2026-01-26
Handelinge 5:16 NLV
Voordat Jesus hierdie aarde verlaat het, het Hy vir sy dissipels gesê: ‘…wie aanhou om in My te glo, sal ook die werke doen wat Ek doen…’ (Johannes 14:12 NLV). Hulle het! ‘Die apostels het baie tekens en wonders onder die volk gedoen… Mense het selfs siekes op draagbare en bedmatjies in die straat uitgedra sodat wanneer Petrus verbyloop, sy skaduwee dalk op party van hulle kon val. Skares mense het van die dorpe rondom Jerusalem af gekom en siekes en mense gebring… Hulle is almal gesond gemaak’ (Handelinge 5:12, 15-16 NLV). Mense mag dalk sê: ‘Die apostels het dit net aan die begin gedoen met die doel om mense van Christus se opstanding te oortuig.’
Kom ons blaai dan na die laaste hoofstuk in die boek Handelinge en lees wat dertig jaar later in die kerk gebeur het. ‘Daar was ‘n plaas in daardie omgewing wat aan die hoof van die eiland, ‘n man met die naam Publius, behoort het. Hy het ons ontvang en drie dae lank vriendelik as sy gaste gehuisves. Dit het so gekom dat Publius se pa in die bed was, siek aan maagkoors. Paulus het na hom toe gegaan, en nadat hy gebid het, het hy sy hande op hom gesit en hom gesond gemaak. Ná hierdie voorval het ook die ander siekes op die eiland gekom, en hulle is gesond gemaak’ (Handelinge 28:7-9 NLV).
Die Nuwe Testamentiese kerk het een van die laaste instruksies wat Jesus vir sy apostels gegee het voordat Hy terug hemel toe is, uitgevoer: ‘…Gaan die hele wêreld in en verkondig die Goeie Nuus aan almal, oral… Hierdie is die wondertekens wat dié sal beleef wat glo… Hulle sal siekes die hande oplê, en hulle sal gesond word’ (Markus 16:15, 17-18 NLV). Dit beteken dat jy in geloof kan bid en God vir genesing kan glo.
Sielskos: Num 3:1-4:33; Luk 6:1-16; Ps 104:1-23; Spr 3:9-10
Acts 5:16 NKJV
Before Jesus left this earth, He told His disciples, “The works that I do [you] will do also” (John 14:12 NKJV). And they did. “Through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done… so that they brought the sick out into the streets… that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people… and they were all healed” (Acts 5:12, 15-16 NKJV). Someone may say, “Oh, that was only in the beginning of Acts, for the purpose of confirming their word regarding Christ’s resurrection.”
Then let’s turn to the last chapter in the book of Acts and read what was happening in the church thirty years later. “In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed” (Acts 28:7-9 NKJV).
The New Testament church was following one of the last instructions Jesus gave His apostles before returning to heaven: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature… And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name… they will lay lands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:15, 17-18 NKJV). That means you can pray in faith, and believe God for healing.
Soul food: Num 3:1-4:33; Luke 6:1-16; Ps 104:1-23; Prov 3:9-10
2026-01-25
Sagaria 4:10 AFR83
Juan het in Porto Rico grootgeword, die seun van ‘n voorman by ‘n suikerrietplantasie. As een van ‘n gesin van agt het hy in ‘n driekamer-hut met ‘n grondvloer en geen toilet gewoon nie. Sy eerste werk, op sesjarige ouderdom, was om osse aan te dryf om die suikerrietlande te ploeg. Hy het agt uur per dag gewerk en een dollar verdien. Juan het gesê dit was in die suikerrietlande wat hy belangrike lesse geleer het, soos om stiptelik te wees, hard te werk en lojaal en respekvol teenoor sy werkgewers te wees.
