A pastor asked a church-goer, "What are the two greatest problems in the world today?" The man answered, "I don't know; and, I don't care!" The pastor responded, "Then you have both problems!!" Ignorance and apathy produce a people who are uninformed and unconcerned. Sadly, there are many such people in today's society. And the Church seems to be trending on the same course. Our altar calls have netted many decisions, but produced few disciples. The Lord calls us to be His disciples. He deals with ignorance by telling us the truth, and He deals with apathy by telling the truth over and over and over again. Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Discipleship is not only the doorway into Truth, but also into the Freedom that Truth provides, and the Personal Responsibility, which Freedom requires. Truth, Freedom, and personal Responsibility ALWAYS go together. Responsible living is the fruit of Freedom; Freedom is the offspring of Truth. Jesus Christ has redeemed us and given us His Holy Spirit and knowledge of the Truth; so that from the inside out we would be a free and responsible people who are self-governed under God. In a day when many are eagerly looking to the Government to do something — the Lord is looking to US. We are the ones who can make the difference. We know the Truth, and therefore are a people of understanding. We have been set free, and therefore are a people of zeal. This is God's answer to ignorance and apathy. As followers of Jesus we must each take personal the words of our Lord, and conduct ourselves with wisdom and honor toward those around us. This will answer the ignorance and apathy of the world, and bring great glory to our Lord. A king who did not believe in the goodness of God, had a slave who, in all
circumstances, said: My king, do not be discouraged, because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes! One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his majesty losing a finger. Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman said "Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my finger." The slave replied only "My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good, and he knows the "why" of all these things.What God does is perfect. He is never wrong!" Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave. Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who made human sacrifices. On the altar, ready to sacrifice the noble, a savage had found that the victim had not one of his fingers, and therefore was released. According to them: it was not so complete to be offered to the gods. Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave that he received very affectionately. ' God was really good for me! I was almost killed by the wild men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a question: If God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail? ' - My King, if I had gone with you on this hunt, I would have been sacrificed for you, because I have no missing finger. Therefore, remember: everything God does is perfect. HE is never wrong . Often we complain about life and things that happen to us apparently negative, forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose. Every morning, offer your day to God. Ask God to inspire your thoughts, guide your actions, and ease your feelings. And do not be afraid. God is never wrong! You know why this message is for you? I do not know, but God knows, because he never makes mistakes....... The path of God and his word is perfect, without impurities. IT is the way of all those who trust in him, as he says in 2 Samuel 22: 31 Surely the message arrived at the right moment. May God put in your heart the desire to send it to someone. Do not be ashamed to send it to the right person God knows, He knows why. God is never wrong! Malachi 2:16 says keep a watch upon your spirit [that it may be controlled by God's Spirit] We cannot expect anything to go well for us if we do not allow Gods Spirit to control us. But if we will listern to God and be diligent to obey our lives and marriages can be wonderful.
Think about Jesus' example. He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop trying. Heb 12:3
Heaven was not foreign to Jesus. He is the only person to live on earth after he had lived in heaven. As believers, you and I will live in heaven after time on earth, but Jesus did just the opposite. He knew heaven before he came to earth. He knew what awaited him upon his return. And knowing what awaited him in heaven enabled him to bear the shame on earth. He "accepted the shame as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before him" (Heb 12:2 ). In his final moments, Jesus focused on the joy God put before him. He focused on the prize of heaven. By focusing on the prize, he was able not only to finish the race but to finish it strong. Just Like Jesus (by: Max Lucado) Goddelike kanse kom partymaal net een keer oor jou lewenspad. Daarom dat die vriende van die lam man in Markus 2 op ‘n dag behoorlik radikaal geraak het. Hulle het besluit om Petrus se woonhuis in Kapernaum se dak af te breek om hulle verlamde vriend tot voor Jesus se voete te laat afsak. Praat van ekstreem! Hulle kon egter nie anders nie. Môre kon Jesus dalk weg wees. Dan was die kans van ‘n leeftyd daarmee heen om hulle siek vriend aan sy voete neer te sit.
