Ek het laas oor die effek wat bekommernis op `n Christen het geblog. Mag ek bietjie dieper saam met jou “blog & delf” oor hierdie baie aktuele probleem vir so baie van ons. (Dankie vir almal se blogging op die blog.)
Kom ons “blog & delf” dieper.
Bekommernisse, sorge, stres en `n suur en ongelukkige ingesteldheid is eintlik oortredings vir `n Christen en `n vreemde ding vir `n “kerkmens”?!
Of wat sê ek dan nou alles??
Lees `n slag Efesiërs 2:1-3 & Efesiërs 5 & 6.
- Sonde in die Griekse taal soos hier in Efesiërs is : “hamartia” : dis `n term uit die “skietwêreld” van pyl & boog-skiet wanneer jy jou teiken te mis.
- Oortredings in die Griekse taal soos hier in Efesiërs is : “paraptooma” : dis `n term vir gly en val.
Hoe raak dit jou wat heeltyd of soms sukkel as `n kind van God met bekommernisse, sorge, stres en `n suur soort ongelukkige ingesteldheid?
Wat het dit met jou te doen ?
- in jou huwelik / as ouers / as kinders / as werknemers / werkgewers etc
- jy`s mos nie `n “hel-verdiende- sondaar” nie
- jy`s mos nie `n mislukking wat jou teiken mis in die lewe nie!!
- jy moor / steel / bedrieg / versuip jou mos nie met drank / of sulke “erge”sondes
- jy`s mos `n ordentlike / “respektabele” / kerkganger en iewers `n lidmaat van `n Kerk
MAAR :
SONDE VERMOOR jou onskuld
SONDE VERMOOR jou ideale
SONDE VERMOOR jou wil
SONDE VERMOOR jou drome
SONDE VERMOOR jou visies
SONDE VERMOOR jou jy-wees in Jesus Christus
En Efesiës sê bekommernisse, sorge, stres en `n suur soort ongelukkige ingesteldheid : IS SONDE!!!
Kenmerkend van `n Christus-lose lewe – `n eie-ek gesentreerde lewe / `n selfgesentreerde lewenswyse is:
- onvergifnis
- het nie vyande lief nie
- is nie diensbaar nie
- EN OOK : bekommernisse, sorge, stres en `n suur soort ongelukkige ingesteldheid
Kry by Jesus die GENADE ONBESKRYFLIK GROOT!!!!!
NET in & deur JESUS!!!!!!!! is daar VERGIFNIS & VRYHEID van BEKOMMERNIS wat jou opvreet van binne af en jou kern vermoor – dit maak jou stadig “al DODER en DODER”!!!!
Stop dit en begin te leef ten spyte van BEKOMMERNIS!!!
Johann Els
Why do we struggle so much to submit to God’s authority? And why is it often so difficult to believe that God knows what’s best for us? Why is it so hard to ‘let go and let God’ – to quote an old cliché?
I believe that we struggle in these areas because we don’t fully understand the extent of God’s power. Our human minds are finite and limited and can only comprehend God to a certain point. As a result we try to put God in a box the size of our understanding, and that box is way too small!
I think David had some idea of where we stand in relation to God when he wrote Psalm 8:
When I consider Your heavens,
The work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars,
Which You have set in place,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
The son of man that You care for him? (verse 3 and 4)
Just look at the majesty of creation, from the expanse of the horizons to the perfection of the smallest detail. Now ponder on Genesis 1 which tells us that God brought all of this into being by just saying the words ‘Let there be …’.
Such power, such omniscience, such greatness.
I challenge you to let God out of your self-imposed box and to imagine the most amazing thing of which you think God is capable. Now multiply your results a thousand-fold. Then, and only maybe then, will we start to grasp what it means to believe and trust in a God for whom all things are possible!
Are you up for the challenge?
Linda Ritchie
Many believers are found in the plight of torments or are being tormented. The suffering is quite unbearable to many multitudes! The story of Lot who was a righteous man shows how he was tormented by the filthy lawless happenings around him (2Peter 2:7-8). How does one deal with the torments of his/her environment? A painful persuasion that has even led to many compromises in the name of “adjusting”.
Internally one would be tormented by the look of forgiveness! We basically require that we need to be forgiven when we have trespassed on others! Turning this vice versa, it can easily become a different story. Check the forgiven servant who could not forgive his debtors just as he has been forgiven (Matt 18:32-25). A lack of forgiveness is a massive torment for many of us.
