Sunday 13 April 2014

RUN with the SON

I am a runner.  I belong to an group of like-minded people who constantly strive to be more than what the world tells us to be! Together … we are Born2Run!

I am a Christian.  I belong to an group of like-minded children of God who constantly strive to be more than what the world wants us to be!  Together … we are the Body of Christ!


I believe that I’ve always been a runner at heart. Maybe it was just my rushed nature, maar iewers diep binne het die verlange na vryheid gele.  Closing my eyes, I felt my legs gliding effortlessly through every step.  My heart pumping adrenalin with each breath of fresh morning air.  The cool breeze touching my skin, gently brushing through my hair.  En die reuk van klam grond tussen die bome …. mmmm, freedom.

Waking up from my dream, I realised that running was nothing  like that especially when running for the first time.  Running is hard, running is tiring, and yes …. it makes you sweat, a lot!  Furthermore, as a runner you are more injury prone, especially injury to your knees.  Research have found that generally, runners struck the ground with eight times their body weight equalling approximately three times more than the impact of the walker.  U kan self die somme maak.

Through the tiredness, sweat and pain, the flesh was crying out to stop, my spirit wanted more….

In the midst of this physical and spiritual reality shock, I realised that running is not so much different to being a disciple of Jesus.  You see there are a number of valuable constants joining all areas of life.

#1: PRAYER

I went running with a friend a few months ago.  She hadn’t been doing much exercise and felt quite anxious about her return to the fit-club.  Ek was baie opgewonde oor die geleentheid want dit is nie aldag dat ek iemand het wat saam met my teen my pas oefen nie.    Before we started I said:  come, let us pray.  We ran a few kilometres and when finished, she turned to me and said this:  I was going to give you my doctor’s number in case something happened … but then you prayed and I knew it wasn’t necessary.  Voor enigiets moet ons bid, gedurende ons wedloop moet ons bid, na ons wedloop moet ons bid.

1 Thessalonians 5:17  pray without ceasing, (ESV)

1 Thessalonians 5:17  Bid sonder ophou. (AOV)

Prayer is not non-stop talking, it is to always remain in an attitude of God-consciousness and God-surrender.  Elke oomblik moet geleef word in ‘n bewustheid dat God met ons is en aktief betrokke is in ons gedagtes and in our actions.

#2:  GEAR

Vir my heel eerste wedloop het ek soos ‘n professionele atleet gelyk, at least I thought so.  I wore a beautiful pink cotton t-shirt, cotton shorts en Mr Price gladde sool tekkies.  The ideal recipe for a disaster on a humid and wet East London January morning.  Nie net was ek so pienk soos my t-hemp nie, maar ek het ‘n beenspier seergemaak toe ek op die nat teer gegely het met my “nie gemaak vir hardloop nie “ tekkies.  I did not have the right equipment. It was during this time that I came to know about Climacool running shirts and shorts and “outstep / instep and natural stride running shoes”. 

2 Timothy 3:16  Die hele Skrif is deur God ingegee en is nuttig tot lering, tot weerlegging, tot teregwysing, tot onderwysing in die geregtigheid, 17  sodat die mens van God volkome kan wees, vir elke goeie werk volkome toegerus. (AOV)
  
2 Timothy 3:16  All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, 17  so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.

Die hele Bybel is God se geinspireerde Woord.  Because it is inspired and trustworthy we should read it and apply it to our lives.  The bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true.  It is our safeguard against false teaching and our source and guidance for how we should live.  It is our only source of knowledge about how we can be saved.  Jy moet gereelde tyd in God se Woord spandeer, en nie net om jou kennis te vermeerder nie, but we should study the Bible so that we will know how to do Christ’s work in the world.  Ons kennis van die Bybel is nie van hulp as dit nie ons geloof versterk en ons lei tot goeie werke nie.

#3:  FUEL

As a runner your energy requirements are high – you can typically burn about 100 calories for every 1,5km you run.  To make sure that you meet your running energy requirements, it is important to eat the correct fuel, eat it at the correct time and balance it with the other foods in your diet.

I have come to learn that good carbs a few days before a race acts like dynamite in my veins.  Low GI brown bread with a good dose of peanut butter works for me, while some athletes prefer pasta.  Keeping and staying hydrated during a race is as important.  Water and small amounts of coke are provided at various water points, coupled with some motivational insights from the non-runners manning these stations. 