Jesus kon op sy beurt ook nie anders as om kennis te neem van hulle dapperheid nie. Toe daardie dak bokant sy kop begin verkrummel en stof en boumateriaal op almal begin val, was hulle en die verlamde man meteens binne sy persoonlike ruimte en in sy gesigsveld. Dit is radikale geloof. Dit is wat gebeur wanneer mense net een dag op ‘n slag tot hulle beskikking het om die wêreld te verander, of om ander te help. Dan moet dakke afgebreek word. Dan tel fatsoenlikheid en sulke dinge niks. Al wat dan saakmaak, is dat lewens deur Christus aangeraak word. Verstaan jy uit ondervinding waarvan ek praat, of is dit maar net Bybelkennis? Groete
The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what He has done. Each day informs the following day; and each night announces the next.
They do not speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world .. PSALMS 19 : 1 - 4 WHEN LAST DID YOU ACTUALLY TAKE THE TIME TO ADMIRE AND APPRECIATE ALL OF GOD'S CREATION ? .. Are you aware that God speaks to you through nature ? .. That's Right .. God has the ability to speak to all His children through His magnificent handy-work. Even those people that find themselves living outside of the will of God can recognize right from wrong .. and .. they too have a reality of someone or something higher than themselves, inspired through the very aspects of " nature " that surround us everywhere we go. In the above Word, you are told that nature is the continuous witness and testifier of God's power and His Heavenly plan. The message that God shares with you through the Word in Psalms is that .. HE IS !! HE IS .. This is a vital revelation because you are told in God's Word, that in order for you to have an intimate relationship with God, you must first believe and accept that HE IS .. Hebrews 11 : 6 Believe and Accept God ? .. Absolutely, and yes you can because God's Word also tells you that God has given every person a measure of faith to believe in Him .. Romans 12 : 3 Did you know that when you open your Bible, the very first words you will read are also your very first lesson in faith .. " In the beginning God .. .. " Now while many of us do accept and acknowledge God, we seem to be a little lost on the process of exactly how to relate to Him on a day to day, personal level .. It is for this reason that through His grace, God will try His utmost best to reach down to you every minute of everyday, and He does this by surrounding you with constant reminders of Himself. Little clues of Himself that shout out clearly to you .. " I AM HERE, you do not have to live in fear, you do not have to worry, I AM HERE " God so desperately wants to be involved in every aspect of your life !! Ponder for a moment on the fact that He has taken the time to keep all your tears in a bottle and that He has counted every hair on your head, then surely, surely He cares about everything else concerning you, your life, your peace, and your happiness. Jesus Himself asks you to consider the lilies of the field .. Matthew 6 : 28 .. and the birds of the air .. Luke 12 : 24 Would you meditate on those two Scripture's for a moment .. If God is able to beautify the fields the way He does, and He is able to take care of the birds that live amongst you and fly above you, then how much more is He able to do for you ? .. and God WILL because Jesus has told you that you are worth more to God than the birds are .. So the next time you find yourself in a position where you feel the pressures of life beginning to take their toll on you .. ESCAPE .. escape outdoors for a little while. Go for a walk and open your eye's to see the miracles in God's creations .. the trees .. the flowers .. the rivers and streams .. the birds .. the fish .. Appreciate everything that God has made and thank Him whole-heartedly for the simple fact that HE IS. Life can get very complicated sometimes, but you get determined to purposefully enjoy each simple, yet powerful thing that God has created .. they are the clues He leaves to remind you that you are never, never alone and that HE IS !! THE HAPPIEST PERSON ON EARTH IS HE WHO LEARNS FROM NATURE THE LESSONS OF WORSHIP Selfvertroue (1)
