2022-06-15
1 John 1:3-4 GWT
When joy is absent from your life, power is also missing (See Nehemiah 8:10). Our happiness shouldn’t be based on what’s happening around us; it should be dependent on our relationship with Jesus. John says, “We can be completely filled with joy” (1 John 1:4 GWT). Pastor Reimar Schultze notes: “John did not say this when all was well, but when… everything had turned to shambles.
(1) All his fellow apostles had been murdered.
(2) Rome had destroyed the temple [so]… not one stone was left upon another. Flavius Josephus, an eyewitness wrote, ‘The multitude of those that… perished exceeded all the destructions men or God ever brought upon the world.’
(3) Many Jews and Christians became refugees. Average life expectancy was about forty years and 25 percent of the people in Rome were slaves.
(4) John himself lived as a condemned criminal on the Isle of Patmos. He had no earthly comforts;… no assurance of living another day. When the cup of misery was full, God commissioned [him] to show the world the absolute power and triumph of Christianity over everything… [John’s] writings, in reference to our daily walk, put a capstone on all that heaven intended to reveal in the Word: if we have apostolic fellowship, our joy will be full. You do not need pleasant circumstances for this to happen.”
The psalmist said it best: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore'” (Psalm 16:11 NKJV).
Soul food: 2 Kings 4:18-6:33; Matt 18:1-9; Ps 80:1-11; Pro 13:11-12
1 Johannes 1:3-4 NLV
Wanneer blydskap in jou lewe afwesig is, is krag ook afwesig (sien Nehemia 8:10). Ons vreugde moenie op dit wat om ons gebeur gebaseer word nie; dit moet van ons verhouding met Jesus afhanklik wees. Johannes sê: ‘…ons blydskap [kan] tot sy volle verwesenliking… kom’ (1 Johannes 1:4 NLV).
Pastoor Reimar Schultze merk op: ‘Johannes het dit nie gesê toe alles goed gegaan het nie, maar toe alles in duie gestort het.
1) Al sy mede-apostels is vermoor.
2) Rome het die tempel vernietig sodat daar nie een steen op ‘n ander een oorgebly het nie. Flavius Josefus, ‘n ooggetuie, het geskryf: ‘Die menigte wat omgekom het, het al die verwoesting wat mense of God al ooit oor die wêreld gebring het, oortref.’
3) Baie Jode en Christene het vlugtelinge geword. Die gemiddelde lewensverwagting was omtrent veertig jaar en 25 persent van die mense in Rome, was slawe.
4) Johannes het self as veroordeelde misdadiger op die eiland Patmos gebly. Hy het geen aardse gemak gehad nie; geen versekering dat hy nog ‘n dag sou oorleef nie. Toe sy beker van smart vol was, het God hom opdrag gegee om vir die wêreld die absolute mag en triomf van die Christendom oor alles te wys. Johannes se geskrifte, met verwysing na ons daaglikse wandel, sluit alles wat die hemel in die Woord wou openbaar af: as ons deel van die apostoliese gemeenskap is, sal ons blydskap tot sy volle verwesenliking kom.’
Die Psalmdigter het dit die beste gesê: ‘…in u teenwoordigheid is vreugde, en aan u regterhand is daar blydskap vir altyd’ (Psalm 16:11 NLV).
Sielskos: 2 Kon 4:18-6:33; Matt 18:1-9; Ps 80:1-11; Spr 13:11-12
1 John 1:3-4 GWT
When joy is missing from our lives, power is also missing (see Nehemiah 8:10). The truth is, we shouldn’t base our happiness on what’s happening around us; instead, it should be dependent on our relationship with Jesus. John said, ‘We can be completely filled with joy’ (1 John 1:4 GWT). Pastor Reimar Schultze wrote: ‘John did not say this when all was well, but when… everything had turned to shambles.
1) All his fellow apostles had been murdered. 2) Rome had destroyed the temple [so]… not one stone was left upon another. Flavius Josephus, an eyewitness wrote, “The multitude of those that… perished exceeded all the destructions men or God ever brought upon the world.” 3) Many Jews and Christians became refugees. Average life expectancy was about forty years and 25 per cent of the people in Rome were slaves. 4) John himself lived as a condemned criminal on the Isle of Patmos. He had no earthly comforts;… no assurance of living another day.
When the cup of misery was full, God commissioned [him] to show the world the absolute power and triumph of Christianity over everything… [John’s] writings, in reference to our daily walk, put a capstone on all that heaven intended to reveal in the Word: if we have apostolic fellowship, our joy will be full. You do not need pleasant circumstances for this to happen.’ The psalmist said it best: ‘In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore’ (Psalm 16:11 NKJV).
2 Kings 4:18-6:33; Matt 18:1-9; Ps 80:1-11; Pro 13:11-12
2022-06-14
1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 NIV
Writer Jim Killam offers some more tips for a successful marriage:
“(1) Praying together may be the most intimate thing you can do, even more than sex. Pray together before making big decisions and most small ones. Ultimately, the decision you make is less important than the fact you prayed about it together.
(2) Hold your career with a light touch. It’s not who you are, it’s just what you do.
(3) Moving every few years is a good way to take stock of how much unnecessary stuff you have.
(4) Observe a no-TV week once in a while. It’ll be there when you get back… and there will still be [very little] worth watching.
(5) Find regular times of quietness alone and together. (Guys, watching a ball game doesn’t count!)
(6) Never attempt exploratory surgery on a broken dishwasher. You can call the repairman now or later. Save yourself years of humiliation. Call now!
(7) Instead of entertaining yourselves, focus outward. Together, you can impact your community and your world.
(8) Find a good church and get involved. Don’t be spectators; churches have enough of those.
(9) ‘Honor your father and mother’ applies at all ages – and not just for their sakes.
(10) Talk often about your hopes and dreams, and don’t laugh at hers.
(11) Fight fair and clean. No yelling, escalating, or pouting.
(12) Remember, ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain’ (1 Timothy 6:6 KJV). Approach each day with a thankful heart; it’s freeing to realize nobody owes you anything.
(13) Your wife is an amazing gift from God; treat her that way.
(14) No marriage is bulletproof. Guard it with your life.”
Soul food: 2 Kings 1:1-4:17; Matt 17:14-27; Ps 143; Pro 13:9-10
Proverbs 19:20 NIV
You’re really good at lots of things. And there’s probably something that you can do better than most people. But without the help of others, it’s possible that you’ll never be as good as you could be. It’s very difficult (even impossible) for us to reach our highest potential without a good and trusted adviser. World-class tennis player André Agassi valued his trainer even when he’d reached the top levels of his game: ‘Tennis requires subtle adjustments crucial to winning and my coach, Gill, is the best at making them. The older I get, the more valuable he becomes.’
Age and experience don’t necessarily make us better or more skilful; sometimes they just deepen the rut we’ve found ourselves in. In life, just as in the sports world, we’ll never reach a point where we don’t need good input. Even if we’ve reached the top of our skill, or job, or sport, good advice is always valuable. We might make the mistake of measuring ourselves against others instead of our own God-given potential, and in the end we never become what we could have been.
Self-evaluation is important, but the evaluation of others is crucial. A good coach measures our performance against our strengths, not somebody else’s. That’s because they understand what we’re capable of and they’ll push us to reach for it. Good coaches are constantly on the scene, observing, and getting involved. They walk with us and take a personal interest in every success we have, big or small, celebrate with us when things go well, and encourage us when things don’t go to plan. Ruth needed Naomi and Timothy needed Paul. We all need an advisor – who’s yours?
2 Kings 1:1-4:17; Matt 17:14-27; Ps 143; Pro 13:9-10
