2021-02-17
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
Mickey Mantle is one of the true legends of baseball history. He played two thousand four hundred and one games for the New York Yankees from 1951 until 1968, hit a record eighteen homers in twelve World Series, and was placed in baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1974. The crowd loved him. He was famous. He was rich. But he still felt empty inside, so he turned to alcohol. In a Sports Illustrated interview, he once described his long battle with liquor and his heartbreaking problems with his family. The interviewer then asked, “So how are things going with you today, Mickey?” He replied, “I haven’t had a drink in eight months. I’m starting to get my life back together, but I just feel like there’s something missing.”
Do you feel that way today? Have all the things you’ve achieved or acquired failed to satisfy you? Mickey Mantle finally discovered how to fill the hole in his soul. Near the end of his life he found what he had always been looking for – Jesus Christ.
Another famous former baseball player, Bobby Richardson, led him to Christ. At Mantle’s funeral, Richardson told of helping Mantle receive the Lord Jesus as his personal Saviour. On his deathbed Mickey Mantle said, “I am trusting in Christ’s death for me to take me to heaven.” Home run!
And what Jesus did for Mickey Mantle, He wants to do for you too. “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
Soul food: Gen 1-3; Matt 15:15-28; Ps 28; Prov 5:3-6
2021-02-16
Genesis 1:24 NKJV
The theory of evolution is incompatible with the Bible. God said in creation, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind.” And “when God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God…. When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness” (Genesis 5:1,3 NIV). In other words, man isn’t just another animal in the evolutionary chain. “Microevolution” teaches variations within species. For example, there are different types of dogs, etc. But there is no scientific evidence to support “macroevolution” – one species evolving into another species.
In reference to creation, Dr. Derek Prince wrote: “I am simple-minded enough to believe that it happened the way the Bible described it. I have been a professor at Britain’s largest university [Cambridge] for nine years. I hold various degrees and academic distinctions, and I feel in many ways I am quite sophisticated intellectually, but I don’t feel in any way intellectually inferior when I say that I believe the Bible record of creation. Prior to believing the Bible I have studied many other attempts to explain man’s origin and found them all unsatisfying and in many cases self-contradictory. I turned to study the Bible as a professional philosopher – not as a believer – and I commented to myself, ‘At least it can’t be any sillier than some of the other things I’ve heard,’ and to my astonishment, I discovered it had the answer.”
Are you looking for answers to your life’s problems? Or direction for your future? Read your Bible and live by its precepts!
Soul food: Ecc 9-12; Matt 15:1-14; Ps 5; Prov 5:1-2
Genesis 1:24 NLV
Die teorie van evolusie is onversoenbaar met die Bybel. God het gesê: ‘Laat die aarde allerlei soorte diere oplewer… almal na eie aard.’ Ook, ‘…Toe God mense geskep het, het Hy hulle na sy beeld gemaak… Toe Adam 130 jaar oud was, is sy seun Set gebore. Hy was die ewebeeld van sy pa’ (Genesis 5:1,3 NLV). Met ander woorde, die mens is nie net nog ‘n dier op die evolusionêre ketting nie. ‘Mikro-evolusie’ leer mens dat daar variasies binne spesies is. Daar is byvoorbeeld verskillende soorte honde, ens. Daar is egter geen wetenskaplike bewyse om ‘makro-evolusie’ – een spesie wat in ‘n ander spesie ontwikkel – te staaf nie.
Met betrekking tot die skepping, het dr Derek Prince geskryf: ‘Ek is eenvoudig genoeg om te glo dat dit gebeur het soos die Bybel dit beskryf. Ek was vir nege jaar lank ‘n professor aan Brittanje se grootste universiteit (Cambridge). Ek het verskeie grade en akademiese onderskeidings ontvang en ek voel dat ek op baie vlakke intellektueel gesofistikeerd is. Ek voel egter op geen manier intellektueel minderwaardig wanneer ek sê dat ek die Bybelse weergawe van die skepping glo nie. Voordat ek die Bybel geglo het, het ek baie ander pogings om die mens se oorsprong te verduidelik, bestudeer, maar ek het hulle almal onbevredigend en in baie gevalle selfs teenstrydig gevind. Ek het die Bybel as professionele filosoof – nie as ‘n gelowige nie – begin bestudeer en vir myself gesê: ‘Ten minste kan dit nie dwaser as van die ander dinge wat ek gehoor het, wees nie,’ maar tot my verbasing het ek ontdek dat dit die antwoord bevat het.’
Is jy opsoek na antwoorde vir jou lewensprobleme? Of rigting vir jou toekoms? Lees die Bybel en lewe volgens sy voorskrifte!
Sielskos: Pred 9-12; Matt 15:1-14; Ps 5; Spr 5:1-2
Isaiah 40:26 NIV
When we look at the sky and try to imagine how far space goes on for, it’s almost impossible to process. The thought of how big our universe is can make us feel incredibly tiny and insignificant. And when we’re feeling insignificant, our prayer requests can sometimes feel the same.
If God, with His infinite power, created the entire universe, how could He possibly be concerned about our relatively small concerns, like good exam results, or release from nerves about about a job interview, or hoping that the car will pass its MOT? Isaiah 40:26 says: ‘Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing’ (NIV). God knows each of the stars individually, and He would notice if one of them didn’t appear.
Matthew 10:29 and Luke 12:6 both talk about God being concerned with the little sparrows. He doesn’t forget a single one. They’re all part of His creation, and He’s concerned about every tiny corner of it. So we can be sure He’s also concerned about us. Even if we’re feeling insignificant, we’re not insignificant to Him, and that means our prayers, worries, concerns and joys are all important to Him. He’s not a distant God – He’s accessible and available to listen to us if we take time to pray and invite Him into our lives, and He’s ready to use His power to help us and strengthen us as we face our daily lives.
Ecc 9-12; Matt 15:1-14; Ps 5; Prov 5:1-2
2021-02-15
1 Corinthians 15:39 NCV
The Bible says, ‘All things made of flesh are not the same. People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds have another, and fish have another.’ When we think about the enormous variety of creatures that live on earth, it gives us an insight into God’s creativity. Psalm 104:24 says, ‘How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures’ (NIV). And He infused us with creativity too: ‘The Lord has given them the skill to do all kinds of work. They are able to cut designs in metal and stone. They can plan and sew designs in fine linen with the blue, purple, and red thread. And they are also able to weave things’ (Exodus 35:35 NCV).
When God created us, He made us ‘in his own image’ (Genesis 1:27 NIV). No other part of God’s creation on earth can claim that. We’re set apart as His children, and He has redeemed us, has a special purpose for us, and loves us so much that when we die, He wants to take us to heaven to be with Him forever.
But while we’re still on earth, He wants us to use all the skills and creativity He’s blessed us with to further His kingdom and demonstrate His glory and power: ‘God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance to live our lives doing’ (Ephesians 2:10 NCV). Every day, let’s do our best to reflect God to those around us, remind them of the beauty of His creation, and show His creativity and power.
Ecc 5-8; Matt 14:22-36; Ps 149; Prov 4:25-27
