2019-11-25
Psalm 37:34 DB
Boere het ‘n tyd om te saai, ‘n tyd om te groei en ‘n tyd om te oes. Dis dieselfde in God se koninkryk. Een sendeling vertel hoe hy gehoor het hoe ‘n groep gesoute leiers hulle gedeelde ervarings bespreek het, waaruit ‘n fassinerende vyf-fase proses te voorskyn gekom het: Fase 1: Die geboorte van die visie. Elkeen het aanvanklik ‘n visie van die Heilige Gees ontvang, wat gepaardgegaan het met opgewondenheid en blywende bewustheid dat dit van God af kom. Fase 2: Die voorbereiding. Dis die fase waar drome dikwels vernietig word, omdat ons nie die nodige voorbereiding wil doen nie. Wanneer God jou ‘n visie gee, moet daar ook aksie van jou kant af geneem word, anders sal dit nooit meer as ‘n vlietende dagdroom wees nie. Fase 3: Die wildernis en die stryd. Een van ons grootste wanopvattings is dat wanneer iets van God af kom, daar geen stryd betrokke sal wees nie. Dis ‘n mite! Jy kan amper gewaarborg wees dat daar ‘n aansienlike stryd vereis sal word. Dis in hierdie fase waar ons getrouheid bewys word en daar is geen plaasvervanger daarvoor nie. 4) Die realisering van die visie. Dis hier waar ons uiteindelik die vrugte van ons ywerige voorbereiding en God se getrouheid kan begin smaak. Fase 5: ‘n Nuwe begin en visie. Hierdie leiers het almal agtergekom dat hulle weer deur ‘n vars visie van die Heilige Gees uitgedaag is. Hulle het uiteindelik tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat hulle lewens ‘n aanhoudende siklus van al groter wordende visies is en soos God hulle met meer vertrou het, het dit hulle meer voorbereiding gekos en het die intensiteit van die stryd verhoog. Nou verstaan jy die fases van jou visie!
Sielskos: 3 Joh; Judas; Joh 13:31-38; Ps 118:1-9; Spr 27:23-27
Psalm 37:34 TLV
In farming, there’s a time for sowing, a time for growing, and a time for reaping. It’s the same in God’s kingdom. One missionary tells of hearing a group of seasoned leaders discussing their shared experiences from which a fascinating five-stage process emerged. Stage 1: The birth of the vision. Initially each of them was given a vision by the Holy Spirit, accompanied by an excitement and abiding awareness that it was from God. Stage 2: The preparation. This is the stage where dreams are often aborted because we don’t want to do the necessary preparation. When God gives you a vision, there must be some action on your part or it will never amount to anything more than a passing daydream. Stage 3: The wilderness and the struggle. One of our biggest misconceptions is that if something is really from God, there’ll be no struggle involved. That’s a myth! You can almost guarantee a significant amount of struggle will be required. This stage is the proving ground of our faithfulness, and there’s no substitute. Stage 4: The realization of the vision. This is where we finally get to enjoy the fruits of our diligent preparation and God’s faithfulness. Stage 5: New beginnings and vision. These leaders all found themselves challenged again with fresh vision from the Holy Spirit. As a result, they concluded that their lives had been a continual cycle of ever-expanding vision, and as God entrusted them with more, it would take even greater amounts of preparation and the intensity of the battle would increase. Now you understand the stages of your vision!
Soul food: 3 John; Jude; John 13:31-38; Ps 118:1-9; Prov 27:23-27
2019-11-24
Romans 8:26 NAS
Paul writes: “The Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (vv. 26-27 NAS). So what is this “weakness” in prayer that we are subject to? It’s that sometimes we don’t know how to express the depth of our desires and feelings, nor do we even realize what we need. Sometimes we’re so exhausted in spirit, mind, and body, that we can hardly muster the energy to open our mouths. There are instances when discouragement has taken such a strong hold of your heart that you can’t imagine a way out of your circumstances. That’s when you need to ask for the Holy Spirit’s help! When you are a believer, the Holy Spirit supplies you with the two things you can’t live without: (1) The ability to know what God is saying to you. Sometimes you can’t trust your own wisdom or the advice of those closest to you. (2) How to have an intimate relationship with God. One of the most wonderful things Jesus said was, “I have called you friends” (John 15:15). But friendships aren’t built on a hit-and-run basis; they take time and communication. Jesus described His relationship with the Father like this: “The Father loves the Son and shows him everything” (John 5:20 NLT). And not only does the Holy Spirit show you what to do, He empowers you to do it. So seek His help today.
