2018-01-29
Revelation 4:11 NKJV
A Christian farmer taught his horse to start and stop, using words from the Bible. When he wanted the horse to go, he would shout, “Praise the Lord.” When he wanted the horse to stop, he would shout, “Hallelujah.” All went well until one day a thunderbolt caused the horse to take off galloping at full speed. Realizing he had lost control, the farmer panicked and forgot the words he had trained the horse to respond to. Up ahead was a cliff, and they were headed toward it at full speed. Desperately he tried to recall every religious word he’d ever heard of. He shouted, “Amen! Jesus saves! Worthy! Holy!” Nothing worked. Just as the horse approached the precipice, he shouted, “Hallelujah!” The horse stopped right there on the edge. Relieved, he wiped the sweat off his brow and said, “Whew, praise the Lord!” Seriously, praising the Lord is not a religious activity that belongs only in church on Sunday morning. “From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised” (Psalm 113:3 NKJV). That means let your first words in the morning and your last words at night, be praise to God. “Why should I praise God every day?” you ask. Because He is worthy of your praise. “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power.” And one more thought. Spoken words of love and appreciation draw people together and create intimacy. Do you want to get closer to God? Start praising Him more.
Soul food: Num 4:34-6:27; Matt 10:32-42; Ps 104:24-35; Prov 3:11-12
2018-01-28
Sagaria 4:10 NLV
Stel jou voor waar die tempel in ‘n puinhoop lê en van die grond af herbou moet word. Dis hoe dit was toe Sagaria sy visie met die mense van Israel gedeel het. Sommige van hulle het gedink dat dit nie gedoen kan word nie en ander het gedink dat hulle spesifieke bydraes nie ‘n verskil sou maak nie. Dus het Sagaria hulle met die volgende woorde uitgedaag: ‘Die werk wat nou aan die gang is, lyk miskien klein en nie waffers nie. Maar moenie die waarde daarvan onderskat nie. Die mense sal rede hê om bly te wees as hulle sien dat Serubbabel met die bouwerk aangaan.’ In 1963 het die metereoloog, Edward Lorenz, die hipotese voorgestel wat as die skoenlappereffek bekend sou word. Hy het bespiegel dat ‘n klein gebeurtenis, soos die klap van ‘n skoenlapper se vlerke in Brasilië, moontlik die windstrome so kon affekteer dat dit ‘n tornado in Texas kon veroorsaak. Lorenz het tot die eenvoudige dog diepsinnige gevolgtrekking gekom: ‘Miniskule veranderinge in insette kan makroskopiese veranderinge in uitsette veroorsaak.’ Hierdie eenvoudige ontdekking het die mag om jou lewe te verander. Dit kan jou geestelike, emosionele, verhoudings of finansiële vooruitskatting radikaal verander. Dit kan die atmosfeer van jou organisasie of jou huwelik verander. Een besluit. Een verandering. Een risiko. Een idee. Dis al wat dit verg. Jy hoef nie eenhonderd veranderinge te maak nie. Jy moet eenvoudig net 100 persent aan een verandering verbind wees. Dit sal al jou inspanning verg. Dit sal moontlik die moeilikste ding wees wat jy ooit sal doen. Daardie een verandering het egter die potensiaal om ‘n 100 persent verandering in jou lewe te maak.
Sielskos: Eks 20:8-11; Jes 58:13-14; Luk 4:16; Heb 10:19-25
Zechariah 4:10 MSG
Imagine the temple lying in ruins, and having to be rebuilt from the ground up. That’s what things were like when Zechariah shared his vision with the people of Israel. Some thought it couldn’t be done, and others thought that their particular contribution would make no difference. So Zechariah challenged them in these words: “Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? They’ll change their tune when they see Zerubbabel setting the last stone in place!” In 1963, MIT meteorologist Edward Lorenz presented the hypothesis that became known as the butterfly effect. He theorized that a minor event, like the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil, could conceivably alter wind currents sufficiently to cause a tornado in Texas. Lorenz came to the simple yet profound conclusion: “Minuscule changes in input can make macroscopic differences in output.” That simple discovery has the power to change your life. It can radically alter your spiritual, emotional, relational, or financial forecast. It can change the atmosphere of your organization or your marriage. One decision. One change. One risk. One idea. That’s all it takes. You don’t have to make one hundred changes. All that does is divide your energy by one hundred, and results in a 1 percent chance of success. You have to be 100 percent committed to one change. It will take an all-out effort. It will probably be the hardest thing you’ve ever done. But that one change has the potential to make a 100 percent difference in your life.