Moet nooit deurmekaar raak met bevoegdheid en selfvertroue nie. Die een is gebaseer op jou vaardighede en die ander een kom van die wete van wie jy in Christus is: "... dat [jy] in Hom is." (1 Joh 2:5 NV). 'n Skrywer sê: "Die eerste ding wat ek oor selfvertroue geleer het, is dat ek dit nie gehad het nie... Ek het 'n dun lagie arrogansie bo-oor 'n kern van vrees gehad. Al die jare van wêreldse sukses het my doodbang vir mislukking gemaak. Wêreldse sukses vereis dat jy risiko's neem buite die gemaksones van vorige prestasies. Geestelike sukses vereis dat jy vergeet van die uitkomste en God toelaat om namens jou te werk... die valse selfvertroue wat ek gehad het, was gebaseer op my eie vermoëns... As jy egter skielik 'n knop in jou bors voel, of jou man sê hy het jou nooit liefgehad nie, of jy word afgedank, of jou kind is ernstig siek, sal geen taktiek of vaardigheid wat jy aangeleer het jou help nie... Die Bybel sê: '... jy [moet] jouself nugter... beoordeel volgens die geestelike toerusting wat God aan jou toebedeel het...' (Rom 12:3 NV). As jy jou selfvertroue van die Here af kry, kan omstandighede jou nie laat wankel nie." Jy sal bekwaamheid, vrede, tevredenheid en standvastigheid uitstraal. "Ons het genadegawes wat van mekaar verskil volgens die genade wat God aan elkeen van ons gegee het." (Rom. 12:6 NV). As jy jou gawe gebruik om God te vereer, doen jy wat Hy van jou verwag. Sielekos: 2 Tim 1-4; Luk 22:54-62; Ps 19; Spr 24:19-22 Selfvertroue (2) Dis onmoontlik om selfversekerd te wees as jy vir jouself sê dat jy niks gaan bereik nie. 'n Pastoor het in 'n preek gesê: "Nadat Adam en Eva van die verbode vrugte geëet het, het hulle weggekruip. God het na hulle toe gekom en gesê: 'Waar is julle?' Hulle het geantwoord: 'Ons kruip weg want ons is kaal.' Ek hou van die manier waarop God geantwoord het: 'Wie het vir julle gesê dat julle sonder klere is?' Met ander woorde: 'Wie het julle gesê dat daar iets fout is met julle?' God het dadelik geweet dat die vyand met hulle gepraat het. God sê vandag vir jou: 'Wie sê vir jou dat jy nie aantreklik genoeg is om 'n suksesvolle verhouding te hê nie? Of talentvol genoeg is om te floreer in jou beroep nie? Of dat jou huwelik nie gaan hou nie?' Dis alles die vyand se leuens. '[God] weerhou die goeie nie van dié wat reg lewe nie.' (Ps 84:12 NV). Jy hét potensiaal, en dit verander nie net omdat jy dit nie glo nie. 'As God eenmaal aan mense sy genadegawes geskenk ... het, trek Hy dit nooit weer terug nie.' (Rom 11:29 NV). Die Here sal nooit die potensiaal terugvat wat Hy vir jou gegee het nie. Hy sal ook nie sê: 'Jy het te veel kere al misluk en foute gemaak. Gee terug My gawes.' Nee... Sy roeping vir jou lewe sal met jou wees tot jy die aarde verlaat, maar dis ons keuse om dit te gebruik." "Staan die duiwel teë en hy sal van julle af wegvlug." (Jak 4:7 NV). Sielekos: Sag 1-4; Luk 22:63-71; Ps 3; Spr 24:23-25 Sometimes, it’s easy to get wrapped up in taking care of the people around us. You may find that you’re always giving, taking care of the children, working overtime at the office, or helping that friend who is struggling. And that’s all good. But if you’re not careful, you can end up feeling rundown. That’s why you have to take time every day to get filled back up. Your first priority should be taking care of yourself and making time to get into the presence of Jesus.
Throughout scripture, we see that in God’s presence there is fullness of joy, fullness of peace, and fullness of victory. In His presence, you’re refreshed and restored. That’s why it’s so important to take time every day to read your Bible and meditate on His promises. We have to be diligent to have that quiet time with Him. Today, take time to get alone with God and just say, “God, I love You today. Thank You for my life, for my family, for the opportunities You’ve given me. Lord, I know every good thing comes from You.” When you live like that, with your heart connected to His, you’ll be refreshed, restored, reenergized and filled up for the journey of life! Isaiah 40:29
He (God) gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength. - God wants to give strength and power to His people. - God helps us by causing our strength to multiply. - The weak, faint and weary are eligible for His strength. - He gives power to the tired and the worn out and strength to the weak! OUR PRAYER FOR YOU: We pray right now for all those reading this prayer. Lord, we pray that You will come and strengthen and aid them, because they need Your empowering strength, especially as they approach the end of the year. Amen. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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