2020-09-14
1 Corinthians 12:25 CEV
When it comes to finding a church home, your options are unlimited. Traditional, contemporary, you name it – you can probably find it! But your individual place in the body of Christ is another matter entirely; that’s not determined by you, but by God. The Bible says, “By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body” (v. 13 NKJV). When you accept Jesus as your Saviour you become a member of His redeemed family and a “miracle of placement” takes place in you. It isn’t a choice you get to make; it’s God’s choice – and it determines your spiritual identity. Paul says: “Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body…The old labels we…used to identify ourselves – labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free – are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive” (v. 13 MSG). That means anybody anywhere in the world who names Jesus as their Saviour and Lord is more connected to you than your hand is to your wrist. And you have a role to play in relation to each and every one of them. God not only placed you in His body, He determined your unique role when He arranged “the parts…just as he wanted them to be” (v. 18 NIV). He also gave you certain “gifts,” and He expects you to use them to fulfill His purposes (See Romans 12:6-8). When you ask God to show you your gifts, He will. And when He does, you must take every opportunity to use them for His glory.
Soul food: Eze 34-36; Luke 22:1-13; Ps 78:56-64; Prov 20:25
2020-09-13
Genesis 41:42 NIV
The third coat Joseph wore was: The coat of destiny. Because Joseph honoured God, even in the most difficult circumstances, he ended up on the throne of Egypt, wearing the coat of rulership and fulfilling his destiny. The psalmist said God ‘sent a man before them – Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed’ (Psalm 105:17-21 NIV). The tests and temptations we’re facing are preparing us for our future. All of our life can be training for one season, for one assignment. And the greater the assignment, the greater the attack that will come against us. Five times in Genesis 39 the Bible says, ‘The Lord was with Joseph.’ But that did not exempt him from betrayal by his family; or repeated temptation at the hands of his boss’s wife; or accusations and false imprisonment; or disappointment at the hands of the butler he befriended in prison. Looking back, however, Joseph realised that all of these experiences were ‘training for reigning’. When Joseph was faced with his brothers again, after they sold him into slavery, he said: ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives’ (Genesis 50:20 NIV). Things that we go through, and the things that come against us, can all be used by God to shape us for the future He has for us.
Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-44; John 12:1-8
Spreuke 22:6 NLV
Die Bybel sê: ‘Leer ‘n jongmens om die regte pad te kies, en wanneer hy eendag oud is, sal hy nie daarvan afwyk nie.’ Die waarheid is dat terwyl sekere universele beginsels van toepassing op alle kinders is, geen twee kinders dieselfde is nie. Dit sal ‘n fout wees om hulle te behandel asof hulle dieselfde is. Hier is twee van die grootste foute wat jy as ouer kan maak: 1) Probeer om jou kinders in jou ewebeeld na te maak. Net omdat jy ‘n goeie rugbyspeler op skool was, beteken nie dat jou seun in jou voetspore sal wil volg nie. Net omdat jy onderskeidings op skool behaal het, beteken nie dat jou kinders daartoe in staat is nie. Jy moet nooit luiheid aanvaar of beloon nie, maar jy moet aanvaar dat nie alle kinders ewe atleties of intellektueel begaafd is nie. 2) Probeer om jou kinders in dit wat jy wil hê hulle moet wees, te vorm. Moenie jou lewe deur jou kinders probeer herleef nie. Jy het jou kans gehad en net omdat jy nie ‘n professionele atleet kon word nie, beteken nie dat jy jou seun of dogter in daardie rigting moet forseer nie. Die Bybel sê dat jy jou kind moet leer om die regte pad te kies. Daardie pad is nie noodwendig die pad wat jy graag wil hê hulle moet volg nie. Jy moet daarna strewe om jou kinders ‘n gesonde selfbeeld te gee deur hulle te leer om te weet wie hulle is, van hulself te hou en te wees wie hulle is.
Sielskos: Luk 10:38-42; Joh 11:1-44; Joh 12:1-8
Proverbs 22:6 AMPC
The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.” The truth of the matter is that while certain universal principles apply to all children, no two are alike, and it’s a mistake to treat them as if they were. In fact, here are two of the most common blunders you can make as a parent: (1) Trying to mold your child into what you used to be. Just because you were a star football player in college doesn’t mean your son will want to follow in your footsteps. And just because you made straight A’s in school doesn’t necessarily mean your children are capable of a 4.0 grade point average. While you should never tolerate or reward laziness, you need to accept that not all children are equally gifted athletically or intellectually. (2) Trying to make them into what you want them to be. Don’t try to relive your life through your kids. You had your chance, and just because you didn’t make the grade as a professional athlete doesn’t mean you should force your son or daughter in that direction. The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent],” not necessarily the way you would go, or want him or her to go. There are three hallmarks of healthy self-esteem you should continually strive to teach your children: (1) Know who you are; (2) Like who you are; (3) Be who you are.
Soul food: Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-44; John 12:1-8
2020-09-12
Genesis 39:12 NKJV
The second coat Joseph wore was: The coat of temptation. One day Joseph was tempted by his boss’ wife. The Bible says: ‘She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house’ (v.12 NIV). Joseph was young, handsome, lonely, far from home, and facing repeated temptation at the hands of his boss’s wife. Yet he resisted her advances and said, ‘How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’ (v.9 NIV). His first concern was not that he couldn’t get away with it, but that he couldn’t live with himself if he said yes. Remembering how God had loved, preserved, and blessed him stopped him from giving in to the temptation in front of him. David was a different story. After his affair with Bathsheba, he wrote these words in his prayer of Psalm 51: ‘Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight’ (v. 4 NKJV). When we sin, we’re sinning against God. He is the One observing what we’re doing. God forgave David, and He’ll forgive us too. But David’s story proves that sometimes we have to live with the consequences of our actions, and they can devastate not only us but those around us. Paul, the greatest of the apostles, acknowledged this truth: ‘I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that I myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others’ (1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV). We have to discipline ourselves, and strengthen ourselves, so that we can stand against temptation and keep ourselves effective in God’s kingdom.
Eze 31-33; Luke 21:25-38; Ps 78:40-55; Prov 20:22-24
