2020-04-12
Galasiërs 2:19 NLV
Die kruis moet ‘n noodsaaklike deel van jou alledaagse lewe word. Hoekom? Omdat jy drie meedoënlose vyande het wat jy elke dag moet oorwin: sonde, Satan, die self. Hoe oorwin jy hulle? Deur die gekruisigde lewe te leef. Paulus skryf: ‘…Ek is saam met Christus gekruisig. Ek leef nie meer nie, maar Christus lewe in my…’ Jy sê: ‘Dis te moeilik om ‘n Christelike lewe te lei!’ Nee, dis nie moeilik nie… dis onmoontlik. Die enigste manier om dit te doen, is om die krag en persoon van Christus toe te laat om deur jou te lewe. Dis hoekom Paulus geskryf het: ‘Maar ek – ek wil my op niks anders beroem as die kruis van ons Here Jesus nie. Want daardeur is die wêreld vir my gekruisig, en ek vir die wêreld’ (Galasiërs 6:14 NLV). Na jare in ‘n Russiese arbeidskamp, het Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn so depressief geword dat hy wou sterf. Hy het sy graaf neergesit en op ‘n bankie gaan sit, met die wete dat daar enige oomblik ‘n wag verby kon kom en daardie graaf kon gebruik om hom mee dood te slaan. Dit was op daardie oomblik wat ‘n mede-gevangene ‘n stok opgetel het en in die sand voor Solzhenitsyn se voete die teken van die kruis gemaak het. Soos hy daarna gestaar het, het sy hele perspektief verander. Hy het besef dat die kruis die grootste mag in die heelal verteenwoordig, stadig opgestaan, sy graaf opgetel en weer onder die teken van die kruis begin werk. Jy moet dit ook doen. Herinner jouself daagliks: ‘Jesus het vir my gesterf. Ek het saam met Hom gesterf. Wanneer ek aan myself sterf, lewe Hy in my. Wanneer Hy in my lewe, kan ek vir Hom lewe.’ Dis die geheim tot ‘n seëvierende Christelike lewe.
Sielskos: 1 Kor 15; Matt 28:1-10; Job 19:25-26; Joh 11:25-26; 1 Pet 1:3; Jes 25:8
Galatians 2:20 NKJV
The cross must become a vital part of your everyday life. Why? Because you have three relentless enemies you must overcome each day: sin, Satan, self. How do you overcome them? By living the crucified life. Paul writes, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” You say, “It’s too difficult to live a Christian life!” No, it’s not difficult…it’s impossible. The only way is to let the power and person of Christ live through you. That’s why Paul wrote, “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14 NKJV). After years in a Russian labor camp, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn became so depressed that he wanted to die. Laying his shovel down, he walked over to a bench and sat down, knowing that any moment a guard could come by and use that shovel to beat him to death. It was then that a fellow inmate took a stick, and in the sand at Solzhenitsyn’s feet traced out the sign of the cross. As he stared at it, his entire perspective shifted. Realizing the cross represented the greatest power in the universe, he slowly got up, picked up his shovel, and went back to work under the sign of the cross. And you must do that too. Each day, remind yourself: “Jesus died for me. I died with Him. When I die to me, He lives in me. When He lives in me, I can live for Him.” That’s the secret of a victorious Christian life.
Soul food: 1 Cor 15; Matt 28:1-10; Job 19:25-26; John 11:25-26; 1 Pet 1:3; Isa 25:8
2020-04-11
1 Corinthians 1:23 NIV
We’re all called to share our faith with others. Some of us might do that by working in Christian ministry, others might talk to people where they live, others might go on a mission trip, and others might reach those closest to them. But however we evangelise, and whoever we’re talking to, we need to remember to share the whole gospel. It can be tempting to focus on the ‘nice’ parts of Christianity. We like to tell people that God loves them and that they’re His children. This is definitely true. The Bible says: ‘See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!’ (1 John 3:1 NIV). But we can’t stop there. We need to ‘preach Christ crucified’. Explaining Jesus’ death and resurrection can be challenging; we may not even fully understand it ourselves, let alone explain it in an accessible way to those who don’t yet know God. But the Holy Spirit can help us have the words to say. Jesus said: ‘The Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say’ (Luke 12:12 NIV). If we don’t tell people about what Jesus has done for them, they won’t understand the grace and mercy of God. They won’t know that they’re saved, forgiven, and redeemed, without having to do anything other than believe. They won’t be grateful to God for the sacrifice that was made. People may not believe what we’re telling them, and they may reject us for what we’re saying. But God wants us to tell people the truth about who He is, who they are, and what has been done for them. So let’s go and tell them today.