John 6:35  En Jesus sê vir hulle: Ek is die brood van die lewe; wie na My toe kom, sal nooit honger kry nie; en wie in My glo, sal nooit dors kry nie.

John 6:35  "I am the bread of life," Jesus told them. "Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never be thirsty.

Ons eet brood om ons fisiese honger te stil en om lewe te onderhou.  We can satisfy our spiritual hunger and sustain spiritual life only by a right relationship with Jesus Christ.  Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life.  Brood moet geeet word om lewe te onderhou, en Christus moet in ons daaglikse lewe ingenooi word om ons spirituele lewe te onderhou.

Joh 4:14  maar elkeen wat drink van die water wat Ek hom sal gee, sal in ewigheid nooit dors kry nie, maar die water wat Ek hom sal gee, sal in hom word ‘n fontein van water wat opspring tot in die ewige lewe.

John 4:14  but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life."

Jesus is the living water and the bread of life, the dynamite for our souls.

#4:  TRAINING

Although I believed that I was a runner at heart, running didn’t come naturally to the physical body.  I got injured very quickly in my “running career” and had to seek medical advice to assist with the injury.  My doctor, a retired runner himself, let me run up and down his surgery and concluded that I have the worst feet for running and should consider walking as a sport.    Hoogs verontwaardig en uiters hardkoppig is ek daar uit met die besluit dat ek sal hardloop!

I started training 3 to 4 times a week.  It was gruelling.  I would run 500 m and be dead tired, walk another 200 m and try again.  I pushed hard, I prayed hard, I almost gave in to the doctors’ recommendation, but I persevered.  I wanted to do this; I wanted to be the very best I could be. 

I entered every race I could find, measuring my physical strength from one 10k race to another.  Continuously aiming for that new PB! 

All this time I only had Justin to encourage me, giving me little bits of advice here and there and although I tried it and it worked, I realised I wanted more.  I needed someone to take me to the next level. So I employed the services of a coach.

Vanuit die staanspoor het sy my gemotiveer.  She told me that I had a natural stride – contradictory to my doctor’s opinion.  She gave advice and pushed me to endure and persevere. Through her help I have improved my time per km drastically.  I realised once more, running takes discipline, and discipline leads to fruit.

Hebrews 12:1  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (ESV)

Hebrews 12:1  Daarom dan, terwyl ons so ‘n groot wolk van getuies rondom ons het, laat ons ook elke las aflê en die sonde wat ons so maklik omring, en met volharding die wedloop loop wat voor ons lê,

The Christian life involves hard work.  it requires us to give up whatever endagers our relationship with God, to run with endurance, and to struggle against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit.  To live effectively we must keep our eyes on Jesus,.

Deur deel te wees van die Liggaam van Jesus, Sy kerk het ons toegang tot al die hulpmiddele wat benodig word om ons kennis en geloof te oefen en te versterk. 

Romans 10:17  Die geloof is dus uit die gehoor, en die gehoor is deur die woord van God.

Romans 10:17  So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.

God communicates His thoughts through the spoken word, preaching, teaching and prophecy, provided it lines up with the Bible.  When we hear what is being said, and knows it lines up with the Word then the Holy Spirit enables us to respond by believing.

In ons kerk het ons toegang tot die God se weeklikse boodskap wat deur die prediker gebring word.  Ons het toegang tot weeklikse interaktiewe bybelstudie, wat ons kennis van die Woord dramaties kan verbeter. In our church community we are blessed with different Holy Spirit gifts working together for God’s Kingdom.

#5:  FELLOWSHIP

Justin and I decided to join a running club.  Dit is hier waar ons met eensgesinde individue kommunikeer en waardevolle kennis opdoen.  We’re given the opportunity to volunteer and take part at events, and to share in the joy and sucesses and sometimes pain of our fellow runners.    This serves as an encouragement to us, the thought of knowing, you’re never alone.

Hebrews 10:25  Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.

Hebrews 10:25  en laat ons ons onderlinge byeenkoms nie versuim soos sommige die gewoonte het nie, maar laat ons mekaar vermaan, en dit des te meer namate julle die dag sien nader kom.

