Tuesday 30 July 2013

Making desciples

I love the Word of God!  Not only do I think that every word is inspired by the Spirit of God, I believe that this Word is the essence of God's life.  This Word is what He sent to the earth to save it, this Word  is the thoughts and intentions of God made known to us.
This is Jesus whom was generated by God in His thoughts and spoken into existence.  Jesus walked according to this Word making sure that nothing was left hidden about Gods intention towards men.  Jesus had to manifest Gods intention, making sure that His heart was shown, not spoken but displayed.  

I want to invite you on a journey of discovery, a journey of listening, of hearing what God revealed about His intentions toward us.

Let's start with Ephesians.
This is a letter, not statements or wise sayings, the intention for a letter is that it should be red in one go.  We are not going to do that but it means that you should keep track of what was said to understand the progression of the letter. 

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! (Christ brought something, he didn't come empty handed, there's a gift)
Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. (Gods intention for man: chosen, holy, innocent and loving, His heart never changed towards us, Never punishment, distance,disease or hatred) 
God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God's own adopted children. God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God. (Praise God for what? Undeserved kindness, His decision not our reward or works, thats how He will always treat us) 
Christ sacrificed his life's blood to set us free, which means our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because of God's gift of undeserved grace to us.(the price was blood,the gift is grace)
God has great wisdom and understanding,(God knows exactly what He is doing, He understand the effect of His actions, He is responsible. We serve a God with intelligence, He did all of this without us interfering or our council.)
   and by what Christ has done, God has shown us his own mysterious ways( it is not cause and effect, His ways are guided by His character and kindness, His understanding of love not punishment)
Then when the time is right, God will do all he has planned(His plan is that everything He thought about and said will be found in that word,his plans is revealed in His Son), and Christ will bring together everything in heaven and on earth(That His will be done, His Spirit in all.  Our inheritance is sonship). (Ephesians 1:3-10 CEVDCUS06)

God always does what he plans, and this is why he appointed Christ to choose us. He did this so we Jews would bring honor to him and be the first ones to have hope because of him. Christ also brought you the truth, which is the good news about how you can be saved. You put your faith in Christ and were given the promised Holy Spirit to show you belong to God. The Spirit also makes us sure we will be given what God has stored up for his people. Then we will be set free, and God will be honored and praised. (Ephesians 1:11-14 CEVDCUS06)

So if we except that what God gave us in Christ, His power that raised Christ from death, the Holy Spirit, which is the foretaste of what is stored up for us, His People, then we will bring honor to God.  Living trough faith, in a life God planned by taking Him on His Word.  Just believe Him.

I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people. So I never stop being grateful for you, as I mention you in my prayers. I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God. My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and you will understand the hope given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all God's people. I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. The church is the body of Christ and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything. (Ephesians 1:11-23 CEVDCUS06)

Tuesday 9 July 2013

You

condensed in skin and bone
a gift that was sent.
so many opinions, so many thoughts
so many experiences.
What did you hear when you asked
who do you say i am?
Peter said: You are the Christ.
why did that make you so happy, 
why do you bless him for knowing
who you are?
You are the only one who understand this 
gift for us.
You are the only one who saw Gods face 
when he sent you to us
you are the only one who knows the plans that 
God made for us.
you are the only one who saw everything when it
was made, the original intention of God, what he was thinking
what he planned.
Yet you say we are blessed if we know Jesus the gift, the one.
who are you?
what a big question...

God in the centre
God in between
God of love
Love from God
Words that form a language
Words that influence nations by just talking
How great a mistery these words are, they are hidden
in everyday talk.  Eternal words hidden within our own mouths.
No one except a God whom created everything through Himself could create a space
to hide among words.

Tuesday 25 June 2013

Het jy geloof in wat jy sê?


Trots kan veroorsaak dat jy jou woord hou teenoor ander, maar hou jy jou woord teenoor jouself.
Jou kosbaarste besitting is jou woord.
Maak jouself so kosbaar dat n besigheid enige prys vir jou sal betaal.
Maak jou merk hoog, jou standaard.
Gaan vir daardie merk.
Moet geen dag laat verby gaan waarin jy nie jouself verbeter nie.
Neem voorraad opname, keer op keer en kyk waaroor jy beskik.
Kyk of jy meer werd is as n jaar gelede.
Onthou dat dit waarna jy smag jy honger voor is , jy het die vermoë om dit te doen, as jy wil.

Almal het vermoë
Miskien glo jy dit nie, miskien dink jy dat net party mense het werklik vermoë en dat die res van ons aan die massas behoort.
Wel dit is onmoontlik om enige persoon uit te kies en te vind dat hy/sy nie een of ander vermoë het wat hom besonders kan maak nie.
Hierdie is vir die ambisieuse persoon, nie vir diegene wie te lui is om dit wat binne in hom is te ontwikkel nie.  Dit is vir die persoon wat nie tevrede is met niks minder as die beste nie.
Daar is min mense wat ontwikkel het tot die heel beste vlak van hulle vermoë.




Monday 10 June 2013

Waar sit jy?

In 2 Konings 7 lees ons van 'n stad wat omsingel was deur hulle vyande,die Arameërs, niks kon in die stad kom nie en niemand kon uitgaan nie.  Die gevolg was hongersnood, siektes en kanibalisme.  Die koning het vir Elisa laat roep om hom te vra vir 'n woord van die Here vir die stad.  Die woord wat hy vir die koning gegee het was dat die ekonomie van die stad teen die volgende dag sou verander, beter as wat dit was voordat die vyand daar was.


Dis hier waar ek die storie optel van hoe hierdie woord in vervulling gekom het.


