2021-06-25
Joshua 22:23 NLT
In the Bible an altar represented different things. It represented sacrificing to God by giving Him the best of the sheep in your flock. It represented worshiping God and putting Him above all else in life. It represented humility, acknowledging your need of God and your total dependence on Him.
But it’s also possible to build an altar “for ourselves.” By doing so, we rob God of His rightful place in our lives and begin to put ourselves first. In other words, we build an altar to self-interest, self-promotion, self-preservation, self-aggrandizement, and self-exaltation.
That’s why Jesus sets the following standard for discipleship, and it’s a high standard: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24 NKJV). Your “cross” has only one purpose, and that’s for “self” to die on.
Paul writes: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13 NKJV). Note the words “put to death.” Your flesh, or your ego and carnal nature, will not willingly roll over and die; it must be crucified each day. And the power to do this can only be accessed by spending time in prayer with God and renewing your mind constantly with the Word of God.
So today the choice is yours; to build an altar to the Lord, you must first put “self” on the altar. Are you ready to do that?
Soul food: Jer 14-17; Luke 2:34-40; Ps 21; Prov 14:17-20
Hebrews 11:6 NIV
Some sceptics like to say, ‘Which “god” are you talking about: Thor, Zeus, etc.?’ The inference in this question is, ‘These were mythical gods, and so is yours.’ There are millions of false gods, idols, and things that we try to worship and give first place in our lives, but there’s only one Creator – the God who revealed Himself to Moses and gave us His Word. He gave us Jesus, who died and rose for us so we could be saved.
Another argument atheists use is that they can’t prove God doesn’t exist, just as we can’t prove something like the tooth fairy doesn’t exist. But this argument implies that believing in the tooth fairy is just as important and has similar consequences as believing in God. It’s true that we can’t disprove the existence of either one, but as one minister writes, ‘Belief in the existence of the tooth fairy is inconsequential. Belief in and therefore obedience to God has eternal consequences.’
Believing in the tooth fairy isn’t going to change our lives much, if at all. But believing in God can and should. He’ll be the one we’ll have to face on judgment day. People might say, ‘I don’t believe in judgment day!’ But what if they’re wrong? The Bible says: ‘For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God’ (Romans 14:10-12 NIV). Today, let’s accept God’s love and gift of salvation, and let Him be the only god in our lives.
Jer 14-17; Luke 2:34-40; Ps 21; Prov 14:17-20
Josua 22:23 NLV
In die Bybel het ‘n altaar verskillende dinge verteenwoordig. Dit het offergawes aan God deur vir Hom die beste skape in jou kudde te gee, verteenwoordig. Dit het lofprysing aan God en om Hom bo alles anders in jou lewe te stel, verteenwoordig. Dit het nederigheid en jou besef van jou behoefte aan God en jou totale afhanklikheid aan Hom, verteenwoordig.
Dis egter ook moontlik om ‘n altaar ‘vir onsself’ te bou. Wanneer ons dit doen, steel ons God se regmatige plek in ons lewens en begin ons onsself eerste stel. Met ander woorde, ons bou ‘n altaar vir selfbelang, selfbevorderding, selfbehoud, selfvergroting en selfverheerliking. Dis hoekom Jesus die volgende standaard vir dissipelskap gestel het – en dis ‘n hoë standaard: ‘…As julle my volgelinge wil wees, moet julle julle eie, selfsugtige ambisie prysgee, julle kruis op julle skouers neem, en agter My aan kom’ (Matteus 16:24 NLV). Jou ‘kruis’ het net een doel en dis vir die ‘self’ om daarop te sterf.
Paulus skryf: ‘Want as die sondige natuur julle lewe beheer, gaan julle die dood tegemoet. Maar as julle onder die invloed van die Gees die werke van julle sondige natuur doodmaak, sal julle werklik lewe’ (Romeine 8:13 NLV). Jou vlees, of jou ego en sondige natuur, sal nie net omrol en doodgaan nie; dit moet elke dag doodgemaak word.