To give up Christian meetings is to give up the encouragement and help of other Christians.  We gather together to share our faith and to strengthen one another in the Lord.  Difficulties should never be excuses missing church services.  Rather, as difficulties arise, we should make an even greater effort to meet together.
  
#6:  REWARD

1  Corinthians 9:24  Weet julle nie dat die wat op die baan hardloop, wel almal hardloop, maar dat een die prys ontvang nie? Hardloop só dat julle dit sekerlik kan behaal.

1 Corinthians 9:24  Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize.

Om ‘n wedloop te wen verg doel en discipline.  Paul uses this illustration to explain that the Christian life takes hard work, self-denial and gruelling preparation.  As Christene, hardloop ons na ons hemelse beloning toe, die ewige lewe.

In conclusion:

The essential disciplines of prayer, biblestudy, worship, fellowship and hearing the Word being ministered, equip us to run with stamina.  Moenie slegs kyk vanuit die paviljoene nie, don’t just turn out to jog a couple of laps each morning.  Train diligently – jou spirituele vooruitgang hang daarvan af.

Nobody can finish your race for you; you need to run with perseverance; endurance and most importantly with Christ at your centre, to reach the finish line.


Tuesday 4 February 2014

The Truth

My heart is full of emotion and my head is empty ..... no thoughts, no words.  I don't have the words to describe the hurt and pain I'm experiencing in my heart.  Is this how Jesus felt while hanging on the cross at Calvary?  Is this how He felt when He cried out to God - Matthew 27:46 At about three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why did you abandon me?"   

Why do people still deny the truth?  Why do they continue to search for the truth in all the wrong places when it is standing right in front of them?  Look up .... the truth is Jesus Christ. He said it Himself in John 14:6: Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.

Are you experiencing hardship today?  Are you mourning the loss of a loved one?  Are you in financial difficulty?  Whatever it is that you might be feeling, don't deny the love of Jesus Christ.  He is the Truth, He is the Answer.  Call on Him today ....  He is waiting for you!

Saturday 17 August 2013

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
(18)  Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
(19)  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

(20)  And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Do you want to be a disciple of Jesus?

A disciple is a learner who studies and obeys the biblical teachings of Jesus Christ.
A disciple must be teachable.
A disciple must be ever growing in their commitment to Christ.
A disciple must be faithful, willing and obedient

Therefore, as disciples of Jesus Christ we must all be FAT!

F   -   Faithful
A   -  Available
T   -   Teachable

We are all commissioned to follow Jesus, to preach the gospel and make disciples among all people (all nations) of the world.

A challenge for this week then ... let each one of us go out and make 1 disciple for Jesus, who in turn can make 1 disciple for Jesus .... and soon the gospel will can be spread across the whole world and across all nations!

God Bless!

Sunday 11 August 2013

Ezekiel 15:1-7  The LORD spoke to me. "Mortal man," he said, "how does a vine compare with a tree? What good is a branch of a grapevine compared with the trees of the forest? Can you use it to make anything? Can you even make a peg out of it to hang things on? It is only good for building a fire. And when the ends are burned up and the middle is charred, can you make anything out of it? It was useless even before it was burned. Now that the fire has burned it and charred it, it is even more useless." Now this is what the Sovereign LORD is saying: "Just as a vine is taken from the forest and burned, so I will take the people who live in Jerusalem and will punish them. They have escaped one fire, but now fire will burn them up. When I punish them, you will know that I am the LORD. (GNB)

This message from God to Ezekiel provided clear evidence that He was going to destroy Jerusalem.  This message was about a vine, useless at first and even more useless after being burned.  The people of Jerusalem were useless to God because of their idol worship, and so they would be destroyed.  

How much time do you spent meditating on His Word? How much time do you spent in prayer? Are you always looking for excuses to work for God?  Are you always too busy to get involved in any fellowship activities at your church?  Have you become unfruitful to God?  How can you begin fulfilling His plan for you?

Saturday 10 August 2013

Search and Rescue

Search and Rescueis the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.

The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search is conducted over. These include Mountain rescue; ground search and rescue, including the use of search and rescue dogs; urban search and rescue in cities; combat on the battlefield and air-sea rescue over water.

