2024-11-15
Matthew 4:19 KJV
Jesus told professional fishermen, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” These men knew three things about catching fish:
(1) You must go where the fish are. You say, “I thought we were supposed to separate ourselves from the world.” Jesus didn’t avoid the culture; He engaged it in order to change it. And you must do the same. Jesus prayed: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:15-18 NKJV).
(2) You must be ready when the fish are biting. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). The saying, “When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear,” is a true saying.
(3) You must use the right bait to catch fish. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16 NKJV). The word “gospel” means good news. Honest sinners already feel bad about their sins and struggles; what they need is the power to change. And “the gospel… is the power of God to salvation.”
Keep these three principles clearly in mind, and today go fishing for souls.
Soul food: Rom 9:17-11:36; John 10:22-42; Ps 83:9-18; Prov 29:23-27
Matteus 4:19 NLV
Jesus het vir professionele vissermanne gesê: ‘Kom! Word my dissipels, en Ek sal julle vissers van mense maak.’ Hierdie mans het drie dinge van visvang geweet:
1) Jy moet gaan waar die vis is. Jy sê: Ek dog ons is veronderstel om onsself apart van die wêreld te hou.’ Jesus het nie die kultuur vermy nie; Hy het daarby betrokke geraak om dit sodoende te verander. Jy moet dieselfde doen. Jesus het gebid: ‘Ek vra nie dat U hulle uit die wêreld verwyder nie, maar dat U hulle van die kwaad moet bewaar. Hulle behoort nie aan die wêreld nie, net soos Ek ook nie aan die wêreld behoort nie. Laat hulle vir U geheilig wees deur ‘n hegte verbintenis aan die waarheid. Net soos U My na die wêreld toe gestuur het, het Ek hulle ook na die wêreld toe gestuur’ (Johannes 17:15-18 NLV).
2) Jy moet gereed wees wanneer die vis begin byt. ‘Inteendeel, eerbiedig net Christus as die heer van julle lewe. As julle dit doen, en iemand vra julle uit oor die hoop wat in julle leef, wees altyd reg om te reageer’ (1 Petrus 3:15 NLV).
3) Jy moet die regte aas gebruik om die vis te vang. Paulus het gesê: ‘Vir hierdie Goeie Nuus is ek allesbehalwe skaam. Dit is immers God se krag wat hier aan die werk is. Dit bring redding vir elkeen wat glo…’ (Romeine 1:16 NLV). Die woord ‘evangelie’ beteken goeie nuus. Eerlike sondaars voel reeds sleg oor hulle sondes en stryd; wat hulle nodig het is die krag om te verander.
Hou hierdie drie beginsels voorop in jou gedagtes en gaan vang vandag siele van mense.
Sielskos: Rom 9:17-11:36; Joh 10:22-42; Ps 83:9-18; Spr 29:23-27
2024-11-14
Hebrews 11:34 NIV
Persistence and a refusal to abandon your vision kept you coming back and back and back again until you finally succeeded. Try to imagine what life would be like without the light bulb or the polio vaccine. Yet Thomas Edison and Jonas Salk lived through endless chapters of trial and failure before they succeeded. Successful people take note of their failures and learn from them. They examine them carefully, work out what went wrong, and use them to correct their errors going forward.
So often, we begin new projects with excitement and enthusiasm. The newness of what we are doing compels us to keep moving forward. Then something goes wrong, and we stop. The project looked easier than it turned out to be, and we are not prepared to work at it and stay at it, so we quit. But quitters don’t win, and winners don’t quit.
And as a redeemed child of God, you have a big plus: “My help comes from the Lord” (Psalm 121:2 NKJV). Think about that! With the Lord of every situation and circumstance helping you, you will eventually prevail. You have a source of unfailing strength and guidance to draw on. Moses lived through criticism, betrayal, and constant complaining, yet he led the greatest migration of people in the history of mankind. How did he do it?
The Bible gives us the answer in two phrases: “He was looking ahead to his reward… he persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:26-27 NIV). So keep your eyes on the Lord, keep looking ahead to your promised reward, and you will win.
Soul food: Rom 7:1-9:16; John 10:11-21; Ps 83:1-8; Prov 29:19-22
Hebreërs 11:34 NLV
Volharding en die weiering om jou visie te laat vaar, het jou laat aanhou probeer totdat jy uiteindelik sukses behaal het. Probeer om jouself in te dink hoe die lewe sonder die gloeilamp of die polio-inenting sou gewees het. Tog het Thomas Edison en Jonas Salk eindelose hoofstukke van beproewing en mislukking beleef voordat hulle uiteindelik sukses behaal het. Suksesvolle mense neem kennis van hul mislukkings en leer daaruit. Hulle ondersoek dit versigtig, werk uit waar dinge verkeerd begin gaan het en gebruik dit dan om foute op die pad vorentoe reg te stel.
Te dikwels begin ons nuwe projekte met opgewondenheid en entoesiasme. Die nuutheid van wat ons doen dryf ons vorentoe. Dan gaan iets verkeerd en ons hou op. Die projek het makliker gelyk as wat dit in werklikheid is en ons is nie bereid om daarby te bly en daaraan te werk nie, dus gooi ons tou op. Tou-opgooiers wen egter nie en wenners gooi nie tou op nie.
As verloste kind van God, het jy ‘n verdere voordeel: ‘…my hulp kom van die Here…’ (Psalm 121:2 NLV). Dink daaroor. Met die Here wat jou in elke situasie en omstandigheid help, sal jy uiteindelik oorwin. Jy het ‘n bron van onfeilbare krag en leiding om hulp by te kry. Moses het deur kritiek, verraad en aanhoudende klaery geleef, maar tog het hy die grootste migrasie van mense in die geskiedenis van die mensdom gelei. Hoe het hy dit gedoen?
Die Bybel gee ons die antwoord in twee frases: ‘…hy [het] na die beloning uitgesien… Hy het volhard soos iemand wat die onsienlike God sien’ (Hebreërs 11:26-27 AFR83). Hou dus jou oë op die Here, hou aan vorentoe kyk na jou beloofde beloning, en jy sal oorwin.
Sielskos: Rom 7:1-9:16; Joh 10:11-21; Ps 83:1-8; Spr 29:19-22
2024-11-13
Proverbs 27:1 NLT
Unexpected events can knock us off our feet. And while some of us get knocked down and out, others get back up and go on. They refuse to accept defeat as being permanent. They’re like the man who said, “I’m never down; I’m either up, or I’m getting up.” They see everything that happens in life as a learning experience. Losing a loved one is heart breaking, but it can also be a wake-up call to live every day of your life to the fullest. Losing a job can be traumatic, but it can also bring to the surface talents and abilities you never knew you had. Struggling to overcome a bad habit can lead to reprioritizing your life and instituting healthy habits.
You can prepare for the worst by saving money for emergencies, taking classes about new products and technology, keeping your relationships and contacts current so when you need to call someone for help, someone will willingly pick up the phone. Doing so is like having a spare tire and tools in your trunk for changing a flat. You hope you never need to use them, but you keep them ready to go in the event you hit a bump in the road.
Above all, keep your relationship with God in good repair! “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand” (Psalm 37:23-24 NIV).
Soul food: Rom 3:21-6:23; John 10:1-10; Ps 133; Prov 29:15-18
