We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

When God says “work,” He doesn’t say that everyone must produce two tents daily. No, He simply implores us to work “unto the Lord,” to the best of our abilities (see e.g., Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 12:47-48; Eph. 6:7). Although we never minimize or excuse sinful behavior, we treat people with one talent as if they have one talent, those with five as if they have five. We treat people according to their abilities.
Edward Welch

If you want to raise a Pharisee, just follow these simple steps (sarcasm!). 1. Make the Christian home all about rule-keeping (do’s and don’t’s), but never explain to them why we should follow God’s Word. 2. Add your own rules to God’s Word and make them more important than God’s Word. 3. Strictly enforce the rules on your children, but give yourself a pass. 4. Show your children nothing about grace, forgiveness, mercy and love. 5. Preach at them until they are blue in the face (bore them with the Bible) and never listen to what they have to say about God’s Word. 6. Make Jesus a burden rather than a blessing – make God’s Word a bondage rather than a liberation. 7. Give them no opportunity to think spiritually for themselves. 8. Fail to guide them in a spiritual worldview – teaching them how to process life with the Bible. 9. Praise their externals regardless of their motives. 10. Teach them to obey only because they have to and not because they should also want to as God’s commands come from a loving and trustworthy Father. 11. Make your disciple punishment rather than correction. 12. Demand self-reformation, rather than pointing them to Christ-transformation by grace. 13. Teach them to obey you as God rather than to obey God by obeying you. 14. Use Scripture and church as punishment. 15. Never pray for them. 16. Correct them more than you encourage them. 17. Beat your kids into external conformity, often to simply make yourself look good and do nothing to shepherd their hearts.
Randy Smith

Bible – Afrikaans – 1 Thessalonicense Chapter 5:1-28.

Index: Afrikaans

 

1 Thessalonicense 5

[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]

5:1 Maar oor die tye en geleenthede, broeders, het julle nie nodig dat aan julle geskryf word nie;

5:2 want julle weet self baie goed dat die dag van die Here kom net soos ‘n dief in die nag.

5:3 Want wanneer hulle sê: Vrede en veiligheid–dan oorval ‘n skielike verderf hulle soos die barensnood ‘n swanger vrou, en hulle sal sekerlik nie ontvlug nie.

5:4 Maar julle, broeders, is nie in duisternis, dat die dag julle soos ‘n dief sou oorval nie.

5:5 Julle is almal kinders van die lig en kinders van die dag; ons is nie van die nag of die duisternis nie.

5:6 Laat ons dan nie slaap soos die ander nie, maar laat ons waak en nugter wees.

5:7 Want die wat slaap, slaap in die nag; en die wat dronk word, is in die nag dronk.

5:8 Maar laat ons wat van die dag is, nugter wees, met die borswapen van geloof en liefde aan, en as helm die hoop op die saligheid.

5:9 Want God het ons nie bestem tot toorn nie, maar om die saligheid te verkry deur onse Here Jesus Christus

5:10 wat vir ons gesterf het, sodat ons, of ons waak en of ons slaap, saam met Hom kan lewe.

5:11 Daarom, bemoedig mekaar en bou die een die ander op, soos julle ook doen.

5:12 Maar ons vra julle, broeders, erken die wat onder julle arbei en julle voorgangers in die Here is en julle vermaan;

5:13 en bewys hulle in liefde die hoogste agting ter wille van hulle werk. Hou vrede onder mekaar.

5:14 En ons versoek julle, broeders, vermaan die onordelikes, bemoedig die kleinmoediges, ondersteun die swakkes, wees lankmoedig teenoor almal.

5:15 Sorg dat niemand ‘n ander kwaad vir kwaad vergeld nie; maar jaag altyd ná wat goed is, teenoor mekaar sowel as teenoor almal.

5:16 Wees altyddeur bly.

5:17 Bid sonder ophou.

5:18 Wees in alles dankbaar, want dit is die wil van God in Christus Jesus oor julle.

5:19 Blus die Gees nie uit nie.

5:20 Verag die profesieë nie.

5:21 Beproef alle dinge; behou die goeie.

5:22 Onthou julle van elke vorm van kwaad.

5:23 En mag Hy, die God van die vrede, julle volkome heilig maak, en mag julle gees en siel en liggaam geheel en al onberispelik bewaar word by die wederkoms van onse Here Jesus Christus!

5:24 Hy wat julle roep, is getrou; Hy sal dit ook doen.

5:25 Broeders, bid vir ons.

5:26 Groet die broeders almal met ‘n heilige kus.

5:27 Ek besweer julle by die Here dat hierdie brief aan al die heilige broeders voorgelees word.

5:28 Die genade van onse Here Jesus Christus sy met julle! Amen.