2021-10-25
Exodus 33:14 CEV
Answer the following ten questions honestly. (1) Are you sometimes grumpy without knowing why? (2) Do you work hard but feel unappreciated? (3) Do you feel guilty and unproductive when you’re caught relaxing? (4) Do you increasingly find yourself shouting to make your point instead of talking calmly? (5) Can you remember the last time you laughed till you cried? (6) Are you exhausted after a day off because of all the chores you had to do? (7) Do you tend to eat more when you’re tense or overwhelmed? (8) Are you constantly on the defensive? (9) Do you suffer from unexplained headaches and stomach aches? (10) Does your to-do list have footnotes?
So, how did you do on the test? Are you surprised? If you’re tuned in to yourself, you shouldn’t be. The symptoms of stress overload don’t appear overnight. When your computer starts freezing up, you know it’s time to turn it off and reboot. When a warning light flashes on the dashboard of your car, you wouldn’t dream of ignoring it. When the bathroom-scale pointer starts to spin like a fan, you know it’s time to ditch the brownies!
The bottom line is: if you continue to ignore the warning signs, stress will eventually take its toll on your health. Jesus said, “Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated…disturbed… and unsettled” (John 14:27 AMPC). In other words, work on controlling your reactions. Stop losing your peace over every little thing that goes wrong in your life. When there’s nothing you can do about the situation, learn to trust God, let it go, and keep your joy.
Soul food: Ezra 1-2; John 6:25-34; Ps 98; Prov 24:15-18
2021-10-24
2 Timothy 3:5 NIV
Here are three more important lessons from the seven sons of Sceva: 1) Those around you aren’t necessarily with you. Just because somebody hangs out with you, admires you, and tries to emulate you, doesn’t mean they’re with you. These men followed Paul, studying his every move and trying to do what he did. But they had the wrong motives. They were never ‘with’ him at all. Are you concerned about losing certain people and are always trying to keep them happy, because you’re not sure if you can manage without them? John wrote, ‘They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us’ (1 John 2:19 NIV). When God removes a person who doesn’t belong in your life, trust Him; He knows what’s best.
2) Greater numbers don’t always mean greater effectiveness. These seven men together couldn’t do what one Spirit-empowered apostle did. And remember, their father was a chief priest, so they knew how to ‘do church’. They fulfilled the Scripture: ‘Having a form of godliness, but denying its power.’
3) Success isn’t as easy as it looks. Sceva’s sons showed up towards the end of Paul’s career. They weren’t there in the beginning when he was humbled on the Damascus Road, or trained for three-and-a-half years in the Arabian Desert. They were looking for shortcuts. Just because someone writes a book about success doesn’t mean we can achieve overnight what took years of experience on the part of the author. It’s not that God can’t give us instant success; it’s that we need time, training, and in some cases, a major overhaul to prepare us for it.
Exo 34:29-35; Mark 9:2-27; 2 Cor 3:7-18
2 Timoteus 3:5 NLV
Hier is nog drie belangrike lesse wat by die seuns van Skeva geleer kan word: 1) Diegene rondom jou is nie noodwendig saam met jou nie. Net omdat iemand saam met jou tyd bestee, jou bewonder en jou probeer navolg, beteken nie dat hulle saam met jou is nie. Hierdie mans het Paulus gevolg, sy elke beweging bestudeer en probeer doen wat hy gedoen het. Hulle het egter die verkeerde beweegsredes gehad. Is jy besorg daaroor om sekere mense te verloor? Probeer jy hulle altyd gelukkig hou? Wonder jy of jy sonder hulle dit in die lewe kan maak? Johannes skryf: ‘Hulle het uit ons geledere gekom, maar was nooit regtig deel van ons nie…’ (1 Johannes 2:19 NLV). Wanneer God ‘n persoon wat nie in jou lewe hoort nie verwyder, vertrou Hom; Hy weet die beste.