Fear can also be a great torment of our souls and mindsets. The phobias which arise time and again need us to visit our confidence. We are to revise our perfect love that is in us (1John 4:18), which drives out all fear. Persecutors can also inflict fear in us (Heb11:32-25), yet we should believe that God is always on our side and that we will never be overcome by torments.
Other torments can be areas of weaknesses in our lives. The story of Paul gives great insights into how God has overcome our torments. He speaks of a “thorn in my flesh”, a messenger of Satan to torment him. After intensive prayers (3 times) God answers him and says, “My grace is sufficient for you”. In other words God makes us strong when we are weak (2Cor12:7-9). Therefore let us be glad and rejoice in hardship, pain and difficulties so that Christ’s power may rest on us. For when we are weak, then we are strong (2Cor 12:10).
Ray Legodi
Flying to Durban this past weekend a thought came to mind as the air hostess was demonstrating safety and evacuation procedures to all passengers. She showed us from the chart what to do in an emergency situation and she also recommended that the passengers should go through this evacuation chart to familiarize themselves with the emergency procedure. I took an interest in looking at how many people did as they were told or even concentrated when this demonstration was done and I must admit very few paid attention to the airhostess. You could perhaps say the reason why they were acting this way was because:
- They are regulars so they know everything that needs to be known about safety.
- On the other hand you could argue that the reason why people use that airline is because the airline hardly has accidents and thus can be trusted, so there’s no need to be anxious about studying the emergency safety plan.
Immediately in my spirit came these thoughts:
Although we are really blessed as South Africans to be living in a country where there’s freedom of religion and Christianity is recognized and allowed to be practiced by anyone desiring to do so, thus the bible can be carried around or read by individuals without stringent conditions:
- How many “professed” Christians study the bible?
- How often do we study it?
- When/if we study it, do we apply the Word as taught?
- When/if we study it, what is our motive? Is it to attack someone with scripture? Is it correct? Is it just to claim that which we selfishly desire and thus need a backing scripture for it? Is it to win a spiritual debate? Or do we study it only when we are in trouble?
- Most importantly, do we internalize everything that is in the Word, so that the Word of God is alive in us? “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.
Someday very soon when you shall land in great tribulation or will need to make a crucial decision about your life, pressed in a corner you won’t have the luxury of time to go through your bible to see whether you are on the right track or not. Now, during your spring and summer time feast on God’s Word, let it become alive in you. Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, they didn’t have bibles with them, but they were able to sing and preach Christ to others in that very situation because the Word was alive in them (Acts 16). Like some learners who are studying, or should I say cramming for the final examinations in order to pass, most Christians do not bother to internalize God’s Word and there is great danger in that. David (the psalmist) is a prime example of what it means to go beyond just knowing about the word. He shows how he had internalized God’s Word and how it was now alive in him. He declares the following in Psalm 119: 9; 11; 105 & 107.
- “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word”
- “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I may not sin against You.”
- “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
- “I am afflicted very much; Revive me, oh Lord, according to Your word.”
David realized that the Word is Christ (John 1:1-2) and if He (Christ the word) is alive in him, he’ll benefit much from Him in every situation he faces in life.
Do you know about the Word or do you know the Word? Has God’s Word found a place in your heart and is it alive?
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom…” Colossians 3: 16
Sipho Kaleni
I shared with you last week about the fact that Christ is the Chief Cornerstone. I then gave a definition of a chief cornerstone. Let us go back to that verse:
Eph 2:20 “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.”
I believe the purpose of the Church is not by any means to put any focus on human beings, programs, doctrines or denominations, but the Lord Jesus Christ. It is very easy to lose our focus. We start with simple things by saying things like” this man of God has been used by God mightily”, before we know it, it is all about that man of God. You know what? We have missed it somehow. Look at our advertisements. People go to the seminars, crusades etc because of men and women of God. It should be the other way around. People should come to the churches because of the God of men. We lift Jesus up, period. Today many people know more about men and women of God than they do about Christ. Eph 2:20 says He is of the utmost importance in the church. He is not only the foundation, but the Chief Cornerstone. We should talk about Him; tell people about Him, praise and worship Him.
Ps 22:3 “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”
I have once again realized that if we praise Him, the environment in our churches will change. Do you want God to move in your midst? Then start to praise Him because He inhabits the praises of His people. Don’t praise men but praise Him. May I ask you a question in closing? If somebody gives you food, who do you thank? Do you thank the nice plate in front of you, or the one who really prepared the food?
Godfrey Moabi
