2018-07-29
1 Corinthians 1:23 NKJV
A European village priest in medieval times told his congregation, “Come back tonight for a special sermon about Jesus.” And they did. To their surprise, however, no candles illuminated the sanctuary. They groped their way to the pews and sat down. The priest was nowhere to be seen. Then they heard him walking through the church toward the front. When he reached the cross that hung on the wall, he lit a candle. And without saying a word he illuminated the pierced feet of Christ, then His side, then one hand, then the other. Raising the candle, he shed light on the blood-masked face and the crown of thorns. Then with a puff he extinguished the candle and dismissed the congregation. Nothing more needed to be said. Take the words “Christ crucified,” and add the words “for me,” and you’ll understand what God did when He hung His sinless Son on that cross. Had you been the only person who ever lived, Christ would have died for you. With His arms stretched wide, He was saying, “This is how much I love you.” When you’re tempted to sin, when you’re guilt-ridden by sin, when Satan whispers, “There’s no hope for you,” when pride would have you focus on your own virtue and morality, go back to the cross. You can’t go there too often. Hymnist Isaac Watts sums it up in these words: “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”
Soul food: Matt 5:10; 1 Thes 2:13-3:5; 1 Cor 4:11-13; Rev 6:9-11
2018-07-28
Psalm 25:21 NLV
Bobby Jones word as een van die wêreld se beste golfers geag. Hy is egter meer bekend vir dit wat by 1925 se Amerikaanse Ope gebeur het, as al sy ander oorwinnings op die golfbaan. Hy het per ongeluk sy bal aangeraak en vir homself ‘n een-hou boete toegeken, selfs al het niemand anders gesien dat hy die bal aangeraak het nie. Daardie boete het veroorsaak dat hy die Ope met een hou verloor het. Toe toernooi beamptes hom oor sy integriteit probeer komplimenteer, het Jones eenvoudig gesê, ‘Jy mag my net sowel prys omdat ek nie banke beroof nie. Daar is net een manier om hierdie spel te speel.’ Bobby Jones het by die reëls gehou. Punt. Daarmee het hy die integriteit van die spel geëer. Een sportjoernalis het geskryf, ‘In die opinie van baie mense, van al die groot atlete, het Bobby Jones die naaste gekom aan wat ons ‘n groot man kon noem.’ Jones kon die toernooi gewen het, maar hy sou sy integriteit verloor het. Om die Amerikaanse Ope te wen was nie genoeg om ‘n een-hou boete op sy integriteit te plaas nie. Dis epiese integriteit! Dis iets om te vier. Ons lewe in ‘n samelewing wat talent meer as integriteit waardeer, maar dis verkeerd. Talent verloor waarde soos die tyd verloop. So ook intellek en voorkoms. Jy sal op die ou einde jou krag en jou mooi voorkoms verloor. Jy hoef egter nie jou integriteit te verloor nie. Integriteit is die een ding wat se waarde nie met verloop van tyd verminder nie. Niks neem langer om te bou as ‘n goddelike reputasie nie. Niks word egter ook vinniger met een hou van sonde vernietig nie. Dis hoekom jou integriteit bo alles anders gevier en beskerm moet word.
Sielskos: Sef 1-3; Luk 9:46-56; Ps 42:6-11; Spr 19:15-17
Psalm 25:21 NIV
Bobby Jones is considered one of history’s greatest golfers. But more than all his victories on the golf course, he’s famous for what happened in the 1925 U.S. Open. He inadvertently touched his ball and assessed himself a one-stroke penalty, even though no one else saw him touch the ball. But he couldn’t violate his conscience. And by assessing himself that penalty, he lost the Open by that one stroke. When tournament officials tried to compliment him for his integrity, Jones simply said, “You might as well praise me for not breaking into banks. There is only one way to play this game.” Bobby Jones played by the rules. Period. And in doing so, he honored the integrity of the game. One sportswriter wrote, “In the opinion of many people, of all the great athletes, Bobby Jones came the closest to being what we call a great man.” Jones could have won the tournament, but he would have lost his integrity. And winning the U.S. Open wasn’t worth a one-stroke penalty on his integrity. That’s epic integrity! And that’s something to be celebrated. We live in a culture that celebrates talent more than integrity, but we’ve got it backwards. Talent depreciates over time. So do intellect and appearance. You will eventually lose your strength and your looks. You may even lose your mind. But you don’t have to lose your integrity. Integrity is the only thing that doesn’t depreciate over time. Nothing takes longer to build than a godly reputation. And nothing is destroyed more quickly by one stroke of sin. That’s why your integrity must be celebrated and protected above all else.