Matthew 1:21  She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus---because he will save his people from their sins." (GNB)
Matteus 1:21  Sy sal aan ‘n Seun geboorte gee, en jy moet Hom Jesus noem, want Hy sal die volk van hul sondes verlos. (NLV)

Luke 19:1- 10
Jesus went on into Jericho and was passing through.
There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who was rich.
He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was a little man and could not see Jesus because of the crowd.
So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way.
When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to Zacchaeus, "Hurry down, Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today."
Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed him with great joy.
All the people who saw it started grumbling, "This man has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner!"
Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Listen, sir! I will give half my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much."
Jesus said to him, "Salvation has come to this house today, for this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham.
The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (GNB)

Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector; a position referred to only in the Bible, probably designating one in charge of a district, with other tax collectors under him.  The region was prosperous at the time, so Zacchaeus became very rich.

Tax collectors were not very loved by the community.  Being a tax collector was like having social leprosy.  No one wanted to be near you.  Why?  Because being a tax collector you had to do some really crooked negotiating.  You had to betray your own people.  You had an obligation to the authorities to pay over a certain amount, but what you actually charged the community, was up to you.  Everyone was well aware of what these tax collectors were doing, especially Zacchaeus, so it’s a little easier to understand why he was hated so much.

Zacchaeus had one other obstacle; he was very short, almost like a man trapped in a boy’s body.  This made him look very odd.  People stared at him and made fun of him.  I’m sure he was often the brunt of cruel jokes.

Everyone in Jericho has heard about Jesus of Nazareth.  Some said he was a prophet, others said he was a good teacher, and others said he was a wonderful healer.  Jesus had claimed that He was the Son of God – the long awaited Messiah.

So on this particular day when Jesus was scheduled to go through town, hundreds of people rushed to the streets to catch a glimpse of Him, and to possibly make up their own minds of who He really was.  You can just imagine the excitement, the anticipation, the tension in the air.

Zacchaeus also wanted a glimpse of Jesus.  He, like everybody else, was anxiously awaiting the promised Messiah.  Running towards the main road, trying to push through all these people, he realised that he would not be able to get through the crowds, let alone see Jesus.  Spotting a sycamore-fig tree –he proceeded to climb it, to catch a glimpse of the man from Galilee. A sycamore tree is a sturdy tree from 30 to 40 feet high, with a short trunk and spreading branches, capable of holding a grown man.

This must have been quite the sight!  An adult man climbing a tree?  Must’ve been pretty embarrassing!  The important thing to realise here is that Zacchaeus was so desperate to have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ that he was willing to look like a fool for it!  This is quite an admirable attitude – God desires to develop the same attitude in us.  He wants us to want Jesus so badly, that we would be willing to do anything to have a personal encounter with him.

Zacchaeus was a dishonest, and he was known for taking advantage of others.  He had swindled people out of their hard-earned money.  He was easy to dislike.

But we can learn a few things from his life:

·         He had the right attitude:  he so desperately wanted a personal encounter with Jesus that he would go to great lengths to make it happen.  He was determined!  How determined are you to get as close as possible to Jesus?
·         He was aware of his shortcomings and did something about them:  When he realized that he was too short to see Jesus, he could’ve given up.  He was aware of his limitations, but he refused to let them stop him from doing something important.  Do you find it easy to rationalize your areas of weaknesses?  God wants you to be aware of your weak areas – and instead of rationalizing them away, he wants you to do something about it.
·         He heard the call of Jesus:  The Bible tells us in verse 5 that when Jesus walked by the tree in which Zacchaeus was sitting, he stopped, looked up, and called him by name.  He heard Jesus call him.  Think of all the noise around him, with the hundreds of people standing around trying to get to Jesus first.  Yet when Jesus spoke his name, he heard and responded.  God wants you to learn the sound of His voice so you can be constantly tuned in.
·         He took Jesus home:  We can go to church with Jesus, we talk about Him with our Christian friends, but are we willing to take Him home?  Are we willing to allow him inside the very private areas of our lives?  Zacchaeus knew that once Jesus entered his home, there would be no hiding.  Everything about Zacchaeus would be out in the open for Christ to see.  His closets, his office, his receipts – proof of his crooked business dealings – things he had hoped nobody would ever be able to find out about him – Zacchaeus allowed Jesus full access.

