2023-07-10
1 John 2:1 NAS
On those days when you wonder how God could love you, read these words: “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” When your thoughts sink to gutter level and your actions are anything but Christlike, remind yourself: “He lives forever to intercede with God on [our] behalf” (Hebrews 7:25 NLT). It works like this: When God’s law declares you guilty, Jesus steps in and says, “Father, I have this person covered; they are trusting in my shed blood, and My righteousness has been transferred to them.”
Try to picture this: In the Old Testament tabernacle, the blood of a lamb was poured on top of the mercy seat, and the ark of the covenant that contained the broken law – the record of our guilt – was placed underneath it. So, the only way God could see the broken law – was through the blood. And it’s the same today! If you’re wondering why God continues to love, accept, and bless you, it’s because Jesus is your lawyer! Notice:
(1) He is fully qualified to represent you. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17 KJV).
(2) He has never lost a case. “He is… able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him” (Hebrews 7:25 NKJV).
(3) He offers His services freely. “Without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1 KJV). The Bible says, “Let us… approach God’s throne of grace with confidence… that we may receive mercy and… grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 NIV).
Jesus is your lawyer, so you can come to God with confidence today.
Soul food: Jer 36:27-40:16; Matt 25:1-13; Ps 137; Prov 15:15-17
2023-07-09
Markus 9:23 NLV
Mense sonder beperkinge weier om dinge soos hulle is te aanvaar, omdat hulle dinge sien soos dit kan wees. In plaas daarvan om te sê: ‘Dit kan nie gedoen word nie,’ staan hulle in geloof op en sê: ‘Alle dinge is moontlik vir hom wat glo.’ Mense sonder beperkinge begaan ook foute en het mislukkings. Die verskil is dat hulle in geloof tot by die krans se afgrond stap, met die wete dat een van twee dinge sal gebeur wanneer hulle daar kom. God sal of soliede grond onder hulle voete plaas, of Hy sal hulle leer om te vlieg.
Die skrywer van die boek Hebreërs beskryf sulke mense as volg: ‘Hulle het deur te glo koninkryke verower, die reg herstel, verkry wat God beloof het, leeus se bekke toegestop, die gloed van vuur geblus en aan die swaard ontkom. Hulle het krag in hulle swakheid ontvang, was magtig in die oorlog en het vreemde leërs op die vlug laat staan’ (Hebreërs 11:33-34 NLV). Hierdie mense was swak aan die begin, maar hulle het sterk geword. Hoe? ‘Deur te glo.’ Hulle besit die soort geloof wat struikelblokke en teenstand verontagsaam en verklaar: ‘Ek is wat God sê ek is, ek het wat God sê ek het, en ek kan doen wat God sê ek kan.’
Daar is ‘n verhaal van ‘n ou Skotse voorman wat hard gewerk het en dieselfde van sy werkers verwag het. Een dag het een van hulle gesê: ‘Jock, besef jy dat Rome nie in een dag gebou is nie?’ Glimlaggend het Jock geantwoord: ‘Ja, maar ek was nie die voorman daar nie.’ Vra God vandag om jou te help om bo jou vrese uit te styg en jou ‘n persoon sonder beperkinge te maak.
Sielskos: Eks 17:1-7; Joh 4:4-42
Mark 9:23 NKJV
No-limits people refuse to accept things as they are because they see them as they can be. Instead of saying, “It can’t be done,” they rise up in faith and say, “All things are possible to him who believes.” No-limits people have faults and failures like everybody else. The difference is, they walk by faith to the cliff’s edge knowing that one of two things will happen when they get there. Either God will put solid rock under their feet, or He will teach them to fly. In other words, they plug into God’s unlimited power supply.
The author of the book of Hebrews describes no-limits people like this: “Who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle” (Hebrews 11:33-34 NIV). Notice, these people started out weak, but they became strong. How? “Through faith.” They possessed the kind of faith that disregards the odds, the obstacles, and the opposition, and declares, “I am what God says I am, I have what God says I have, and I can do what God says I can.”
The story is told of an old Scottish foreman who worked hard on the job and expected the same from his workers. One day one of them said, “Jock, don’t you know Rome wasn’t built in a day?” Smiling, Jock replied, “Aye, but I wasn’t the foreman on that job.” Today ask God to help you rise above your fears and make you a no-limits person.
Soul food: Exo 17:1-7; John 4:4-42
2023-07-08
Proverbs 4:25 NLT
To succeed at what God has called you to do, you must do these:
(1) Remove distractions. This is not easy, as most people now get hundreds of emails, texts, and tweets every day. But you must do it. How? By keeping the discipline of practicing your priorities. Don’t accomplish easy things first, or hard things first, or urgent things first. Do first things first – the activities that provide you with the highest return. That way, you keep distractions minimized.
(2) Protect yourself from distractions. One leader writes: “I need blocks of time to think without interruptions. I’ve mastered the art of making myself unavailable when necessary and going off to my ‘thinking place’ so that I can work without interruptions… however, I am always aware of the tension between my need to remain accessible to others as a leader and my need to withdraw from them to think.”
Jesus often withdrew from activities and prayed (See Luke 5:16). To know people’s needs, He spent time with people. To meet people’s needs, He spent time with God in prayer. As a result, He was always in the right place, at the right time, with the right people, doing the right things. And you must do that too! If you’re naturally withdrawn, then make sure to get out among people more often. If you’re always “on the go,” then remove yourself periodically so that you can be refreshed and refocused in order to accomplish what God has called you to do. “Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked” (Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT).
Soul food: Jer 33:1-36:26; Matt 24:36-51; Ps 122; Prov 15:10-14
Spreuke 4:25 NLV
Om sukses te behaal in dit wat God jou geroep het om te doen, moet jy die volgende doen:
1) Verwyder afleidings. Dis nie maklik nie, omdat die meeste mense honderde eposse en boodskappe elke dag kry. Jy moet dit egter doen. Hoe? Deur jouself te dissiplineer om jou prioriteite uit te oefen. Moenie die maklikste dinge eerste, of die moeilike dinge eerste, of die dringende dinge eerste doen nie. Doen die eerste dinge eerste – die aktwiteite wat vir jou die grootste opbrengs bring. Op hierdie manier minimaliseer jy afleidings.
2) Beskerm jouself teen afleidings. Een leier skryf: ‘Ek het tye nodig om sonder onderbrekings te kan dink. Ek het die kuns vervolmaak om myself nie beskikbaar te maak nie sodat ek sonder onderbrekings kan werk. Ek is egter altyd bewus van die spanning tussen my behoefte om as leier toeganklik vir mense te wees en my behoefte om myself van hulle te onttrek om te dink.’ Jesus het Homself dikwels van aktiwiteite onttrek en gebid (sien Lukas 5:16 NLV). Gevolglik was Hy altyd op die regte plek, op die regte tyd, saam met die regte mense, besig om die regte ding te doen.
Jy moet dit ook doen! As jy van nature teruggetrokke is, maak seker dat jy meer gereeld tussen mense kom. As jy altyd aan die gang is, verwyder jouself dan van tyd tot tyd sodat jy verfris kan word en weer kan fokus om dit waarvoor God jou geroep het, te bereik. ‘Kyk reguit vorentoe; bly gefokus op wat voor jou is. Merk jou pad duidelik af, dan sal jy seker wees waarheen jy gaan. Moenie links of regs van jou koers afwyk nie. Bly weg van wat verkeerd is’ (Spreuke 4:25-27 NLV).
Sielskos: Jer 33:1-36:26; Matt 24:36-51; Ps 122; Spr 15:10-14
