2018-04-23
2 Peter 3:18 NIV
Every day you live you’ll be presented with opportunities to “grow in grace.” And you must always be open and receptive to them. A grandmother celebrating her fiftieth wedding anniversary shared the secret of her long and happy relationship: “On my wedding day I decided to make a list of ten of my husband’s faults, which for the sake of our marriage I would overlook. I never did get around to listing any. Each time he did something I didn’t like, I’d say to myself, ‘Lucky for him that’s one of the ten!'” Now there’s a very wise lady! Physical intimacy may bring us together, but growing in grace will keep us together. So when someone upsets you, instead of responding with angry words or angry silence, remind yourself that God is giving you another opportunity to “grow in grace.” And if you don’t do too well with some of the opportunities He sends, don’t worry, He will keep sending more until you get it right! Resentment is one of the most expensive luxuries you can indulge in. A deep-seated grudge eats away at your peace of mind like a deadly cancer destroying a vital organ. In fact, there are few things as sad as a person who has harbored a grudge for years. Without forgiveness, life becomes an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation. One of the secrets to a long and fruitful life is to forgive everybody, everything, every night before you go to bed. It’s the key to having personal peace. So start getting serious about the Bible admonition: “Grow in grace.”
Soul food: Acts 12-13; Mark 4:10-20; Ps 103:13-22; Prov 10:30-32
2018-04-22
Luke 7:44 NKJV
Luke writes: “Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ‘This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner'” (vv. 37-39 NKJV). This scene took place in the house of Simon, a religious leader who was more concerned about “right and wrong” than he was about hurting people. He may have been theologically correct, but he lacked compassion. And Jesus confronted him about it! “He turned to the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman?'” Simon saw her as a streetwalker and a loser. But not Jesus. He responded to the gift she brought and to the heart of love behind it. In determining her future potential to God’s Kingdom, He didn’t consult her sordid past or even refer to it. He saw her tears, understood her need, and shocked the religious crowd that day by saying, “Your sins are forgiven” (v. 48 NKJV). Be careful: When you’ve been in church for a while and forgotten what it’s like to be on the outside, you can become hard-hearted and fail to show the love of God to those who need it.
Soul food: Gal 5:22; 2 Pet 3:3-15; Matt 5:39; 1 Sam 25:1-42
Lukas 7:44 NLV
Lukas skryf: “En kyk, ‘n sekere vrou van losse sedes het gehoor dat Hy daar is en het ‘n albaste fles met duur aromatiese olie gebring. Sy het agter Jesus gekniel, by sy voete, en gehuil. Haar trane het op sy voete geval en sy het dit met haar hare afgevee. Sy het sy voete bly soen en die aromatiese olie daaraan gesmeer. Toe die Fariseër, wat die gasheer was, sien wat gebeur en wie die vrou is, het hy vir homself gesê: ‘Dit bewys dat Jesus geen profeet is nie. As God hom werklik gestuur het, sou hy geweet het watter soort vrou hom aanraak. Sy is ‘n sondaar!'” (verse 37-39 NLV). Hierdie toneel het in Simon, ‘n godsdienstige leier wat meer besorg oor ‘reg en verkeerd’ as die seer van mense was, se huis afgespeel. Hy mag dalk teologies korrek gewees het, maar hy het medelye gekort. Jesus het hom daaroor gekonfronteer! ‘Hy het toe na die vrou gedraai en vir Simon gesê: ‘Kyk na hierdie vrou’…’ Simon het haar as ‘n prostituut en verloorder gesien, maar nie Jesus nie. Hy het op die geskenk wat sy gebring het en die hart van liefde daaragter, gereageer. Toe Hy haar toekomstige potensiaal vir God se koninkryk bepaal het, het hy nie na haar sondige verlede gekyk of eers melding daarvan gemaak nie. Hy het haar trane gesien, haar behoefte verstaan en die godsdienstige skare geskok deur te sê, ‘…Jou sondes is vergewe’ (vers 48 NLV). Wees versigtig: Wanneer jy al ‘n geruime tyd in die kerk is en vergeet het hoe dit voel om aan die buitekant te staan, kan jou hart verhard word en kan jy versuim om God se liefde aan diegene wat dit nodig het, te bewys.