II Kings 7:3En daar was vier melaatse manne by die ingang van die poorthulle het die een vir die ander gesêWat bly ons hier totdat ons sterwe?

II Kings 7:4As ons Laat ons in die stad ingaan — aangesiendaar hongersnood in die stad is — sal ons daar sterwe; en as ons hier blysal ons sterwe;

kom dan nou en laat ons oorloop na die laer van die Arameërs. As hulle ons laat lewedan bly ons lewe; en as hulle ons doodmaak,dan sterwe ons. 

II Kings 7:5En hulle het klaargemaak in die aandskemer om in die laer van die Arameërs in te gaan;maar toe hulle aan die buitekant van die laer van die Arameërs kom, was daar niemand nie.

II Kings 7:6Want die HERE het die leër van die Arameërs 'n gedruis van waens en 'n gedruis van perde, 'n gedruis van 'n grootleërmag laat hoorsodat hulle die een vir die ander gesê het: Kyk, die koning van Israel het die konings van die Hetiete en die konings van die Egiptenaars teen ons gehuur om ons te oorval.

II Kings 7:7Daarom het hulle in die skemer klaargemaak en gevlugmaar hulle tente en perde en esels, die laer soos dit was, in die steek gelaat; en hulle het vir hul lewe gevlug.

II Kings 7:8En toe daardie melaatse manne by die kant van die laer kom, het hulle een tent binne gegaan en geëet en gedrink en daar silwer en goud en klere uit weggeneem en dit gaan begrawe.  Daarna het hulle teruggekom en 'n ander tent binnegegaan en ook daaruit weggeneem en dit gaan begrawe.

II Kings 7:9Toe  hulle die een vir die anderOns doen nie reg nieHierdie dag is 'n dag van goeie boodskap, en ons bly stil! As ons vertoef tot die môrelig toedan sal ons skuldig staanKom dan noulaat ons gaan en dit in die huis van die koning vertel.

 

Hier is’n paar dinge wat vir my uitstaan


1. As jou honger/behoefte nie groter as jou vrees is nie sal jy niks doen nie.

Hulle het besef hulle het reeds gesterf of hulle daar sit en of hulle na die vyande toe gaan die einde is dieselfde. Jou lewe sal nie verander totdat jy beweeg nie, dit is wanneer ons beweeg waar vrees sy krag verloor.  As jy bang is vir die donker en die Lig word aangeskakel, verdwyn die vrees, dieselfde prinsiep geld vir enige vrees, wanneer die onbekende verdwyn verdwyn die vrees.

Maak 'n kwaliteit besluit en reageer op dit, dit is wanneer jou lewe verander. 


2.  God gebruik mense om sy doel te bereik.

 Die melaats se motivering om na die vyand te gaan en die Here se doel was ververwyderd van mekaar. Jy kan nie dat jou begeertes en behoeftes vir jou 'n bewys wees van God se plan met jou lewe  nie.  Die melaatse manne was nooit betrokke met die gesprek tussen die koning en Elisa nie.  Hulle was nie bewus dat die Here hulle voetstappe gebruik het om die Arameerse weermag te verdryf nie, al waaraan hulle gedink het was hulle eie honger.  Die Here gebruik jou hele lewe vir Sy doel, glo dat die Here ons elke dag kan gebruik.  Jesus het op 'n dag vyf duisend mense gevoer, Hy het gevra:" Wat is hier om te eet?" Hy het die wonderwerk gedoen met wat vir Hom gegee was, Hy het dit nie van die seun verwag wat sy eie middag-ete vir hom gegee het nie.  Baie keer diskwalifiseer ons onsself omdat ons so min het om vir die Here te gee, dit is juis dat ons vir Hom iets gee wat Jesus instaat stel om iets te doen.


3.  Hierdie is ‘n dag van blydskap en goeie nuus en ons bly stil.

Om stilte bly is ‘n boodskap.  Wat die Here doen is altyd vir die voordeel van ander. Die Here se voorsiening is gewoonlik so groot dat ons dit nie vir onsself kan hou nie, dat ons skuldig voel omdat ons dit nie verdien nie.  Dit is juis uit ons eie begeerte waar die Here vir ons wys waar herstel, krag, voorsiening lê, dis hoekom so baie mense boeke skryf en getuig omdat hulle iets ontdek het.  

 

 

My vraag vandag is waar sit jy?


Sit jy in die stad?

Afgesny van alles rondom jou.

Jy het nodig om vandag vir die Here te vra vir Sy Woord en Hom te glo.

Hierdie gaan alles oor vrees. Vrees verlam en hou mense gebind. Die enigste manier om vrees te oorwin is om dit aan te pak.

Groter is hy wat in ons is as hy wat in die wereld is.

 

Sit jy saam met die melaatse mense?

Jy het ‘n besluit gemaak en besef wat jy wil doen maar kort net die moed om te beweeg.  Jou poort mag dalk 'n besigheid wees wat jou afgedank het, gebroke verhoudings, ens. Jy sal moet vergewe en aanbeweeg anders sal jy net in daardie teleurstelling bly.


Sit jy by die oorvloed maar begrawe dit?

Jy het dalk die vermoë om ander te help maar jy kom nie daarby uit nie.  Jy weet wat die Here vir jou gegee het maar jy doen dit nie.

Hierdie is nie alleen om die evangelie te verkondig nie maar om getrou te wees aan dit wat die Here op jou hart gesit het.  Om die nood van ander te sien rondom jou.

 

Die uiteinde van die storie was dat hulle terug gegaan het en die mense in die stad gese het dat die vyand weg is.  Hulle het 'n boodskap vir die koning gehad. Die melaatse se storie het begin buite die stadsmuur en geeindig met goeie nuus vir die koning.