2020-02-28
2 Peter 3:9 NIV
When our family members and friends are not yet Christians, we feel a desire to pray for them and tell them about Jesus. But when we’ve been praying for years, and they still seem uninterested, it can be tempting to give up. But God ‘is patient…not wanting anyone to perish.’ We need to persistently pray for our loved ones, even when we don’t seem to be making any progress. We need to be willing to have conversations about our faith. We need to pray that God would bring people into their lives who will show them what God has done for them. However, we shouldn’t try to force people to become Christians. It’s a personal choice, so we can’t pressure people into believing. Instead, we can pray that God would open their hearts to hearing about Him. This happened when Paul visited the home of Lydia. Paul says: ‘We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message’ (Acts 16:13-14 NIVUK). Even if the people we’re praying for are really far away from God, there is still hope. His grace and mercy can reach them. Paul said: ‘My heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved’ (Romans 10:1 NIV). Is it our heart’s desire to see our loved ones come to know Jesus? Or have we given up and become disheartened? Let’s reignite our desire to pray for our friends and family who are not yet Christians.
Gen 13-16; Matt 18:21-35; Ps 61; Prov 6:16-19
2020-02-27
Psalm 119:130 NKJV
In December 2005, Brian Hardin says God told him to podcast the Bible. Hardin writes: “On New Year’s Eve when I read my first podcast…I said, ‘I’m Brian…I have no broadcast experience. I really don’t know what I’m doing, but I plan to read through the Bible this year. If you get this, here’s my email address.’ I expected about five people to sign up. On New Year’s Day 2006, I had 257 responses, and by June the daily audio Bible had been downloaded 200,000 times. Now, following our sixth anniversary, it’s been downloaded more than 51 million times and is still one of the top podcasts on iTunes. With more than 1.5 million downloads monthly, the daily audio Bible is one of the most listened to podcasts in the world. We’ve become a vast online family that prays and hears the Bible together. When somebody calls or goes into the online prayer line with a request, thousands of people pray for that person…We receive an endless stream of emails from disenfranchised believers who have found the place appealing…Separated couples who had nothing left to do but sign divorce papers…started listening to the Bible and found their marriages restored. I can tell you many stories of people who were hopeless – I mean suicidally hopeless – who found comfort in God’s Word and were restored. The Bible has a voice, and if given a chance to speak – in context – it will create amazing things in your heart. The Bible can transform even the most tangled life. I know. It radically changed mine.” Bottom line: Reading the Bible will change your life.
Soul food: Gen 10-12; Matt 18:10-20; Ps 58; Prov 6:12-15
Psalm 119:130 NLV
Brian Hardin sê dat God in Desember 2005 vir hom gesê het om die Bybel te potgooi. Hardin skryf: ‘Op oujaarsaand het ek my eerste potgooi gelees. Ek het gesê: ‘Ek is Brian. Ek het geen uitsendingservaring nie. Ek weet regtig nie wat ek doen nie, maar ek beplan om hierdie jaar die Bybel deur te lees. As jy hierdie wil ontvang, teken aan op my eposadres.’ Ek het verwag dat vyf mense sou aanteken. Op 1 Januarie 2006, het ek 257 reaksies ontvang en teen Junie is die daaglikse oudio Bybel meer as 200,000 keer afgelaai. Nou, op ons sesde herdenking, is dit meer as 51 miljoen keer afgelaai en is dit steeds een van die top potgooie op iTunes. Met meer as 1.5 miljoen mense wat maandeliks die daaglikse oudio Bybel aflaai, is ons een van die potgooie wat die meeste in die wêreld geluister word. Ons het ‘n massiewe aanlyn familie geword wat saam bid en die Bybel aanhoor. Wanneer iemand bel of die aanlyn gebedslyn met ‘n versoek kontak, bid duisende mense vir daardie persoon. Ons ontvang ‘n eindelose stroom eposse van ontnugterde gelowiges wat die potgooi aanloklik vind. Paartjies wat nog net die skeibrief moes onderteken, het na die potgooi begin luister en agtergekom dat hulle huwelik herstel is. Ek kan jou baie verhale vertel van mense wat hooploos was – en ek bedoel mense wat selfdood oorweeg het – wat vertroosting in God se Woord gevind het en herstel is. Die Bybel het ‘n stem en wanneer dit die kans gegee word om – in konteks – te praat, sal dit wonderlike dinge in jou hart skep. Die Bybel kan selfs die mees verwronge lewe transformeer. Ek weet. Dit het myne radikaal verander.’ Jou lewe sal verander wanneer jy die Bybel lees.
Sielskos: Gen 10-12; Matt 18:10-20; Ps 58; Spr 6:12-15
Psalm 119:130 NCV
We all know that we should be reading our Bibles, but so often they’re left on the side gathering dust. We need to be opening our Bibles and spending regular time reading God’s Word. But why should we read it? Firstly, reading the Bible fills our minds with the truth about who we are, and who God is. The enemy and the world try and tell us things about ourselves which aren’t true. The only way we’ll be able to recognise and resist the lies is by knowing the truth found in the Bible. Secondly, the Bible contains the guidance and wisdom that we need to live our lives. When we read the Bible, we can find the answers to the questions we have. We might think it’s an outdated book, but in Hebrews we’re told that it ‘is alive and active’ (4:12 NIV). God speaks to us through it today. Thirdly, reading the Bible helps us to become more like Jesus. When we read about His life, we know how we should be living. God can use what we read to transform us. But it’s vital that we go beyond just reading the Bible. The psalmist wrote: ‘Learning your words gives wisdom and understanding.’ By memorising verses, we can fight back with Scripture when the enemy comes against us. We need to research what we’re reading, maybe by reading commentaries or finding books on the topic. We need to make sure we’re reading things in context, and not ignoring the verses or chapters that are more challenging to read and understand. The Bible says that all Scripture is useful (have a read of 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Then we need to put what we’ve read into action. We need to let God change us through what we’ve read.
Gen 10-12; Matt 18:10-20; Ps 58; Prov 6:12-15
2020-02-26
1 Samuel 30:8 NKJV
God’s Word promises that whatever you are addicted to today, you can be set free from. And there’s more! You can get back what you’ve lost, or something even better. How? By doing what David did when the Amalekite armies destroyed his home and took his family captive: (1) He turned to God for strength to deal with his problem. “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (v. 6 NKJV). Face it; if you could have solved the problem by yourself, you’d already have done it, right? Don’t feel bad about that, feel good. Acknowledging that you are powerless is the first step to victory. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV). Now, acknowledging that you’re powerless isn’t the same thing as giving in to hopelessness. It means acknowledging that you can’t, God can, and that He will when you surrender the problem to Him. (2) God gave David a plan to deal with his problem. “Pursue, for you will surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” Armed with God’s strength and His plan, David went after the enemy and kept attacking until he recovered everything that had been stolen from him. And God wants to do that for you too. He promised, “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten” (Joel 2:25). When you turn to God, He can give you more joy and success in the years ahead than in all the years behind you. That’s His recovery plan for you!
Soul food: Gen 7-9; Matt 18:1-9; Ps 53; Prov 6:9-11
