Op 'n dag het Jesus 'n vrou in die sinagoge genees wat al vir 18 jaar kruppel was. Daarna het twee goed gebeur: Eerstens was sy so verheug soos net iemand kan wees wat vry is van 'n 18 jaar lange siekte. Tweedens het sommige kerkmense Jesus veroordeel omdat Hy haar op die Sabbatdag genees het. Wat 'n prentjie - terwyl sy God hierdie kant geloof het, het hulle aan die ander kant gestry oor die fyner punte van leerstellings. Wat het sy gedoen? Sy het net aangehou om God te prys! Sy het nie opgehou met haar lofprysing om haarself te probeer verduidelik of haar kritici te oortuig nie, want sy het geweet hulle het klaar besluit wat hulle wil glo en was nie oop vir verandering nie. Jy hoef jouself nie te verdedig nie, want die Here is jou verdediger. Verder is dit nie nodig om jou aan ander mense se buie en gesindhede te steur as jy deur 'n swaar tyd is nie. As jy dit doen, maak jou verdediging jou kwesbaar vir die vyand. Hierdie vrou het haarself beskerm deur verdedigende lof, en jy moet dit ook doen! Moenie by argumente betrokke raak nie. As jy ophou om jouself te verdedig, maak jy die deur vir die Here oop om jou te verdedig. Kan jy jou indink wat sou gebeur het as opgehou het met haar lofprysing en begin redekawel het? As dit gebeur het, sou die hele episode in 'n bakleiery geëindig het. In plaas daarvan het sy aangehou om God te prys - en dis wat jy ook moet doen!
Sielskos: Rom 12-14; Joh. 15:5-17; Ps 14; Spr. 28:13-16 If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful, because he cannot be false to himself. 2 Timothy 2:13
God's blessings are dispensed according to the riches of his grace, not according to the depth of our faith… Why is that important to know? So you won't get cynical. Look around you. Aren't there more mouths than bread? Aren't there more wounds than physicians? Aren't there more who need the truth than those who tell it? So what do we do? Throw up our hands and walk away? Tell the world we can't help them? No, we don't give up. We look up. We trust. We believe. And our optimism is not hollow. Christ has proven worthy. He has shown that he never fails. That's what makes God, God. A Gentle Thunder (Max Lucado) "And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NIV)
What is your definition of being good? What would you say if asked? Years ago, a great Jewish prophet gave the answer. He said, "God has shown you what is good, to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God." Let's look at those more specifically. To act justly: We need to be honest and fair with every person, and seek to bring justice for those who are mistreated or taken advantage of. To love mercy: We all mess up, and when we do we sure appreciate someone who is compassionate and forgiving. Forgiveness doesn't mean consequences are removed. Forgiveness, though, doesn't seek revenge. Compassion is an attitude of the heart. Walk humbly with your God: When a person has no fear of God, that person makes himself God and will rationalize all kinds of evil. But to live in a way to please God, Who is seen perfectly in Jesus, is a good way to live. To act justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with God, that's God's answer as to what is good. LEVITICUS 2:11 ‘No grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the Lord made by fire.
When I was a young Christian, I heard of an illustration for Psalm 23 about shepherds who sometimes break the legs of sheep which habitually stray, so as to teach them not to stray. That erroneous teaching—“The Lord is my Shepherd, He breaketh my legs”—stuck with me for years, causing me needless fear of God’s punishment when I felt that I had strayed from Him. Such erroneous teachings are what God’s Word refers to as “leaven”. That is why Jesus cautioned His disciples, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:6) The leaven of the Pharisees was their doctrine of legalism, which judges and condemns people who fail to keep God’s laws. The leaven of the Sadducees was their doctrine of humanism, which discounts the supernatural and teaches that everything can be explained away using reasoning or science. When God told His people in Leviticus 2:11, “No grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven,” we are reminded that how we appreciate Jesus, our grain offering, must not be mixed with wrong teachings. For example, when we talk about “suffering with Christ” (Romans 8:17), we must know that it is not about suffering sicknesses or lack, things which Jesus has redeemed us from, but suffering persecution, scorn and rejection for His name’s sake, which we are likely to face as good Christians. My friend, what you believe about Jesus is important because the Holy Spirit bears witness only to the truth. (John 16:13) So ask Him to unveil the beauty of Christ and the perfection of His finished work to you when you read God’s Word. Find out from the Word how Christ has redeemed you from every curse and paid for you to enjoy all of God’s blessings with His sacrifice at the cross. Beloved, get rid of any leaven in your believing. Believe and declare that you are healed, not sick; abundantly supplied, not in lack; and forever righteous in Christ. And when you start believing and confessing God’s truths, the anointing of the Holy Spirit will be released for the breakthrough you need! It isn’t easy…
… to apologize, … to begin over, … to be unselfish, … to take advice, … to admit an error, … to face a sneer, … to be charitable, … to keep on trying, … to be considerate, … to avoid mistakes, … to endure success, … to learn from mistakes, … to forgive and forget, … to think and then act, … to keep out of a rut, … to make the best of little, … to subdue an unruly temper, … to shoulder a deserved blame, … to recognize the silver lining. It isn’t easy… But, It Always Pays! God will always be the same. No one else will. Companies follow pay raises with pink slips. Friends applaud you when you drive a classic and dismiss you when you drive a dud. Not God. God is always the same. James 4:1 says, with Him, “there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Catch God in a bad mood? Won’t happen. Fear exhausting His grace? A sardine will swallow the Atlantic first. Think He’s given up on you? Wrong. Did He not make a promise to you? God is not a human being, and He will not lie. He is not a human, and He does not change His mind. What He says He will do. What He promises will come true. His strength, truth, ways, and love never change. Hebrews 13:8 declares “He is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Trust him…what He says, He will do! Psalm 3:8
'From the LORD comes deliverance.' - To what are you looking, in the hope that it/they will deliver you? - Remember that the Lord is your deliverer. - He is the One who will come and rescue and save you. - He is your source and your Saviour. PRAYER: Lord, I recognize today that You alone are my deliverer. I will remain strong in hope, knowing that You will come through for me. Amen. 8 .. Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape you, beloved, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.
9 .. The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some peoples conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) towards you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance. 2 PETER 3 : 8 – 9 TRUST GOD IN ALL THE HOURS OF YOUR DAY Knowing God’s love is unfailing, and his mercy unending and great. You have but to trust in His promises- God comes not too soon or too late. In Jesus Name, AMEN! God's LOVE is: BUILDING UP Jesus is the perfect representation of God
“He is the image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15) The Bible tells us that God has great love for us, but He knew we were all basically doomed to a Christ-less eternity through the fall of Adam and Eve. So we need to be shown how great His love was for us. God send His Son, His only Son to earth to demonstrate what godly love was like. Jesus was the prefect representation of God and He emphasized with us and put up with everything we endure: hunger, thirst, weariness and temptation; “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrew 4:15) By living among us, by caring for us…then giving His life…Jesus showed that God indeed loved us. Prayer: Heavenly Father I thank You that you showed me Your love through Your Son Jesus Christ…amen |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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