Imogen Campbell
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death" or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4, NIV
I remember hearing this contemporary hymn, "Tomorrow", for the first time as a young girl. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB_xxO0jBBI )
Jesus said, "Here I stand, Won't you please let me in"
And you said, "I will tomorrow"
Jesus said, "I am He, Who supplies all your needs"
And you said, "I know but tomorrow"
[Chorus]
… I'll give my life tomorrow, I thought about today, But it's so much easier to say
… I'll give my life tomorrow, I thought about today, But it's so much easier to say
Tomorrow, Who promised you tomorrow, Better choose the Lord today
For tomorrow very well might be too late
Jesus came to dwell among humanity as a stunning reversal to what happened in the Garden of Eden. And he paid the ultimate price: humanity killed him.
As we have seen, some who heralded his coming, or loved him during his earthly sojourn, were confronted with suffering, isolation, hardship, etc.
Those who answer the call to “Follow Me” today, have to count the cost. This generation, too, will endure hardship and perhaps persecution. Until Jesus' Second Coming, he has sent his Counsellor, the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13)
His Shekinah glory as we have come to understand has not been absent; fire is also a symbol of the Holy Spirit. As I said right in the beginning, we are not alone. God truly is with us – no matter what. We can, indeed, face tomorrow.
"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives."
If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, please don’t wait until tomorrow to read about Jesus in the Scriptures.
The late Nabeel Qureshi, a former Muslim, put it like this, “It is worth all suffering to receive this truth and follow him. God is more beautiful than this life itself, and the one who loves him is ready to die when death comes, not just to glorify him but to hasten to his arms. Though we will die, we will live.”
May God find us worshipping the King of kings, glorifying the name higher than any other name. Let us consider just "How Great is our God", the God who wipes away our tears.
Prayer: We are privileged to have a relationship with the God of the universe. Grant us the strength to glorify your name every day, Lord. Amen.
Imogen Campbell
Hy sal al die trane van hulle oë afdroog. Die dood sal daar nie meer wees nie. Ook leed, smart en pyn sal daar nie meer wees nie. Die dinge van vroeër het verbygegaan.” Openbaring 21:4, 1983-vertaling
Ek onthou dat ek die hedendaagse gospellied, "Tomorrow", vir die eerste keer as 'n jong meisie gehoor het. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB_xxO0jBBI)
"Jesus said, "Here I stand, Won't you please let me in"
And you said, "I will tomorrow"
Jesus said, "I am He, Who supplies all your needs"
And you said, "I know but tomorrow"
[Koor]:
I'll give my life tomorrow, I thought about today, But it's so much easier to say
Tomorrow, Who promised you tomorrow, Better choose the Lord today
For tomorrow very well might be too late."
Jesus het onder die mensdom kom woon – 'n treffende ommekeer van dit wat in die Paradys gebeur het. En Hy het die hoogste prys betaal: die mensdom het Hom doodgemaak.
Soos ons gesien het, is sommige mense wat sy koms aangekondig het, of hom tydens sy aardse lewe liefgehad het, met lyding, isolasie en ontberings gekonfronteer.
Diegene wat vandag antwoord op sy roepstem "Volg My" moet ook die koste bereken. Hierdie geslag sal ook ontberings en miskien vervolging beleef. Tot met sy wederkoms het Hy sy Raadgewer, die Heilige Gees gestuur om ons in alle waarheid te lei. "Deur Christus het ook julle deel geword van die volk van God toe julle die waarheid wat aan julle verkondig is, die evangelie van julle verlossing, gehoor en tot geloof gekom het. In Christus het die Heilige Gees wat deur God belowe is, julle as die eiendom van God beseël." (Efesiërs 1:13)
Die sigbare heerlikheid van God (Shekinah-heerlikheid) is nie afwesig nie; vuur is ook 'n simbool van die Heilige Gees. Soos ek reg aan die begin van hierdie reeks gesê het, ons is nie alleen nie. God is werklik by ons – maak nie saak wat gebeur nie. Ons kan inderdaad kans sien vir môre.