Soul food: Exo 20:8-11; Isa 58:13-14; Luk 4:16; Heb 10:19-25
2018-01-27
Ephesians 1:3 NKJV
Farmer Brown lived during the Great Depression, and he was having trouble keeping up the mortgage payments on his farm. Eventually the bank gave him thirty days to catch up on his back payments or face foreclosure. Then something wonderful happened. A man from an oil company showed up on his doorstep, asking for a lease to drill for oil on his land. Since he was going to lose the farm anyway, Farmer Brown decided that it couldn’t hurt. Well, that oil company drilled and hit a gusher – 82,000 barrels of oil a day. Immediately Farmer Brown became a millionaire many times over. Now, here’s the question – When did he become a millionaire? Was it when oil was discovered on his farm, or when he first bought the land? He was a millionaire the moment he purchased the farm, but he lived in poverty because he didn’t know what was under his feet and within his reach. The Bible says God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing.” Some people think the only thing God will do for you is bless you with salvation, then He lets you struggle through the rest of life until you get to heaven. As long as you believe that, you’re living in your own spiritual version of the Great Depression. You’re living spiritually poor, spiritually weak, and spiritually deprived because you don’t know what’s available to you in Christ or how to access it and appropriate it in your life. Refuse to live that way. Instead, read your Bible and begin to claim God’s promises in every area of your life.
Soul food: Num 3:1-4:33; Matt 10:21-31; Ps 104:1-23; Prov 3:9-10
Efesiërs 1:3 NLV
Boer Smith het gedurende die Groot Depressie gelewe en het gesukkel om die verband op sy plaas te betaal. Uiteindelik het die bank hom dertig dae gegee om die uitstaande paaiemente te betaal, of die bank sou die plaas terugvat. Toe het iets wonderliks gebeur. ‘n Man van ‘n oliemaatskappy het voor sy deur opgedaag en gevra of hulle vir olie op sy plaas kan boor. Aangesien hy in elk geval op die punt was om die plaas te verloor, het Boer Smith ingestem. Die maatskappy het gekom en ‘n groot olieaar raakgeboor. Onmiddellik was Boer Smith ‘n multimiljoenêr. Nou is die vraag – Wanneer het hy ‘n miljoenêr geword? Was dit toe die olie op die plaas ontdek is, of toe hy die plaas in die eerste plek gekoop het? Hy was ‘n miljoenêr die oomblik toe hy die plaas gekoop het, maar hy het in armoede gelewe omdat hy nie geweet het wat onder sy grond en binne sy bereik gelê het nie. Die Bybel sê, ‘…[God] het al die geestelike skatte wat daar in die hemel is, verniet vir ons gegee.’ Sommige mense dink dat die enigste ding wat God vir jou sal doen is om jou met verlossing te seën, en dan laat Hy jou vir die res van jou lewe sukkel tot jy in die hemel kom. Solank as wat jy dit glo, lewe jy in jou eie geestelike weergawe van die Groot Depressie. Jy is geestelik arm en geestelik swak omdat jy nie weet wat in Christus vir jou beskikbaar is of hoe om toegang daartoe te kry en in jou lewe te gebruik nie. Weier om so te lewe. Lees eerder jou Bybel en begin om op God se beloftes in elke area van jou lewe aanspraak te maak.
Sielskos: Num 3:1-4:33; Matt 10:21-31; Ps 104:1-23; Spr 3:9-10
