2023-09-20
Markus 11:22-23 AFR83
Jesus het ons geleer dat wanneer ons sy Woord in geloof spreek, ons sal ontvang wat ons sê. Dis ‘n kragtige geloof! Wanneer jy God se lewende Woord oor jou situasie spreek, is dit soos om ‘n skakelaar aan te skakel; sy krag word geaktiveer en sy beloftes word in jou lewe waar. Begin dus elke dag deur die volgende Skrifgedeeltes oor jou lewe te spreek:
1) ‘Dit is die dag wat die Here gemaak het. Laat ons daaroor juig en bly wees’ (Psalm 118:24 NLV). Belydenis: ‘Here, dankie vir die gawe van hierdie dag. Ek sal u goedheid vier en elke oomblik daarvan geniet.’
2) ‘…Sy liefde het geen einde nie. Op u ontferming kan ‘n mens altyd vertrou. Dit is elke oggend nuut’ (Klaagliedere 3:22-23 NLV). Belydenis: ‘Here, ek sal U vandag in alles wat ek doen, probeer eer. As ek misluk en te kort skiet, sal ek steeds in u genade en barmhartigheid wandel.’
3) ‘Die oppermagtige Here het my geleer sodat ek dié wat moeg is moed kan inpraat…’ (Jesaja 50:4 NLV). Belydenis: ‘Here, ek sal weet wat om te sê, omdat U my opdrag gegee het en my geleer het.’
4) ‘…Die Here gaan vandag [jou vyande] aan jou uitlewer. Die Here sal voor jou uit marsjeer…’ (Rigters 4:14 NLV). Belydenis: ‘Here, ongeag wat vandag oor my pad kom, sal U my verdedig, beskerm en regverdig. Vandag sal ek dus in u vreugde, guns, barmhartigheid, leiding, beskerming en seën wandel.’
Sielskos: Eseg 43-45; Mark 14:12-26; Ps 19; Spr 21:3
Mark 11:22-23 NKJV
Jesus taught us that when we speak His Word in faith, we will “have” whatever we say. That’s a powerful faith! When you speak God’s living Word over your situation, it’s like flipping a switch; His power is activated, and His promises start coming to pass in your life. So, begin each day by speaking the following Scriptures over your life:
(1) “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24 NKJV). Confession: “Lord, thank you for the gift of this day. I will celebrate your goodness and enjoy each moment of it.”
(2) “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV). Confession: “Lord, today I will seek to honour You in all that I do. And if I fail and fall short, I will still walk in Your mercy and grace.”
(3) “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary” (Isaiah 50:4 NKJV). Confession: “Lord, I will know what to say because You have instructed me and given me the tongue of the learned.”
(4) “This is the day in which the Lord has delivered [your enemy] into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?” (Judges 4:14 NKJV). Confession: “Lord, regardless of what comes my way today, You will defend, protect, and vindicate me. So, this day I will walk in your joy, favour, mercy, guidance, protection, and blessing.”
Soul food: Eze 43-45; Mark 14:12-26; Ps 19; Prov 21:3
2023-09-19
Handelinge 2:47 NLV
Die kerk het net twee opsies: evangeliseer of versteen. Wanneer ons nie daarin slaag om ons geloof met diegene buite die kerk te deel nie, versteen ons. Die Nuwe Testamentiese kerk se groei is as volg beskryf: ‘…En die Here het elke dag mense wat gered word, by hulle gevoeg.’ Nie net het hulle elke vlak van die samelewing beïnvloed nie, maar hulle vyande het ook gesê: ‘…Dít is die mense wat die hele wêreld in beroering bring. En nou is hulle hier in ons stad’ (Handelinge 17:6 NLV).
As jou kerk sy deure more sou sluit, sou enigiemand anders as jou gemeente die verskil agterkom? Dink aan daardie vroeë gelowiges. Hulle opdrag het geografies onmoontlik gelyk; die meeste mense het op daardie stadium nog geglo dat die aarde plat is. Daar was nie vliegtuie, radio’s, televisie, drukperse, internet of enige moderne maniere wat hulle kon gebruik om die evangelie uit te dra nie. Dit het ook wetlik onmoontlik gelyk; hulle is deur die regeringsowerhede verbied om in Jesus se Naam te praat. Ook het dit sosiaal onmoontlik gelyk; wie sal immers regtig na ‘n klomp Galileërs, sonder kultuur en klas, luister?
Tog was hulle getuies deur die krag van die Heilige Gees en mense het geluister. Hulle het so baie met so min gedoen, terwyl ons so min met so baie gedoen kry. Daar word gereken dat indien slegs 10 persent van die lede van ‘n gemiddelde kerk ernstig oor evangelisasie raak, hulle kerk binne een jaar sal verdubbel. Terloops, die woord waaruit ‘getuie’ vertaal word, is dieselfde woord waaruit ons die woord martelaar kry. Hierdie vroeë gelowiges het die wêreld vir Christus bereik, omdat hulle bereid was om hulle lewens vir sy saak af te lê. Jy moet ook bereid wees.
Sielskos: Eseg 40:10-42:20; Mark 14:1-11; Ps 24; Spr 21:1-2
Acts 2:47 NKJV
The church has only two options: evangelize or fossilize. When we fail to share our faith with those outside the church, we either end up in a holding pattern or in death throes. The New Testament church’s growth is described in these words: “The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Not only did they influence every level of society, but their enemies said, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (Acts 17:6 NKJV).
Question: If your church closed its doors tomorrow, would anyone other than your congregation notice the difference? Think about those early believers. Their assignment seemed geographically impossible; most people still believed the world was flat. They had no air travel, radio, television, printing presses, internet, or any other modern means at their disposal for communicating the gospel. It seemed legally impossible; they were forbidden by the government authorities to speak in Jesus’ name. And it seemed socially impossible; after all, who would really listen to a bunch of Galileans, devoid of culture and class?
Yet they were witnesses through the power of the Holy Spirit, and people did listen. They did so much with so little, and we seem to do so little with so much. It’s reckoned that if just 10 percent of the members in the average church got serious about evangelism, their church would double in one year. By the way, the word translated “witness” is the same word from which we get our English word martyr. These early believers reached the world for Christ because they were willing to lay down their lives for His cause. You must be too.
Soul food: Eze 40:10-42:20; Mark 14:1-11; Ps 24; Prov 21:1-2
2023-09-18
Acts 1:8 NKJV
Coach Vince Lombardi led the Green Bay Packers football team to victory after victory. But one day, they lost to a team they should have easily defeated. So, Lombardi gathered his team together. He put his hand into a bag and brought out a football. With his inimitable smile, he told them, “Gentlemen, this is a football!” In other words, it was time to get back to basics.
Jesus is “the captain of [our] salvation” (Hebrews 2:10 KJV). And before He went back to heaven, He gave us the game plan: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NKJV). And since a person’s last words are some of their most important ones, it leads us to ask this: Who was Jesus talking to? You! “You shall… be witnesses to Me.”
There are people around today who will never go to church. Their only chance of hearing the gospel is through you; through what your lips declare and your life demonstrates. What is this “power” Jesus spoke of? “The Greek word for “power” is dynamos, from which we get the word dynamite. Dynamite is an explosive force, which when properly harnessed can remove any obstacle that stands in the way of progress. You say, “I have never been to seminary, and I don’t feel qualified to share the gospel!” God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called by filling them with His Spirit and using them to reach a hurting world. Today you have been called to do that.
Soul food: Eze 37:1-40:9; Mark 13:24-37; Ps 78:65-72; Prov 20:26-30