"Omdat Hy leef, sien ek kans vir more
Omdat Hy leef is daar geen vrees
Omdat ek weet, ja ek weet Hy hou die toekoms, is die lewe nou die moeite werd
Omdat Hy leef." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-hzVQ1s2jk)
As jy nie Jesus as jou Heer en Verlosser ken nie, moet asseblief nie tot môre wag om meer oor Hom in die Bybel te lees nie.
Wyle Nabeel Qureshi, 'n bekeerde Moslem, het gesê: "Alle lyding is die moeite werd om hierdie waarheid te ontvang en Hom te volg. God is mooier as die lewe self, en die een wat Hom liefhet is gereed om te sterf wanneer die dood kom, nie net om God te verheerlik nie, maar om hom na God se arms te haas. Al sterf ons, sal ons leef." [Vry vertaal]
Mag God vind dat ons die Koning van alle konings aanbid en die Naam bo alle name verheerlik. Kom ons dink na oor hoe groot ons God is, die God wat al die trane sal afdroog.
Gebed: Here, hoe bevoorreg is ons nie om 'n verhouding met die God van die heelal te hê nie. Gee aan ons die krag om u Naam elke dag te verheerlik. Amen
Imogen Campbell
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'). Matthew 27:46, NIV
This is the fourth statement Jesus screamed from the cross. Some standing there that day thought Jesus was calling Elijah, a pivotal figure in Israel’s history.
I have heard it preached that sin separated God the Father and God the Son. And sin is the only thing that could ever make God turn away from Jesus. But after a life marked by perfect obedience, I was always challenged by the thought that God would “abandon” Him at His darkest hour. It never made sense to me.
Here is the thing though. God sees sin every day: all the horrors perpetrated against humanity – day in day out. Why would God turn away from a beloved Son in the most excruciatingly painful moment of his earthly life? Even more vexing is the fact that they are ONE.
I asked myself whether sin could destroy the unity of the Godhead even for just three days? And if that were the case, could God turn his face from us and our sin too while we are alive? Jesus was bearing our sin but had not yet died when he made his statement about being forsaken.
The Bible teaches that God knows exactly what goes on in the realms of death and judgment. And the devil, who is deep in the sin stuff, appears in Scripture as an accuser in God’s throne room. My mind has always been well boggled by this.
Then I discovered that Jesus was quoting Scripture in Aramaic – Psalm 22:1 to be exact and that various verses in the chapter specifically described his situation that day. In the end, the "Word of God", (Revelation 19:13, also written about in 1 John 1:1), was screaming the Word of God to us.
He could relate to us when we feel forsaken. Jesus had earlier asked Father God to forgive us humans.(Luke 23:34) Then he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30) and then “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
Whatever may have happened in the spiritual realm – forsaken or not – it certainly was finished perfectly for our redemption as sinners. I am so grateful for what Jesus did that day on the cross. You?
Prayer: Father, please forgive me when I am in sin that causes separation. Jesus was the One who died so that we can come to you freely in prayer. We praise you, Lord. Amen.
Imogen Campbell
Teen drie-uur het Jesus hard uitgeroep: “Eli, Eli, lemá sabagtani?” Dit is: My God, my God, waarom het U My verlaat? Matteus 27:46, 1983-vertaling
Dit is die vierde kruiswoord wat Jesus van die kruis af uitgeroep het. Sommige van diegene wat daardie dag daar was, het gedink Jesus roep na Elia, 'n belangrike figuur in Israel se geskiedenis.
Ek het al verskeie preke gehoor dat sonde God die Vader en God die Seun van mekaar geskei het. Sonde is die enigste ding wat ooit kon toelaat dat God van Jesus wegdraai. Maar na Jesus se lewe van volmaakte gehoorsaamheid, was die idee dat God Hom in sy donkerste uur kon verlaat, moeilik vir my om te verstaan. Dit het net nie sin gemaak nie.
