2018-07-24
Amos 5:5-6 NIV
Bethel is where Jacob had his life-changing dream, and made a vow to God. Gilgal is where the Israelites camped after God miraculously parted the Jordan River and they stepped into the Promised Land for the first time. Beersheba is where Isaac dug a well and built an altar. All three places held special significance: They were sacred landmarks in Israel’s spiritual journey. So why would God tell them not to seek Him there? The answer is simple: You won’t find God in the past. His name is not The Great I Was, it’s The Great I Am. The Psalmist said, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1 NIV). When we cling too tightly to what God did last, we often miss what God wants to do for us next. He is at work right here, right now. He is always doing something new. So go ahead and build altars and mark holy moments to the past, but the purpose of altars is to remind us of God’s faithfulness in the past so we can have faith to believe Him for the future. When we stop living out of imagination and start living out of memory, we start dying. To be fully alive is to be fully present. It mandates leaving the past in the past. That’s why Paul wrote, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 NIV). So the word for you today is: Press on!
Soul food: Nah 1-3; Luke 9:1-17; Ps 14; Prov 19:1-4
2018-07-23
1 Konings 19:21 NLV
Elisa se bediening begin met die volgende Skrifgedeelte: ‘Elisa het toe teruggegaan en twee osse geslag. Hy het die jukke opgekap vir brandhout en die vleis gebraai. Hy het die vleis gegee aan die ander wat geploeg het… Daarna het hy saam met Elia gegaan en sy volgeling geword.’ Hy kon nie na sy ou manier van lewe terugkeer nie, omdat hy die gereedskap daarvoor verbrand het. Dit was die einde van Elisa die boer en die begin van Elisa die profeet. Dit maak nie saak of jy probeer gewig verloor, verder wil leer, ‘n boek wil skryf, ‘n besigheid of bediening wil begin of uit die skuld wil kom nie, die eerste stap is altyd die langste en die moeilikste. Jy kan nie net ‘n tree in jou toekoms inneem nie; jy moet ook die moontlikheid om terug in die verlede in te beweeg, elimineer. Dis hoe jy jou doelwitte bereik. Dis hoe jy verslawings oorkom. Dis hoe jy verhoudings versoen. Dit was nie nodig vir Elisa om sy ploeggereedskap te verbrand om Elia te volg nie, maar dit het ‘n stelling gemaak. Meer spesifiek was dit ‘n stelling van geloof. Daar was nie omdraaikans nie. Nege uit die tien keer misluk mense wanneer hulle na Plan B oorgaan omdat Plan A te riskant, te duur of te moeilik is. Dis hoekom die meeste mense hulle Plan B uitlewe. Hulle het nie hulle brûe na die verlede afgebrand nie. Plan A mense het nie ‘n Plan B nie. Dis Plan A of niks. Hulle sal eerder verongeluk terwyl hulle hulle Goddelike drome nastreef, as om sukses met iets anders te behaal. Die woord vir jou vandag is: Brand die brûe na jou verlede af en beweeg vorentoe.
Sielskos: 2 Pet 1-3; Luk 8:40-56; Ps 146; Spr 18:23-24
1 Kings 19:21 NIV
Elisha’s ministry begins with this Scripture: “He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people …Then he set out to follow Elijah.” He couldn’t go back to his old way of life because he had destroyed the time machine that would take him back. It was the end of Elisha the farmer, and the beginning of Elisha the prophet. It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to lose weight, get into graduate school, write a book, start a business or a ministry, or get out of debt. The first step is always the longest step and the hardest. You can’t just take a step forward into the future; you also have to eliminate the possibility of moving backward into the past. That’s how you go after goals. That’s how you break addictions. That’s how you reconcile relationships. To begin a new chapter, you must end an old chapter. Elisha didn’t need to burn his plowing equipment to follow Elijah, but it made a statement. More specifically, it was a statement of faith. There was no turning back. Nine times out of ten, failure is resorting to Plan B when Plan A gets too risky, too costly, or too difficult. That’s why most people are living their Plan B. They haven’t burned their bridges to the past. Plan A people don’t have a Plan B. It’s Plan A or bust. They would rather crash and burn going after their God-ordained dreams, than succeed at something else. The word for you today is: Burn your bridges to the past and move forward.