Num 21:4-9; Matt 27:57-66; Ps 69:7-21; Deut 21:22-23
Jeremia 8:9 NLV
Jy sal nooit die boodskap van die kruis verstaan, of die voordele van die verlossing wat van die kruis af kom ontvang nie, tensy jy eers by die kruis kniel en Jesus Christus as jou persoonlike redder aanvaar. Daar is ‘n verhaal van ‘n groot prediker wat deur Italië getoer het. ‘n Vriend het vir hom gesê om na ‘n sekere dorpie te gaan om ‘n skildery van die kruisiging van Christus te gaan besigtig. ‘Hoe lyk dit?’ het hy gevra. Sy vriend het geantwoord: ‘Maak nie saak hoe dit lyk nie. Ek wil hê jy moet dit sien. Belowe my dat jy sal gaan?’ Hy het belowe. Hy het na die dorpie gegaan en die kerkie waarin die skildery was, besoek. Die ou opsiger het gesê: ‘Jy het gekom om die skildery te sien, nè?’ Hy het geantwoord: ‘Ja, ek het inderdaad.’ Die opsigter het gesê: ‘Volg my.’ Die groot prediker was nie voorbereid op dit wat hy op die punt was om te sien nie. In plaas van ‘n beeldskone meesterstuk, het die skildery uit proporsie gelyk en nie sin gemaak nie. ‘Ek verstaan nie hierdie skildery nie,’ het hy gesê. Die opsigter het geantwoord: ‘Kom nader.’ Hy het. Die opsigter het gesê: ‘Kyk laer.’ Hy het. Uiteindelik, toe hy aan die voet van die kruis kniel, het hy opgekyk en die krag en skoonheid van die skildery gesien en begin huil. Dis eers wanneer jy jou trots, jou vooropgestelde idees en jou intellektuele benadering eenkant sit, wat die boodskap van die kruis jou transformeer. ‘Ek besef hoe belaglik die boodskap van die kruis moet klink vir hulle wat verlore gaan. Maar vir ons wat gered word, is dit die krag van God’ (1 Korintiërs 1:18 NLV).
Sielskos: Num 21:4-9; Matt 27:57-66; Ps 69:7-21; Deut 21:22-23
Jeremiah 8:9 NKJV
You will never understand the message of the cross, or receive the benefits of salvation that come from the cross, until you first kneel at the cross and receive Jesus Christ as your personal saviour. The story is told of a great preacher who was touring Italy. A friend told him to go to a certain village and see a painting of the crucifixion of Christ. “What is it like?” he asked. His friend said, “Never mind what it is like. I want you to see it. Please promise me you will.” He replied, “I will.” He went to the village and visited the chapel where the painting was. The old caretaker said, “You’ve come to see the painting, haven’t you?” He said, “Why, yes I have.” The caretaker responded, “Follow me.” The great preacher was not prepared for what he was about to see. Instead of a beautiful masterpiece, the painting seemed all out of proportion and didn’t make sense. “I don’t understand this painting,” he said. The caretaker replied, “Come closer.” He did. The caretaker said, “Get lower.” He did. Finally, as he was kneeling at the foot of the cross, he looked up and saw the power and beauty of the painting and was reduced to tears. It’s only when you lay aside your pride, your preconceived notions, and your intellectual approach, and humble yourself, that the message of the cross transforms you. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV).
Soul food: Num 21:4-9; Matt 27:57-66; Ps 69:7-21; Deut 21:22-23
