Monday 31 October 2011

Die liefde van 'n Pa

My Liewe Kind


Ek staan langs jou bed en kyk hoe jy besig is om wakker te word. Soms het daar trane oor jou wange gerol, oor verkeerde besluite en soms sommer net omdat jy soos n mislukking gevoel het. Daar was dae wat jy seergekry het, dae wat mense jou nie verstaan het nie, dae wat jy moedeloos was, dae wat pyn jou wou vernietig het!! Ek het saam met jou gehuil, My hande gehou en jou kosbare trane opgevang. Ek ken jou seer, Ek ken jou pyn. Daar is tye wat mense My nie verstaan het nie, My verwerp het, daarom weet Ek hoe jy voel. 

Daar was dae wat jy deurmekaar gevoel het en gewonder het wat, waar en hoekom. Ek wil vandag vir jou sê, nie een van die foute wat jy gemaak het, het My onkant gevang nie. Ek was nie verbaas nie. Ek weet alles. Ek verstaan alles. Ek sien alles. 


En kyk nie na jou met oë wat oordeel nie. Ek kyk na jou met oë van liefde en Ek luister na jou met My hart, omdat Ek n Pa is wat uit liefde bestaan. 


Soms het mense al n verkeerde prentjie van My vir jou geskilder, Ek wil jou nie straf nie. Ek is nie ver van jou af nie. Ek ken jou beter as enige iemand Anders. Ek weet wie jy werklik is, Ek is lief vir jou! 

Jou hemelse Vader

Thursday 27 October 2011

A song and a prayer

Lord I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest

Without You I fall apart
You're the one that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Where my sin runs deep, Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
Yes where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay

~ Chris Tomlin, ' Lord, I Need You'

Tuesday 25 October 2011

Klein begin vs. Groot oes

Alles begin klein, en jou gesindheid aan die begin bepaal dikwels jou sukses aan die einde. Die Bybel sê, 'Wie minag die dag van oënskynlik klein dingetjies?' Wees bly oor wat God aan jou gee om mee te begin, want Hý is! 

Elia het 'n wolkie so groot (klein!) soos 'n man se hand gesien voor die reën begin het (1 Konings 18:44). Dis klein, maar Elia was bly want hy het geweet dis die begin van groot dinge. Moenie jou saad vernietig deur die potensiaal daarvan te misken nie. God gee aan jou 'n saadjie van hoop, iets klein - maar iets klein is beter as heeltemal niks. Plant die saadjie, bid daaroor en glo dat God dit sal vermeerder. 

Baie mense gooi hulle saad weg. Wanneer ons iets 'verag', vernietig ons die potensiaal daarvan, ignoreer dit, verwaarloos dit. As ons dit wat God gee nie oppas nie, verloor ons dit. Sonder die saad sal ons nooit kan oes nie. Die Bybel sê wees tevrede met wat jy het, en, ...'Onthou dat God die versekering gegee het: "Ek sal jou nie los nie. Ek sal jou nie in die steek laat nie' (Hebreërs 13:5). Dis waarom jy tevrede moet wees met die klein begin. Jy weet dat wat God aanpak, Hy sal deursien.

Wees geduldig, verwag die beste en beur voort. 'Moenie hierdie vertroue in God deur julle vingers laat glip nie. Dit hou vir julle 'n groot beloning in. Wat julle nodig het, is om te volhard sodat julle kan voortgaan om God se wil te gehoorsaam. Dan sal julle ontvang wat God beloof het' (Hebreërs 10:35-36).


~ Geskryf deur Bob en Debby Gass

Monday 24 October 2011

Your husband needs "Respect"

When we treat someone as a valued gift and invest ourselves in his or her care, we build up that person’s feelings of self-worth and draw closer to them as well.
When a wife respects, nurtures, and affirms her husband, it deepens her love for him. On the other hand, when we don’t regard something as valuable and neglect it, our feelings for it begin to wane. At the top of any man’s list of needs is respect from his mate; God created men that way. He needs respect as much from his wife as he needs air to breathe. A man who doesn’t receive respect from his wife is a man who begins to wither on the inside. 

That is exactly why God calls wives to respect their husbands (Ephesians 5:33).   Some believe that respect is something we all must earn. But just like love, respect from spouse to spouse must be unconditional. 

This is what Scripture teaches: “Show proper respect to everyone … not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh” (1 Peter 2:17-18).

How can a wife show respect for her husband

• Express faith in his decision and ability.
• Leave him notes that tell him how much you value who he is as a person.
• Make positive suggestions without demanding an immediate answer.
• Listen to his upsets and don’t take his anger personally.
• Let him vent when he needs to.
• Encourage him in areas where he doesn’t feel secure and let him know you stand behind him.
• When he makes a decision you’re not in favor of, listen.
• Talk about his positive strengths in front of the children.
• Praise him at least once a day.
• Discover the uniqueness of his personality and learn to understand him and communicate better with him.

Ask yourself which of these you did this past month in an effort to show your husband respect. Then ask yourself how you’ll find ways to do these things in the coming month and beyond. It might be difficult at first, especially if your husband is acting out towards you, not treating you with respect, who is maybe physically/emotionally abusive, who does not show love towards you, who does not love Jesus….