Soul food: 2 Pet 1-3; Luke 8:40-56; Ps 146; Prov 18:23-24
2018-07-22
Efesiërs 5:33 NLV
‘n Vrou het een Maandagoggend skielik opgespring en ‘n werksvergadering verlaat. Bekommerd, het haar vriendin haar buitentoe gevolg om te hoor hoekom sy so skielik opgespring het. Sy het die vrou op haar selfoon buite die raadsaal aangetref. ‘Is alles reg?’ het sy dringend gevra toe die vrou die telefoon neersit. ‘O, ja,’ het die vrou skaam geantwoord. ‘Ek wou julle nie laat skrik nie, maar ek het skielik onthou dat die asblik op Maandae vir die vullisverwyderaars uitgesit moet word.’ ‘Maar is jou man dan nie by die huis om daarvoor te sorg nie?’ het die vriendin fronsend gevra. ‘Ja,’ het die vrou geantwoord, ‘maar dit verg twee van ons om die vullis uit te vat. Ek kan dit nie optel nie, en hy kan dit nie onthou nie!’ Die geheim van ‘n suksesvolle huwelik lê daarin om te leer hoe om saam te lewe en te werk. Hier is tien voorstelle om jou te help om hierdie doel te bereik: 1) Besluit om daagliks saam te bid. 2) Sê elke dag vir mekaar iets moois. 3) Moenie vergeet om lepel te lê nie. 4) Dink aan julle as ‘n span – nie net as ‘n paartjie nie. 5) Respekteer julle verskille. 6) Eet ten minste een maaltyd ‘n dag saam. 7) Gee julle argumente aan God oor. 8) Ontwikkel ‘n sterk sin vir humor. 9). Identifiseer julle ‘spesiale plek’ en ‘spesiale liedjie.’ 10) Wees nostalgies saam. Ironies genoeg, is die nommer een rede vir skeisake vandag ‘uiteenlopenheid van karakter.’ Wel, raai wat? Julle is veronderstel om verskillend te wees! Wanneer twee mense met verskillende gawes besluit om vir mekaar lief te wees en na mekaar te luister, word hulle verskille ‘n bron van krag, eerder as ‘n bron van swakheid. Die huwelik verg twee!
Sielskos: Matt 5:9; Rom 12:17-21; Jak 3:17-18; Matt 26:51-52
Ephesians 5:33 NIV
A woman went away on a long weekend retreat. Halfway through the final Monday morning session she suddenly jumped to her feet and left the room. Concerned, a friend followed her to see what had made her leave the meeting so abruptly. She found the woman hanging up a telephone in the lobby. “Is everything all right?” she asked urgently. “Oh, yes,” the woman responded sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to alarm you, but I suddenly remembered that it’s Monday morning trash day.” Her friend replied, “Trash day? Isn’t your husband at home?” “Yes,” replied the woman, “but it takes two of us to put out the trash. I can’t carry it, and he can’t remember it!” The secret of a good marriage lies in learning how to live and work together. And here are ten suggestions to help you accomplish that goal: (1) Agree to pray together daily. (2) Find something good to say about each other every day. (3) Don’t forget to snuggle. (4) Think of yourselves as a team – not just a couple. (5) Respect your differences. (6) Eat at least one meal together each day. (7) Submit your disagreements to God. (8) Develop a strong sense of humor. (9) Identify “your special place,” and “your special song.” (10) Reminisce together. Ironically, the number one reason given for divorce today is “incompatibility.” Well, guess what? You are supposed to be different! When two people with different gifts decide to love one another and listen to one another, their differences can become a source of strength rather than a source of weakness. Marriage: It takes two!
Soul food: Matt 5:9v; Rom 12:17-21; James 3:17-18; Matt 26:51-52