Op sewejarige ouderdom het hy werk by ‘n gholfbaan gekry. Hy moes balle vir die gholfspelers soek en hy het begin droom om self gholf te speel en genoeg geld te verdien om ‘n fiets te koop. Hoe meer hy gedroom het, hoe meer het hy gedink: ‘Hoekom nie?’ Hy het ‘n gholfstok van ‘n koejaweltak en ‘n stuk pyp gemaak en toe ‘n hamer gebruik om van ‘n leë blikkie ‘n bal te maak. Daarna het hy twee klein gaatjies in die grond gegrawe en die bal heen en weer tussen hulle geslaan. Hy het sy ‘gholf’ met dieselfde intensiteit beoefen as wat hy sy werk in die suikerrietland gedoen het en hy het goed – baie goed – daarmee geword.
In sy een-en-dertig jaar as professionele gholfspeler het Juan ‘Chi Chi’ Rodríguez agt PGA-toergeleenthede en vier-en-twintig groot toernooie gewen. Hy is ook die eerste Porto-Ricaan wat in die Wêreldgholf-heldesaal opgeneem is. Wat kan ons by hom leer? Twee dinge: 1) Wees bereid om klein te begin. Die Bybel sê: ‘Moenie die dag van klein dingetjies gering ag nie…’ 2) Wees bereid om groot te droom, want jy dien ‘n groot God (sien Efesiërs 3:20).
Sielskos: Gal 5:22-23; Ps 37:7; Spr 16:32; Ef 4:2
Zechariah 4:10 NLT
Juan grew up in Puerto Rico, the son of a sugarcane plantation foreman. One of a family of eight, he lived in a three-room shack with a dirt floor and no toilet. His first job, at age six, was driving oxen to plow the cane fields. He worked eight hours a day and earned one dollar. Juan said it was in the cane fields that he learned important lessons like being on time, work hard, and be loyal and respectful to your employers. His job and small income were a great source of self-esteem.
At age seven he got a job at a golf course spotting balls for golfers, and he began to dream of playing golf and earning enough money to buy a bicycle. The more he dreamed, the more he thought, “Why not?” He made a golf club out of a guava limb and a piece of pipe, then hammered an empty tin can into a ball. Next, he dug two small holes in the ground and hit the ball back and forth between them. He practiced his “golf” with the same intensity he put into his job in the cane field, and he got good – very good.
In his thirty-one years as a pro golfer, Juan “Chi Chi” Rodríguez won eight PGA tour events and twenty-four major tournaments, and he was the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. What can we learn from him? Two things: (1) Be willing to start small. The Bible says, “Do not despise… small beginnings.” (2) Be willing to think big because you serve a big God (See Ephesians 3:20).
Soul food: Gal 5:22-23; Ps 37:7; Pro 16:32; Eph 4:2
2026-01-24
Galatians 5:13 NKJV
In 1881, shortly after Booker T. Washington became head of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama that trained schoolteachers, he was walking past the house of a wealthy family. Assuming that Washington was one of the yard workers her husband had hired, the woman of the house asked him if he would chop some wood for her. Professor Washington smiled, nodded, took off his coat, and chopped the wood.
When he carried the armload of wood into the woman’s kitchen, a servant girl recognized him and rushed to her mistress to tell her of his identity. The next morning the woman appeared in Washington’s office. Apologizing profusely, she said repeatedly, “I did not know it was you I put to work.” Washington replied with generosity, “It’s entirely alright, madam. I like to work, and I’m delighted to do favours for my friends.”
The woman was so taken with his manner and his willingness to forgive that she gave generous gifts to the institute. She also persuaded many of her wealthy friends and acquaintances to do likewise. In the end, Washington raised as much money for the institute from this one act of chopping wood as he did from many other fundraising events.
The Bible says, “Through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself'” (vv. 13-14 NKJV). What can we learn from Booker T. Washington? Two things: (1) Every seed of kindness you sow brings an eventual harvest of blessing into your life. (2) The way to get ahead in life is to love and to serve others.
Soul food: Num 1-2; Luke 5:27-39; Ps 100; Prov 3:7-8
