Ewigheidsvisie

Het jy ‘n ewigheidsvisie en verstaan jy die belangrikheid daarvan?

Daar was ‘n man gewees wat sy ewigheidsvisie verloor het. Hy was lid gewees van ‘n span wat na lande wat deur hongersnood en natuurrampe geteister was gaan bedien het. Hy het daar gesien hoe ‘n ma God smeek om haar en haar kind te red, maar hulle was reeds te swak gewees weens die hongersnood. Nadat hulle gesterf het, het hy begin twyfel aan God se ewigheidsplan. Kort daarna het hy geskryf dat hy nie meer kan glo en vertrou op ‘n God wat nie ingryp wanneer ‘n ma Hom smeek vir haar kind nie.

Ja, dit is verseker tragiese gebeure, maar waar staan God? Kyk Hy maar net toe hoe die mensdom ly en swaarkry? NEE! God het ‘n ewigheidsvisie.

So sal my woorde wees wat uit my mond kom, dit sal doen wat Ek wil hê. My woorde sal doen wat Ek gesê het hulle moet doen, my woorde sal nie leeg na My toe terugkom nie (Jesaja 55:11).

 

God dink en doen ver bo wat die mens kan dink en doen, dit kan vergelyk word met hoe ver die hemel bo die aarde is (Jesaja 55:9).

 

Woorde kan mense laat sterf of dit kan mense laat lewe. As jy baie praat, dan kan daar goeie of slegte dinge met jou gebeur (Spreuke 18:21).

Ons moet vasklou aan ons ewigheidsvisie en ons woorde moet daardie visie beskryf in plaas daarvan om die slegte en negatiewe situasies en ervaringe te beskryf. Ons moet dus ons woorde gebruik om ons ervaringe en situasies te verander tot iets goed. Ons moet onthou dat ons woorde skeppings mag het en ons dus die oplossings en antwoorde tot alles moet spreek.

Ewigheidsvisie beteken dus om lewe, seën, vervulling, oplossing ens. te sien en te spreek soos ‘n profeet van God (1 Petrus 2:9).

Ons moet ook kort kort herinner word aan God se ewigheidsvisie om ook ons eie visie te verewig:

Ek weet een ding is seker: My losser lewe en Hy sal wen op hierdie aarde. Ek het nie meer vel oor my liggaam nie, maar ek sal vir God sien terwyl ek nog lewe (Job 19:25-26).

 

Baie mense wat nou in hulle grafte slaap, sal wakker word. Party mense sal altyd lewe, en God sal party mense vir altyd verneder (Daniël 12:2).

 

Julle moenie verbaas wees hieroor nie. Daar sal ‘n tyd kom wanneer almal wat nou klaar dood is en in hulle grafte lê, sal hoor dat die Seun hulle roep. Almal wat reg gelewe het, sal uitkom uit hulle grafte. Hulle sal weer begin lewe sodat hulle die ewige lewe kan kry. Almal wat sleg gelewe het, sal weer begin lewe sodat die Seun hulle kan oordeel (Johannes 5:28-29).

 

Vriende, ons is nou kinders van God. Ons weet nog nie presies hoe wonderlik ons eendag sal wees nie, maar ons weet dit: Wanneer Jesus kom, dan sal ons wees soos Hy, want ons sal Hom sien soos Hy regtig is (1 Johannes 3:2).

 

Ja, ek sê dit weer: As die mense wat gesterf het, nie weer sal lewe nie, dan het God ook nie vir Christus weer laat lewe nie. En as God nie vir Christus weer laat lewe het nie, dan beteken julle geloof niks, dan is julle nog nie vry van julle sondes nie. Dan het die mense wat aan Christus behoort het en gesterf het, verlore gegaan. As ons hoop dat Christus ons red net vir hierdie lewe op die aarde, dan moet al die mense baie jammer wees vir ons. Maar nee, God het vir Christus weer laat lewe, dit is seker. Christus is die eerste Een van almal wat gesterf het, en God het Hom weer laat lewe. ‘n Mens, Adam, het gesterf, en van toe af het almal in die wêreld gesterf. Maar nou het God ‘n ander Mens, Christus, weer laat lewe, en daarom sal al die gelowiges wat gesterf het, ook weer lewe. Ons is almal die nageslag van Adam, daarom sterf ons almal. Maar ons behoort ook aan Christus, en daarom sal God ons ook almal weer laat lewe (1 Korintiërs 15:16-22).

Bekering to Die Lewe

In Handelinge 11:18 lees ons dat God "die bekering tot die lewe geskenk" het aan almal wie Sy vergiffenis gesoek het en Jesus Christus aanvaar het, want die Here se wil is dat niemand verlore moet gaan nie.

Paulus die apostel praat van "die bekering tot God en die geloof in onse Here Jesus Christus.” Jesus het gesê, “Daar is blydskap voor die engele van God oor een sondaar wat hom bekeer.” Jesus het nie gesê dat daar blydskap is oor ‘n sondaar wat net glo, sonder om homself te bekeer nie. Ons kan in baie skrifgedeeltes sien dat bekering altyd voor reddendegeloof plaasvind. Redendegeloof is niks as dit nie “tot geregtigheid” is nie, want “met die mond bely ons tot redding”, maar "met die hart glo ons tot geregtigheid"

Johannes Calvyn het ook skryf:

It is faith alone which justifies, and still the faith which justifies is not alone. Ears, feet, and hands are given to us at the same time that our eyes are, yet it is the office of the eye alone to see.” In like manner, repentance, love, obedience are the veritable companions of faith.