God wants full access to your home.  He wants to invade every area of your life with love and with truth.  Jesus loved Zacchaeus too much to allow him to stay trapped in deceit and hypocrisy.  And Jesus loves you too much to allow things to stay the same in your home.

When you invite Jesus into the inner depths of your being, He’ll make the necessary changes.  Are you willing to allow him the freedom to do that?

If you were the only one in the entire world, He still would have chosen to suffer the horrendous death it took to pay for your sins.  He has chosen you, he calls you by name, and he goes against the flow for you.  He looks beyond what others say about you and chooses to see your highest potential.

Luke 5:31-32 :
Jesus answered them, "People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick.
I have not come to call respectable people to repent, but outcasts."

John 10:3  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him; the sheep hear his voice as he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out.


God loves you. He will always protect you. Call on Him, and He will be there!

Psalms 37:7 - 9  Be patient and wait for the LORD to act; don't be worried about those who prosper or those who succeed in their evil plans. Don't give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble.Those who trust in the LORD will possess the land, but the wicked will be driven out.

Psalms 91:1 - 2  Whoever goes to the LORD for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, can say to him, "You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in you I trust."

God loves you.  He will always protect you.  Call on Him, and He will be there!

Prayer:

Father in Heaven, thank you for always watching over me.  Thank you for loving me so much that you send your Son, Jesus, to die for me.  Thank you that I can be safe in your hands.  Father, I pray for each and every person on this beautiful planet.  I ask for your love and protection in their lives.

Amen

Sunday 12 February 2012

The Shepherd


Psalm 23 is one of the most memorised chapters in the Bible.  It’s a Psalm about contentment, submission and a special relationship with God.  It makes us realise, of how dependent we are on God, and that He is Somebody on whom we can trust completely. 

1.        A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Sheep stays with their shepherd, trust in him and depends on him every day to provide for all their needs.  A sheep never feels the need to overeat, out of fear that tomorrow might bring a shortage of food.  The shepherd searches day after day for the best pastures for his herd.  In the evening, it’s the shepherd’s duty to ensure that everything is in order, so that the sheep can have a peaceful sleep. 

It’s a difficult task to get the sheep to lie down.  One after another, the sheep are examined to make sure that everything is in order, and then prepared for the nights rest.

First, the shepherd will feel the sheep’s stomach to ensure that he has had enough to eat.  If the sheep didn’t eat enough, he will cry the whole night.  Then the shepherd will feel the sheep’s nose.  A wet nose indicates that the sheep has had enough to drink, if not, the shepherd will take water from his own supply so that he can enjoy a peaceful rest.

Sheep also have the problem of parasites and ticks in their noses, from standing head down the whole day, while feeding.  This makes them itch, and their eyes water.  Every night the shepherd will take out a white cloth and wipe their eyes and clean their noses.

Truth of Life:

God looks after our physical and spiritual needs.  With the same amount of care that the shepherd looks after his herd, God also cleans us of wrong things we allow in our lives on a daily basis.

2.      He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

Sheep needs to feel safe before they can come to rest.  They normally sleep in a sheep-pen without a gate.  The shepherd sleeps in the doorway, and is thus the “door”.  The sheep only feels safe if he sleeps there with them, because they know, that no danger will get past him.

Truth of Life:

We can know that we’re safe when God is with us.  He protects us, and will not, like a mercenary, who is only there on a temporary basis, run away when trouble comes.

3.       He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Sheep are very scared of running water.  They’re even scared of the sound of running water and will run away when they hear water.  There is a very good reason for this.  The best part of their wool is between their front legs and their chins.  When they stoop down to drink water, this part absorbs the water.  It can get so heavy that their weak front legs can give in, which will cause them to fall forward and drown.

A good shepherd knows exactly what scares his herd.  For this reason, he will dam off a portion of the water for his sheep, or he will take the water to his sheep.  He will also wait until the water is calm, before he will take them to drink.

Truth of Life:

God understands our fears.  He goes before us, and prepares a path for us.  He brings us to places where we need to rest and regain spiritual strength.

…… to be continued.

(extracted from "Lig" by Rene Badenhorst)