Lord, today I choose the new life that You have prepared for me. Help me not to be consumed by the past with its mistakes and disappointments but help me to live as You intended I should live. Amen. John 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. Any electronic product which you buy usually comes with an instruction booklet which says, “Send only to authorized dealers for maintenance and repairs.” Similarly, when something in your body or life breaks down, you go back to Jesus, your Creator and Maker. You go to Him because God’s Word tells us that “all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made”. The Bible says that in the beginning, God created everything by speaking (Genesis 1), and Jesus was the Word who caused everything to come to pass. (John 1:1–2, 14) So when relationships in your family break down, when your finances are low or when some part of your body isn’t working properly, you go to Jesus who can fix it and even make it better than before! A mother from our church testified of how God gave her a brand new daughter who used to be a very rebellious teenager. The day the girl gave her life to Jesus marked the start of a new life with her family. She also became the face to look out for in the national swimming arena. When asked by reporters about her record-breaking feats, she told them that it was Jesus who did it all for her! A lady once approached me and said, “Pastor Prince, I don’t know if you still remember me, but I came to you before when I was a divorcee. This is my husband—the same man I divorced some years ago. We remarried and these are our children!” Now, this doesn’t usually happen in cases where divorce has taken place, but this couple looked to Jesus and saw their broken family made whole! When man puts something that has been broken back together, it is usually not as good as before. But when Jesus does it, all things become new! (2 Corinthians 5:17) The One who made the heavens and the earth is more than able to make it better than it was before! John 13:34
'So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.' - How we treat others is important to God. - Because He loves us, we should love others. - Let Him use your life to touch the hearts and lives of others. - You can make a difference by loving those around you. PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Your love for me. Help me to extend that love to others and help me in the process to be Your hands and feet in the lives of others. Amen. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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