Die punt is God sien dag in en dag uit sonde, al die gruweldade wat die mensdom pleeg. Hoekom sou Hy sy geliefde Seun in die verskriklikste pynlike oomblik van sy lewe op aarde verlaat het? Nog meer verwarrend is die feit dat Hulle EEN is.
Ek het myself afgevra of sonde die eenheid van die Godheid kon vernietig, selfs al was dit net vir drie dae? En as dit die geval is, kan God ook van ons en ons sonde wegdraai terwyl ons nog leef? Jesus het ons sonde gedra, maar Hy het hierdie woorde oor God wat Hom verlaat het uitgeroep nog voordat Hy gesterf het.
Die Bybel leer ons dat God weet presies wat in die doderyk en in die hiernamaals gebeur. En die duiwel, wat baie betrokke is by sonde, verskyn op verskeie plekke in die Skrif as die aanklaer in God se troonkamer. Dit het my nog altyd verstom.
Toe ontdek ek dat Jesus in Aramees uit die Skrif aangehaal het – Psalm 22:2 om presies te wees. Verskeie verse in die Psalm beskryf sy omstandighede op die dag van die kruisiging. In die einde het die "Woord van God" (Openbaring 19:13, na wie ook in 1 Johannes 1:1 verwys word), die Woord van God vir ons uitgeroep.
Hy kan meegevoel met ons hê wanneer ons verlate voel. Jesus het vroeër daardie dag aan die kruis reeds die Vader gevra om ons mense te vergewe. (Lukas 23:34) Hy het toe gesê: “Dit is volbring!” (Johannes 19:30) en daarna “Vader, in u hande gee Ek my gees oor.” (Lukas 23:46)
Wat ook al in die geestelike wêreld gebeur het – verlate of nie – ons verlossing as sondaars was definitief volmaak afgehandel. Ek is so dankbaar vir wat Jesus daardie dag aan die kruis gedoen het. En jy?
Gebed: Vader, vergewe asseblief my sondes wat my van U skei. Jesus is die Een wat gesterf het om dit vir ons moontlik te maak om direk tot U in gebed te nader. Ons loof U, Here Jesus. Amen
Ruanne van Zyl
Wees veral versigtig met wat in jou hart omgaan, want dit bepaal jou hele lewe. Spreuke 4:23, 1983-vertaling
Die hart waarvan hierdie vers praat, is nie net emosies nie, maar die sentrum van ons gedagtes, begeertes en motiewe. Alles wat ons doen, begin hier. Daarom sê God ons moet dit “veral versigtig” bewaak.
Ons harte word daagliks beïnvloed deur wat ons sien, hoor en oor dink. Negatiewe woorde, vergelyking met ander, vrees en bitterheid kan stil-stil wortelskiet. As ons dit nie aanspreek nie, begin dit ons houding en optrede beheer. 'n Onbewaakte hart lei tot 'n onrustige lewe.
Om jou hart te bewaak, beteken nie om koud of afgesluit te wees nie. Dit beteken om doelbewus te kies wat jy toelaat om jou binneste te vorm. Dit vra dat ons gereeld ons gedagtes aan God se waarheid toets. Wanneer leuens soos “ek is nie goed genoeg nie” of “niks sal verander nie” opkom, moet ons dit vervang met wat God sê.
'n Gesonde hart bring lewe. Dit lei tot geduld, liefde en wysheid in moeilike situasies. Wanneer ons hart vol vrede is, reageer ons anders op druk en konflik. Die kwaliteit van ons lewe word dus direk beïnvloed deur die toestand van ons binneste wêreld.
God is nie net geïnteresseerd in ons dade nie, maar in wat dit dryf. Wanneer ons Hom toelaat om ons harte te reinig en te vernuwe, verander Hy ons van binne na buite.
Gebed: Here, wys my wat in my hart nie van U af kom nie. Help my om my gedagtes te vul met u waarheid en my hart te bewaak sodat my lewe U eer. Amen.