Soul food: Zeph 1-3; Luke 9:46-56; Ps 42:6-11; Prov 19:15-17
2018-07-27
Jesaja 43:18 DB
Alhoewel dit waar is dat ons almal van tyd tot tyd misluk, is dit goed om te onthou: Jy kan suksesvol misluk. Hoe? Deur uit jou foute te leer en wyser en sterker as gevolg daarvan te word. As jy oefen om ‘suksesvol’ te misluk kan jy sukses in die toekoms ervaar. Erken dus jou mislukkings, sien jouself as gereinig deur die bloed van Jesus, laat jou teleurstellings gaan en staan op en probeer weer. Op ‘n punt in Elia se lewe het hy so depressief geword dat hy gebid het om dood te gaan: “…’Ek het nou genoeg gehad, Here,’ het hy gesê. ‘Neem nou maar my lewe, want ek is niks beter as my voorouers nie'” (1 Konings 19:4 NLV). Later is hy deur God se genade versterk en het hy uit sy depressie ontwaak as ‘n nuwe man met ‘n nuwe doel in die lewe (sien verse 15-16 NLV). Nadat hy Christus openlik verloën het, is Petrus vergewe. Ten spyte van sy swakheid is hy herstel en het hy die apostel geword wat sy mede-apostels versterk het en die Nuwe Testamentiese kerk gebou het (sien Lukas 22:31-32). Dis nie ‘n kwessie van hoe erg of hoe gereeld jy misluk het nie – dis ‘n kwessie van wat God met jou kan doen wanneer jy sy genade aanvaar, weer opstaan en Hom toelaat om jou te bemagtig om beter te doen. Petrus is ‘n bewys dat God ons kan gebruik wanneer ons swak is en deur ons tot eer van Hom kan praat en optree (sien 1 Korintiërs 1:28). Sal God jou soms korrigeer? Ja, Hy is ‘n goeie ouer, maar Hy sal jou nooit weggooi nie. Die woord vir jou vandag is dus: Jy kan oor begin.
Sielskos: 1 Tim 4-6; Luk 9:37-45; Ps 42:1-5; Spr 19:12-14
Isaiah 43:18 TM
Although it’s true that we all fail, here’s something worth remembering: You can fail successfully. How? By learning from your failures and growing stronger and wiser through them. Surrendering your future to your past just means you drown in remorse and hopelessness. But if you practice “failing forward,” you can experience future success. So acknowledge your failings, see yourself cleansed by the blood of Jesus, let go of your disappointment in yourself, and get up and try again. At one point in Elijah’s life, he got so depressed that he prayed he might die: “‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors'” (1 Kings 19:4 NIV). Later when he was strengthened by God’s grace, he emerged from his depression a new man with a new mission in life (See vv. 15-16 NIV). After he’d denied Christ openly, Peter was forgiven. Despite his weakness he was restored, and became the apostle who would “strengthen his fellow apostles” and build the New Testament Church (See Luke 22:31-32). It’s not a matter of how badly or how often you’ve failed – it’s a matter of what God can make you when you accept His grace, get up again, and allow Him to empower you to do better. Peter is proof that God takes us when we are weak, and speaks and acts through us in ways that bring glory to Him alone! (See 1 Corinthians 1:28). Will God sometimes correct you? Yes, He’s a good parent, but He won’t discard you. So the word for you today is – you can start again.
Soul food: 1 Tim 4-6; Luke 9:37-45; Ps 42:1-5; Prov 19:12-14