Soul food: Ecc 11:7-12:1; Ps 39:4-13; 2 Tim 4:6-8
Romeine 8:26 NLV
Paulus skryf: ‘Die Gees van God help ons ook nog boonop in ons onbeholpenheid. Ons weet immers nie mooi wat en hoe ons moet bid nie. Maar die Gees self neem ons gebedsbehoeftes voor God op met versugtinge wat nie in menslike taal verwoord kan word nie. Dié God wat die dieptes van elke hart deurgrond, weet wat die Gees in die oog het – dat Hy in harmonie met God se wil vir die gelowiges intree’ (verse 26-27 NLV). Wat is hierdie onbeholpenheid in gebed waaraan ons onderhewig is? Soms weet ons nie hoe om die diepte van ons begeertes en gevoelens uit te druk nie en ons besef nie eers wat ons nodig het nie. Soms is ons so moeg in gees, gedagtes en liggaam dat ons nie die energie het om ons monde oop te maak nie. Daar is tye waar moedeloosheid so ‘n sterk houvas op jou hart het dat jy nie nie aan ‘n manier om uit jou omstandighede te kom, kan dink nie. Dis dan wanneer jy die Heilige Gees se hulp moet vra! Wanneer jy ‘n gelowige is, voorsien die Heilige Gees jou van twee dinge waarsonder jy nie kan lewe nie: 1) Die vermoë om te weet wat God vir jou sê. Soms kan jy nie jou eie wysheid of die raad van jou naastes vertrou nie. 2) Hoe om ‘n intieme verhouding met God te hê. Een van die wonderlikste dinge wat Jesus gesê het, was: ‘…Ek het julle vriende genoem…’ (Johannes 15:15 NLV). Vriendskappe verg egter tyd en kommunikasie. Jesus het sy verhouding met die Vader as volg beskryf: ‘Die Vader het die Seun lief en wys Hom alles wat Hy self doen…’ (Johannes 5:20 NLV). Die Heilige Gees wys jou nie net wat om te doen nie, Hy bemagtig jou ook om dit te doen. Soek dus vandag sy hulp.
Sielskos: Pred 11:7-12:1; Ps 39:4-13; 2 Tim 4:6-8
2019-11-23
John 14:26 NKJV
Jesus said, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit…will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” So the Holy Spirit has these two functions: (1) He teaches you how to walk with God. (2) He reminds you to do it each day. As redeemed children of God, we constantly need to be taught how to walk with Him, and to be reminded of the blessings that await us when we do and the trouble we get into when we don’t. If you’ve raised kids, you know the routine. They have to be taught their ABCs so they can read and write; then they have to be reminded until they master it. They have to be taught to walk, and falling down hundreds of times is just part of growing up. The Bible says, “A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (Proverbs 24:16 NKJV). Just as you don’t tell your child, “Forget it, you’re never going to learn to walk,” your heavenly Father doesn’t give up on you either. Your child had to be taught personal hygiene and cleanliness. Likewise, the Holy Spirit will remind you of the importance of reading God’s Word each day. Jesus said, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3 NKJV). And the psalmist wrote, “How can a young man [and an older one too] cleanse his way? By taking heed…to Your word” (Psalm 119:9 NKJV). If you’re wise, you’ll start each day by praying, “Holy Spirit, teach me what I need to know, and remind me of it throughout this day.”
Soul food: 2 Chr 35-36; John 13:18-30; Ps 114; Prov 27:20-22