2) Groter getalle beteken nie altyd groter effektiwiteit nie. Hierdie sewe mans kon saam nie regkry wat een apostel wat met die Gees bemagtig was, kon doen nie. Onthou, hulle pa was ‘n Joodse priester, dus het hulle geweet hoe om ‘kerk te doen.’ Hulle het hierdie Skrifgedeelte vervul: ‘Hulle sal optree asof hulle godsdienstig is, maar dit wat aan die Christelike godsdiens sy innerlike krag gee, ignoreer…’
3) Sukses is nie so maklik soos wat dit lyk nie. Skeva se seuns het aan die einde van Paulus se loopbaan hulle verskyning gemaak. Hulle was nie aan die begin daar toe hy op die Damaskuspad verneder is nie, of toe hy vir drie-en-‘n-half jaar in die Arabasie woestyn opgelei is nie. Hierdie ouens het kortpaaie gesoek. Dis nie dat God jou nie onmiddellike sukses kan gee nie; dis omdat jy eers tyd, opleiding en in sommige gevalle, ‘n groot opknapping, nodig het om jou daarvoor voor te berei.
Sielskos: Eks 34:29-35; Mark 9:2-27; 2 Kor 3:7-18
2 Timothy 3:5 NIV
Here are three more important lessons from the seven sons of Sceva: (1) Those around you aren’t necessarily with you. Just because somebody hangs out with you, admires you, and tries to emulate you, doesn’t mean they’re with you. These men followed Paul, studying his every move and trying to do what he did. But they had the wrong motives. They were never “with” him at all! Are you concerned about losing certain people? Are you always trying to keep them happy? Do you wonder if you can make it in life without them? John writes, “They went out from us, but they were not of us” (1 John 2:19 NKJV). When God removes a person who doesn’t belong in your life, trust Him; He knows what’s best.
(2) Greater numbers don’t always mean greater effectiveness. These seven men together couldn’t do what one spirit-empowered apostle did. And remember, their father was a chief priest, so they knew how to “do church.” They fulfilled the Scripture: “Having a form of godliness, but denying its power.”
(3) Success isn’t as easy as it looks. Sceva’s sons showed up toward the end of Paul’s career. They weren’t there in the beginning when he was humbled on the Damascus Road, or trained for three-and-a-half years in the Arabian Desert. These guys were looking for shortcuts. Just because someone writes a book about success, doesn’t mean you can achieve overnight what took years of life experience on the part of the author. It’s not that God can’t give you instant success; it’s that you need time, training, and in some cases a major overhaul to prepare you for it.
Soul food: Exo 34:29-35; Mark 9:2-27; 2 Cor 3:7-18
2021-10-23
1 John 4:4 KJV
From the seven sons of Sceva we learn two very important things: (1) Satan knows who you are. The demons in this man spoke to the sons of Sceva, saying, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” (Acts 19:15 NKJV). Question: Do you have the kind of relationship with God that causes Satan to know your name, and acknowledge that you’re a force to be reckoned with? When God asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant, Job?” he replied, “Yes, and every time I come up against him I hit a force field I can’t penetrate” (Job 1:8-12 paraphrased). Maybe you’re preoccupied with your own inadequacy, thinking you’re not up to the job, or you’re not good enough. Understand this: it’s not you the enemy’s afraid of – it’s God’s Spirit within you!
(2) When “the evil day” comes, you discover if you have what it takes. Paul said, “Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day” (Ephesians 6:13 NKJV). The demons in the man recognized the weaknesses in the seven sons of Sceva and stripped them of their pretense. You will only survive if your faith is genuine, because one day you’ll have to walk with God when you can’t understand or explain where He’s taking you. Your techniques and talents won’t get you through. You’re going to have to stand on His Word when it doesn’t look like it’s working for you. That’s when you discover it’s “‘not by might nor…power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6 NKJV).
Soul food: Zeph 1-3; John 6:1-24; Ps 85; Prov 24:11-14