Jy kan slegs toegang tot die krag om dit te doen kry, deur tyd in gebed met God deur te bring en jou gedagtes aanhoudend met die Woord van God te vernuwe. Die keuse is dus vandag joune; om ‘n altaar vir die Here te bou, moet jy eers die ‘self’ op die altaar plaas. Is jy gereed om dit te doen?
Sielskos: Jer 14-17; Luk 2:34-40; Ps 21; Spr 14:17-20
2021-06-24
Matteus 5:9 NLV
Les een: Soms is die beste oplossing vir konflik ‘n skeiding, selfs as dit net tydelik is. Wanneer emosies hoog loop, het jy spasie nodig om helder te dink. God kan hierdie tyd van skeiding tot sy verheerliking gebruik. Omdat Paulus en Barnabas se paaie geskei het, is die evangelie in meer stede gepreek. Wanneer ‘n tydelike skeiding egter die beste opsie is, moet julle saam besluit oor hoe lank dit gaan wees. In sommige vriendskappe mag een persoon dalk die verhouding ontgroei het. Dit moet egter met liefde en wysheid hanteer word, met die besef dat ons almal uit ons foute kan leer en deur hulle kan groei. Later het Paulus geskryf: ‘…Bring Markus saam met jou wanneer jy kom, want hy kan my behulpsaam wees’ (2 Timoteus 4:11 NLV).
Les twee: Wanneer jy besef dat jy verkeerd was, moet jy dit erken. Vir ‘n enkellopende, gefokusde leier soos Paulus, het dit nederigheid geverg. Dis inderdaad ‘n vertroosting om te dink dat iemand so geseënd en briljant soos Paulus, weer sy situasie kon oorweeg en tot ‘n ander gevolgtrekking kon kom. Foute mag dalk sleg wees; maar hulle is nie so sleg soos die trots wat hulle wil verdedig en wil aanhou maak nie.
Les drie: Jy moet leer om te verskil, sonder om onaangenaam te wees. Dis opvallend dat ons nêrens in die Bybel vind dat Paulus in die publiek oor hulle meningsverskil gepraat het nie. Beide Paulus en Barnabas het op hulle onderskeie sendingsreise gefokus. Die enigste gedrag wat jy die mag het om te verander, is jou eie. Die volgende moet jou rede wees om dit te doen: ‘Nee, terwyl ons mekaar liefhet, sal ons by die waarheid bly en so in alle opsigte groei om soos Christus te wees…’ (Efesiërs 4:15 NLV).
Sielskos: Jer 10-13; Luk 2:21-33; Ps 17; Spr 14:13-16
Matthew 5:9 KJV
Lesson one: Sometimes the best resolution to a conflict is a separation, even if it’s temporary. When emotions run high, you need space to think clearly. And God can use this time of separation for His glory. Because Paul and Barnabas parted, the gospel was preached in even more cities. But when a temporary separation is the best option, you need to agree on how long it will be. In some friendships, one person may have outgrown the relationship. But this should be handled with love and wisdom, realizing that we can all learn from our mistakes and grow through them. Later Paul wrote, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11 NKJV).
Lesson two: When you realize that you’ve been wrong, you need to acknowledge it. For a single, focused leader like Paul, this called for humility. Indeed, it’s a comfort to us to know that someone as anointed and brilliant as Paul could rethink his position and come to a different conclusion. Mistakes may be bad; but they’re not as bad as the pride that seeks to defend and perpetuate them.
Lesson three: You must learn to disagree without being disagreeable. It’s noteworthy that nowhere in Scripture do we find a time when Paul talked publicly about their disagreement. Both Paul and Barnabas focused on their respective missions. The only behavior you have the power to change is your own. And this should be your reason for doing so: “We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 NLT).
Soul food: Jer 10-13; Luke 2:21-33; Ps 17; Prov 14:13-16