When I met Jesus a couple of years ago, my husband and I had serious marital problems. In fact we were on the verge of a divorce and it was in this challenging times when Jesus prompted me to behave and treat my husband with respect.  I couldn’t. In fact, I haven’t for many years. And I [thought] had all the legit reasons for not treating him with respect; my husband was very violent towards me - physically and emotionally, drank excessively, had several affairs and often visited prostitutes.

But Jesus [lovingly] convinced me to obey His word, that I should respect my husband regardless… (1 Peter 2:17-18).

I chose to be obedient and started treating my husband the way God wanted me too… sometimes I had to force myself and there were times it really came naturally.

I was so desperate to save my marriage, to change, to serve and obey God that I sucked up [almost] everything from my husband.  I wanted my husband to approve of the ‘new me’.  I longed for him to see a renewed women of God and most of all I’ve hoped that he would change too. That the changes in me would spark a desire in him to accept Jesus Christ and that the 3 of us would start a new journey.

I am absolutely convinced that the changes in my behaviour, how I treated my husband, how I reacted to situations; together with my non-stop fervent prayers were the triggers that caused him to accept Jesus.

But this is an on-going process; and I do make mistakes, I fight hard against the desires [that so often rises] to be sarcastic, to ignore him, to insult him… sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don’t.

But I am a firm believer, that because I love Jesus and have a burning desire to be obedient, I will always try again, and again, and again.

Friday 21 October 2011

Restorer

And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of [buildings that have laid waste for] many generations; and you shall be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
~ Isaiah 58:12



A word or 2

You will find in praise; spiritual understanding and strength for my My Spirit saturates the soul that learns to pour itself out in worship and that one becomes the object of My love and instruction.

Impossibilities vanish when you and God confronts your mountains


Friday 14 October 2011

What is your prostitute?

Do you remember the “great old bible stories” you heard as a child and how captivated  you were by the greatness of it all?

Noah - the man of faith, building the ark, with all the different animals under one roof? How on earth did he get them in there? What methods did he use to get them to follow him?



What about Jonah and the Whale – What went through his mind exactly when he was in the stomach of the whale? I cannot - not even in my wildest dreams, [and in the comfort of my home] imagine what he must have felt like... thinking about? Or was he just praying and repenting - scared of drowning everytime the whale opened his mouth. Surely it must have smelled!! 



Another old time favourite is the wonderful story of Moses. A story with so many hidden truths. And also a  story of a mothers protective love for her child, how she decided to stand the chance of ‘loosing’ him by hiding him by the side of the River Nile, not knowing if she will ever see him again! But in the end, God’s merciful love, orchestrating events for her to still raise her own child whilst in the care of another women. And then this young man, who grew up as an Egyptian prince, never forgot that he was a Hebrew and that his God had a calling on his life: to free the Hebrews from slavery.


Then there was Samson!  No ordinary man. A super human being.  A real-world Superman. Who killed a lion with his bare hands!  A man who's life story made me look deep and hard into my own life...




Samson. A captivating story of a man whom God miraculously brought into this world and whom He ordered to be put under a special consecration governed by the Nazirite vow. 

Not only was Samson a man called to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines who were occupying the land and oppressing Israel, he was also a man who did not share God’s hatred of evil, a man who lacked a compelling zeal to see Israel freed of Philistine domination.

Samson didn’t think the Philistines were all that bad. He even made an attempt to blend into their lustful and perverted society. His first girlfriend was a Philistine from Timnath (chapter 14). He became so infatuated with her he pressured his parents to approve their marriage. It was on one of his trips to visit his girl that he was attacked by an Asian Lion. Whom he bare-handed grabbed and tored in two.

Samson married her but their marriage did not last a week.  His wife betrayed him. He was angry and discouragedRejected and alone.  And after a while when he got lonely he went back to get his wife - only to find that she had been given to another man (chapter 15).


He frequently visited prostitutes – giving in to the lustful desire of his flesh. Then he met Delilah.  A [another] prostitute with whom he was besotted with.  A prostitute – a wrong decision - that caused him to lose everything;

His strength.
His sight.
His honour.
His life.


And still didn’t he realise he was on a destructive path…
Samson and Delilah.

A true story with great lessons to be learnt and still very relevant in this day and age.
Just like all of us, Samson wanted love and happinessAcceptance.

But he chose the wrong path.
He made bad choices.
He made mistakes.
He gave in to the luring of the evil --- Very relevant to me and you, as we too make wrong decisions. Bad choices. More often than we would admit. 

What did I learn from Samson and Delilah?
To really look deep into my own life, and ask myself this one question:

What is the ‘prostitute in my life? [and in your life]

- Is it my longing for affection and acceptance?
- Rebellion perhaps?
- The internet?
- My marriage?
- Maybe your work?
- Friends?
- An affair?
- Pornography?
- Unforgiveness?
- Money?
- Not sowing?
- Swinger parties?
- An old flame?
- Strip Clubs

What is ‘it’ that cause you to go astray?
To not be obedient?

What is the ‘prostitute in your life that brings distance between you and Jesus?

and then finally.... Is it worth it to have this ‘prostitute’ on the side…..

Thursday 6 October 2011

Small Straws in a Soft Wind


Beloved, I am creating opportunities in your life that will lead to greater unity with Me, says the Lord. I will reveal those things that create hindrances and distance between us. Let Me show you the way to restored innocence and purity, not as one who worships from outside, but as one who can enjoy spiritual intimacy with confidence in the reality of oneness.

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.


~ by Marsha Burns