2020-03-16
1 John 2:6 NCV
The world throws a lot of information our way about being attractive. Magazines try to tell us how we should look, social media posts can lead us to compare our physical appearance with other people’s, and companies market their products to us by making us believe we’ll become more attractive if we use them. But as Christians, we’re called to be attractive in a different way. When people look at us, they should be attracted to know Jesus. Our words, attitudes, actions, and reactions either drive people away from Jesus or attract them to Him. God gradually transforms us to become like Jesus. The Bible says: ‘We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit’ (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV). Isaiah said of Jesus: ‘The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord’ (vv.2-3 NLT). When we become Christians, the Spirit that rested on Jesus rests on us too. That means we have wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of God, and a delight to obey Him. As we grow in these things, and the fruits of the Spirit (take a look at Galatians 5:22-23), we become more like Jesus. And we show others how amazing He is. Sometimes people will come to know Jesus because of the words that we say and the stories we tell. But other times, people watch our lifestyles and find them attractive. They want what we have. So, are we living in a way that attracts others to God?
Gen 50; Haggai 1-2; Matt 23:1-12; Ps 115; Prov 8:1-3
Jesaja 11:2 NLV
Jesaja het van Jesus gesê: ‘Uit die stomp van Dawid se familie sal ‘n takkie groei, ‘n tak wat vrugte sal dra. Die Gees van die Here sal op hom rus, die Gees wat wysheid en insig bring, die Gees wat raad en krag bring, die Gees wat kennis en eerbied vir die Here bring. Hy sal sy vreugde daarin vind om die Here te gehoorsaam. Hy sal nie regspreek volgens uiterlike skyn of op vals getuienis of hoorsê nie. Hy sal die armes en verdruktes beskerm. Teen die bose mense sal hy optree en met die asem van sy mond hulle om die lewe bring (verse 1-4 NLV). Jy sê: ‘Dis alles goed en wel, maar hoe beïnvloed dit my lewe?’ Meer as wat jy dink! Wanneer Jesus Christus op die troon as Heerser van jou lewe sit, sal die Gees wat op Hom rus, ook op jou rus! Met dit in gedagte, gaan terug en lees weer stadig en aandagtig die woorde wat in kursief gedruk is. As jy bewyse van hulle in jou lewe sien, versorg hulle met gebed en gee hulle met die Woord van God water. As jy nie bewyse daarvan sien nie, gaan op jou knieë en bid: ‘Here, maak my meer soos Jesus.’ Wanneer jy ‘n kar koop, laat die verkoopsman jou gewoonlik toe om ‘n ‘demo model’ van die kar te bestuur. Die kans is goed dat as jy daarvan hou, jy die kar sal koop. Ons is geroep om Jesus se ‘demo modelle’ te wees. Dis nie ‘n klein dingetjie nie! Hoekom? Omdat jou woorde, houdings, aksies en reaksies mense van Christus kan wegdryf, of hulle na Hom toe kan aantrek.
Sielskos: Gen 50; Haggai 1-2; Matt 23:1-12; Ps 115; Spr 8:1-3
Isaiah 11:2 NLT
Isaiah said of Jesus: “Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot – yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word” (vv. 1-4 NLT). You say, “That’s nice, but how does it influence my life?” More than you may think! When Jesus Christ sits on the throne as Ruler of your life, the Spirit that rested on Him will rest upon you too! With that in mind, go back and reread the words in italics slowly and thoughtfully. If you see evidence of them in your life, nurture them with prayer and water them with the Word of God. And if you don’t see any evidence, get down on your knees and pray, “Father, make me more like Jesus.” Before you buy a car, the salesperson usually lets you test-drive a demo. Chances are if you like it, you will buy the car. We are each called to be a “demo” for Jesus. This is no small matter! Why? Because in the final analysis, your words, attitudes, actions, and reactions either drive people away from Christ or attract them to Him.
Soul food: Gen 50; Haggai 1-2; Matt 23:1-12; Ps 115; Prov 8:1-3
2020-03-15
Hebrews 12:1 NIV
Ever had to run while wearing a heavy rucksack? When we carry anything heavy it makes running really challenging. It slows us down and can cause us to stumble. It’s the same in our lives. When we carry heavy burdens around with us, we’re weighed down and can stumble in our Christian journey. But the Bible says: ‘Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.’ So how can we throw off our burdens? Firstly, we need to acknowledge the things that are weighing us down. Sometimes it’s easy to identify our burdens. Maybe it’s a family issue, stress at work or university, a sin which we can’t break free from, or a hurt from the past. Other times we can feel weighed down without realising why. God can show us the things we need to work through. The psalmist prayed: ‘Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me’ (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV). And we can pray the same too. Secondly, we need to work through our burdens. Not everything we’re carrying can easily be thrown off. Some things need to be dug out of our lives and processed before we can let them go. God’s gentle with us, and will help us work through our problems step by step. Finally, we need to get into the habit of handing all our problems over to God. The Bible says: ‘Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you’ (Psalm 55:22 NIV). Every time we discover something that’s weighing us down, we need to give it to God and keep running.
Matt 5:4; Isa 51:1-16; Ps 30; 2 Cor 1:3-7
Hebrews 12:1 NKJV
On a recent radio broadcast, Dennis Rainey talked about Double Eagle II, the first hot air balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The men piloting the magnificent craft caught an air corridor that carried them all the way across the Atlantic. But when they were just off the coast of Ireland, they flew into heavy cloud cover and ice began to form on the balloon’s outer shell. They lost altitude, dropping from twenty thousand to ten thousand feet in a matter of hours. They did everything they could to save the balloon. They threw out video cameras, food rations, and even a glider with which they had planned to land. At about four thousand feet they transmitted their location and then threw the radio overboard. Finally, at three thousand feet they broke through into sunlight. The ice came off in sheets, and the great balloon soared all the way into France. The Bible says that in order to run and win your life’s race, you must “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares.” And it’s a lot easier to identify the sin you need to drop than the weight you need to drop. Why? Because often the weight is legitimate, and includes responsibilities, pressures, obligations, schedules, and entanglements. Today you need to stop and take an inventory of what you’re carrying. You need to face each thing squarely and ask yourself, “Did God give me this to carry, did someone else give it to me, or did I decide on my own to pick it up?” Whatever is weighing you down today – lay it aside!
Soul food: Matt 5:4; Isa 51:1-16; Ps 30; 2 Cor 1:3-7