Sielskos: Gal 5:22; 2 Pet 3:3-15; Matt 5:39; 1 Sam 25:1-42
2018-04-21
Efesiërs 3:8 NLV
Eendag het die Fariseërs ‘n vrou gevang wat egbreuk gepleeg het. Die wet van Moses was duidelik; sy moes gestenig word. Die Fariseërs was reg om dit te doen. Hierdie vrou het seker gedink dat Jesus sou saamstem. Skielik het Jesus egter gebuk en in die sand begin skryf. Sommige geleerdes dink dat Hy miskien die Fariseërs se sondes neergeskryf het, kompleet met tye en plekke. Toe Hy opkyk, was die vrou se aanklaers weg. Hy het vir haar gesê, ‘…Ook Ek veroordeel jou nie. Gaan maar, en moet van nou af nie meer sonde doen nie’ (Johannes 8:11 NLV). Daardie dag het Jesus haar van ‘n plek van onmiskenbare skuld na ‘n plek van onvoorwaardelike kwytskelding verhoog. Sy het dit nie verdien nie; sy het nie eers geweet dat dit moontlik was nie. Dis jou verhaal ook, nie waar nie? Eendag het Abraham Lincoln toegekyk hoe die eienaar van ‘n plantasie vir ‘n slawemeisie bie. Lincoln het gedink dat die eienaar die meisie sou koop en haar mishandel, dus het Lincoln die prys betaal sodat sy kon vrygaan. ‘Beteken dit dat ek kan gaan waar ek wil?’ het sy gevra. Lincoln het geantwoord, ‘Ja, jy is vry!’ Met trane wat oor haar wange stroom het sy gesê, ‘Dan, Meneer, sal ek saam met jou gaan.’ Die woord ‘genade’ is so belangrik dat Paulus dit drie keer meer as enige ander skrywer noem. Met sy vroeër gewelddadige lewe in gedagte, skryf hy ‘Aan my, die heel onbelangrikste van al God se mense, is hierdie onverdiende goedheid gegee…’ Die woord ‘genade’ kom van die Griekse woord charis, wat ‘pure vreugde’ beteken. Alhoewel jy dit nie verdien nie, sien God jou redding as ‘pure vreugde.’
Sielskos: Hand 10-11; Mark 4:1-9; Ps 103:1-12; Spr 10:27-29
Ephesians 3:8 NKJV
One day the Pharisees caught a woman in the act of adultery. The law of Moses was clear; she must be stoned. And the Pharisees were ready to do it. This woman probably thought that Jesus, being righteous, would agree. She had no lawyer to defend her, not even a character witness! But suddenly Jesus stoops and begins to write in the sand. Some scholars think that perhaps He wrote down their sins, including times and places, etc. When He looks up, the woman’s accusers have gone. He says to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11 NKJV). That day Jesus lifted her from a position of undeniable guilt to one of unconditional pardon. She didn’t deserve it; she didn’t even know it was possible. And that’s your story too, isn’t it? One day Abraham Lincoln watched a plantation owner bidding for a slave girl. Figuring he was going to buy her and abuse her, Lincoln paid the price to set her free. “Does this mean I can go wherever I want to go?” she asked. Lincoln said, “Yes, you’re free!” With tears streaming down her face she replied, “Then, sir, I will go with you.” The word “grace” is so important Paul mentions it three times more than any other writer. Remembering the violent life he lived, he writes, “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given.” The word “grace” comes from the Greek word charis, meaning “pure joy.” Although you don’t deserve it, God considers saving you to be a “pure joy.”
Soul food: Acts 10-11; Mark 4:1-9; Ps 103:1-12; Prov 10:27-29
