2017-10-20
Psalm 32:5 NLT
When you deliberately sin, you’re rebelling against God’s rule in your life – and you’ll feel bad about it. And feeling bad is evidence that you truly are a redeemed child of God; otherwise your sin wouldn’t bother you. Picture a teenager saying to his dad, “I’m truly sorry, but I took your credit card and bought beer for my buddies with it.” Now, the chances are his father may never have discovered it, especially if he wasn’t a good bookkeeper. But his son’s troubled conscience brought it to the surface and he said, “Dad, I shouldn’t have bought the beer; I shouldn’t have lied about my age; I shouldn’t have used your credit card to do it. You trusted me and I let you down. I’m sorry, and I won’t do it again.” That’s confession. That’s what we must do in our prayers. The Greek word translated as confession means “to agree with God.” When we confess our sins, we are agreeing with God concerning the sin in our lives as revealed through His Word and by the Holy Spirit. When we confess, we verbalize our sin and receive cleansing and forgiveness. Yes, confession is often painful, but it keeps our fellowship with our Heavenly Father clear, open, and close. It’s not that God stops loving us, but that we no longer feel we can approach Him with confidence. Do you have a sin to confess? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NKJV).
Soul food: Isa 1-3; John 4:39-54; Ps 5; Prov 27:13-16
Psalm 32:5 NLV
Wanneer jy opsetlik sondig, rebelleer jy teen God se leiding in jou lewe – en voel jy sleg daaroor. Om daaroor sleg te voel, is ‘n bewys dat jy ‘n verloste kind van God is, anders sou jou sonde jou nie gepla het nie. Dink aan ‘n tiener wat vir sy pa sê, ‘Ek is regtig jammer, maar ek het Pa se kredietkaart gebruik om bier vir my en my vriende te koop.’ Die kans is daar dat sy pa dit dalk nooit sou agterkom nie, veral as hy nie sy bankstate dophou nie. Sy seun se skuldige gewete het dit egter na die oppervlak gebring en hy het gesê, ‘Pa, ek moes nie die bier gekoop het nie. Ek moes nie jou kredietkaart daarvoor gebruik het nie. Jy het my vertrou en ek het jou teleurgestel. Ek is jammer en ek sal dit nie weer doen nie.’ Dít is belydenis. Dis wat ons in ons gebede moet doen. Die Griekse woord wat as belydenis vertaal word, beteken ‘om met God saam te stem.’ Wanneer ons ons sondes bely, stem ons wat ons sonde wat deur sy Woord en die Heilige Gees geopenbaar word betref, saam met God. Wanneer ons bely, verbaliseer ons ons sonde en ontvang ons reiniging en vergifnis. Ja, belydenis is dikwels pynlik, maar dit hou ons gemeenskap met ons Hemelse Vader skoon, oop en naby. Dis nie dat God ophou om vir ons lief te wees nie, maar dat ons voel dat ons Hom nie meer met vertroue kan nader nie. Het jy ‘n sonde om te bely? ‘As ons egter ons sondes bely, Hy is betroubaar en regverdig om ons sondes te vergewe en ons skoon te maak van elke verkeerde optrede’ (1 Johannes 1:9 NLV).
Sielskos: Jes 1-3; Joh 4:39-54; Ps 5; Spr 27:13-16
2017-10-19
Revelation 2:4 NLT
Love is like a fire; when it’s not fueled, it goes out. That’s what happened to the Christians in the church at Ephesus. In earlier years Paul wrote these words to them: “Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love” (Ephesians 6:24 NAS). Their love for the Lord was so strong and so evident to all, that Paul commended them for it. But by the time Christ speaks to the same church in the book of Revelation, their love for Him had waned: “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me” (vv. 2-5 NLT). Evangelical leader John Stott wrote: “They’d fallen from the early heights of devotion to Christ which they’d climbed. They’d descended to the plains of mediocrity. In a word…the hearts of the Ephesian Christians had chilled. Their first flush of ecstasy had passed. Their early devotion to Christ had cooled. They’d been in love with Him, but…had fallen out of love.” You can go to church, read your Bible, and pray every day, yet not love God as you should. Loving God is a commitment and a heart attitude that results in obedience. It’s a focus: a daily decision to honor Him in all you say and do. So, has your love grown cold?
Soul food: Exo 39-40; John 4:27-38; Ps 15; Prov 27:10-12
Openbaring 2:4 ABA
Liefde is soos ‘n vuur; wanneer dit nie brandstof kry nie, brand dit uit. Dit is wat met die Christene in Efese gebeur het. Paulus het aan hulle geskryf: ‘Mag God se onverdiende goedheid met almal wees wat ons Here Jesus Christus met ‘n blywende liefde liefhet’ (Efesiërs 6:24 NLV). Hulle liefde vir die Here was so sterk en sigbaar, dat Paulus hulle daarvoor geprys het. Teen die tyd wat Christus egter met hulle in die boek van Openbaring praat, het hulle liefde vir Hom getaan: ‘Ek ken jou handel en wandel. Ek het ook jou harde werk en volharding raakgesien, en dat jy slegte mense net nie kan verdra nie. Jy het ook navraag gedoen oor dié wat sê dat hulle apostels is, maar dit nie is nie… Verder volhard jy ook en het jy ter wille van My baie verdra sonder om moeg te word. Maar Ek het hierdie klag teen jou: dat jy jou eerste liefde versaak het. Dink terug aan hoe ver jy uitgesak het en kom tot inkeer, en doen weer wat jy aan die heel begin gedoen het…’ (verse 2-5 NLV). Die evangeliese leier, John Stott, het geskryf: ‘Hulle het van die hoogtes van toewyding aan Christus geval. Hulle het na die vlaktes van middelmatigheid neergedaal. Die harte van die Efesiese Christene het afgekoel. Hulle eerste gevoel van ekstase het verbygegaan. Hulle was verlief op Hom, maar daardie verliefdheid het verdwyn.’ Jy kan kerk toe gaan, jou Bybel lees en elke dag bid, en tog nie so lief wees vir God soos wat jy moet wees nie. Om God lief te hê is ‘n verpligting en ‘n hartshouding wat in gehoorsaamheid manifesteer. Dis ‘n daaglikse besluit om Hom in alles wat jy doen en sê te eer. Het jou liefde afgekoel?
Sielskos: Eks 39-40; Joh 4:27-38; Ps 15; Spr 27:10-12
2017-10-18
1 John 5:14 NIV
The story is told of three men marooned on a desert island with little hope of being rescued. One day they were walking around the island when one of them picked up an old, tarnished lamp. When he rubbed it, a genie appeared and offered to grant each man one wish. The first man said, “I wish I was back in my office in Boston.” Puff! He was there. The second said, “I wish I was home with my family in London.” Puff! He was there. The third man looked around and said, “It’s so lonely here, I wish my friends were back with me.” The problem with wishing is that genies and magic lamps don’t exist. But God does! And since He is in control of your life and He’s more powerful than any genie, when your wishes become prayers that line up with His will, they can become a reality. “Does the Bible teach that?” you ask. Yes; it says: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God…if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (vv.14-15 NIV). But even when your wish is in line with God’s will, you need one more thing – faith. Faith does two things: (a) It opens your eyes to see that God’s promises are for you personally. (b) It acts like a magnet, drawing the fulfillment of His promise into your life. So what are you wishing for? If it’s God’s will – you can have it.
Soul food: Exo 36-38; John 4:13-26; Ps 41; Prov 27:7-9