Deur F. F. Bosworth

Skriflesing:

En toe hulle dit hoor, het hulle geswyg en God verheerlik en gesê: So het God dan ook aan die heidene die bekering tot die lewe geskenk.
(Handelinge 11:18.)

terwyl ek kragtig by die Jode sowel as die Grieke aangedring het op die bekering tot God en die geloof in onse Here Jesus Christus.
(Handelinge 20:21)

maar ek het eers aan die mense in Damaskus en in Jerusalem en in die hele land van Judéa en aan die heidene verkondig dat hulle tot inkeer moet kom en hulle tot God bekeer deur werke te doen wat by die bekering pas.
(Handelinge 26:20)

want met die hart glo ons tot geregtigheid en met die mond bely ons tot redding.
(Romeine 10:10)

Gebed:

Hemel Vader, help my asseblief om ware bekering te verstaan en aan te neem as my eie, sodat ek, wanneer nodig my vinnig tot u sal bekeer.
In Jesus Naam, Amen.

Life abundantly and eternal

God’s desire is for you to have Life – abundantly and eternal. Let me explain this by a poster I’ve once saw:

“FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND”

One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:

“LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me.”

The LORD replied:
“My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.”

The single pair of footprints indicates the very nature of God’s loving care. He carries you when you can no longer walk the road of life alone. But at some point He will put you down on your feet again and allow you to walk next to Him. He won’t leave you or forsake you. (More on this later.) But the difficult part of your journey is eased by His presence. From this point on you can walk the road together with Him, knowing He is there to pick you up.

Salvation is not some mystical euphoria. It is based on FACT – the fact that God loves you, you sinned, He made a better way and that way is Jesus Christ. OK, you may feel you have no contact with this loving God. Let us help you to have an eternal Friend and Father. Four simple truths will lead you to have Him as Friend and Father:

• God loves you and has a plan for your life.
  • God’s love: God so loved the world [that means all of us] that He gave his Son, so that who ever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
  • God’s plan: Jesus said: I have come so that you may have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
  • The second truth shows the dilemma man is faced with.
• Man has sinned and is separated from God, thus denying him the love and plan God has for his life.
  • We have sinned: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
  • Man has been separated from God: The wages of sin are death [death means here to be spiritually separated from God]. (Romans 6:23)
  • The third truth gives the solution.
• God made a better way and sent Jesus Christ as Saviour to bridge the separation man experiences.
  • He died in our place, taking our sins on Him: But God shows his love for us in that Christ died for us when we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8)
  • But He rose from the dead: And showed Himself to many while speaking of the things of the Kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)
  • He said of Himself: I am the Way, and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the father but by Me. (John 14:6)
  • It is not sufficient to only know about these three truths.
• Accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour and knowing that He wants to be the bridge you need to get back to God.
  • You have to personally accept Him as Saviour: But all that have accepted Him, to them He has given the power to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name. (John 1:12)
  • You have to accept Him by faith: By grace you have been saved, by faith, and not by yourselves; it is grace from God… (Ephesians 2:8,9)
  • By accepting Him as Saviour, you are responding to His call: Behold, I stand at the door and I knock. If someone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter and go to him. (Revelations 3:20)

You can accept Him at this very moment by faith which is expressed in prayer. If you have never prayed before, take the following as a prayer of faith:

Lord Jesus, I realise that I have tried to walk the road of life on my own and that I have sinned. I now open the door of my life to you and accept you as Lord and Saviour. Thank you that my sins have been forgiven and that you have given me eternal life. I ask you to take control of my life and guide me. Make me the type of person You want me to be.

If this prayer reflects what you are feeling right now, pray it and He will save you. But how can I be sure that I have been accepted by God through Jesus? Refer to Revelations 3:20. “Behold, I stand at the door and I knock. If someone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter and go to him.” It is a promise! And He will keep it.

The Bible promises eternal life to each person who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour: This I have written so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13). Remember that we said at the beginning that He will never forsake us? Here’s the proof: I will never leave you nor forsake you.(Hebrews 13:5).

Some guidelines are given here to assist you in the new walk in faith:

• Don’t depend on feelings. You don’t feel that you are accepted by God, you
  know it by faith. Read John 14:21.

• Now that you have accepted Him as Saviour, the following things have taken place or are about to take place:
  • Christ Jesus has entered your life (Revelations 3:20, Colossians 1:27)
  • Your sins have been forgiven (Colossians 1:14)
  • You have become a child of God (John 1:12)
  • You have begun with the great adventure fro which you have been created by God in the first place (John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 5:14)

What a wonderful thought to know that God is not angry with me and that my sins have been forgiven! Why don’t you thank Him in prayer for this, right now?

What now? You are like a young plant, ready to grow, but will need some encouragement and a little help from your friends. Do the following:

• Prayer is important: Pray regularly, anywhere, any-time. Read John 15:7.

• Read the Bible: This is your main source of information, knowledge, growth and faith. Read Acts 17:11

• Be obedient: Obedience to God in everything you do is important. Read John 14:21.

• Proclaim your faith: Do this by word and deed. Read Matthew 4:19 and John 15:8.

• Show your new-found faith: Trust in God for EVERYTHING. Read 1 Peter 5:7.

• Treasure the Holy Spirit: Allow Him to control your life in every aspect. Read Galatians 5:16 and Acts 1:8.

• Be part of the Body: Find a church. Find Christian friends. Join Bible study groups.

Lastly: Be abundantly blessed, in the name of Jesus Christ. Start by reading the Gospel of John! If you would like to get more information, feel free to contact us.

 

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