Vers-n-dag -
To Him be the glory - 7 March 2014
Neville Turley
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Matthew 24:35 (NIV)
This is a very special day for all people who cherish their Bible. Today the Bible Society movement is 210 years old.
The British and Foreign Bible Society was founded in London on 7 March 1804. This society was the mother society of many other Bible Societies including the Bible Society of South Africa.
The decision to alleviate the chronic shortage of Bibles by founding the society was sparked by the desire and persistence of a poor Welsh teenager who was determined to obtain a Bible in her own language. After scraping the money together by doing odd jobs over years, she then walked some 40 km over inhospitable Welsh terrain to the nearest town to buy a Bible from the local minister.
At a meeting in London that minister used her example to plead for Bibles for Wales, a fellow minister concurred saying, “And if for Wales, why not for the kingdom, why not for the whole world?”
The work that the Bible Society does did not originate in 1804. It goes back far beyond that. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, carrying the 10 commandments to share with God’s children, it was a foretaste of what the Bible Society does today.
The complete Bible is now available in 484 languages and New Testaments and Portions in a further 2 067 languages. But with more than 6 000 languages in the world there is still much to be done.
The wonderful thing about Bible Society work is that all Christians of all ages can get involved, by example through the Bible-a-Month Club. Members play an active part in translation, production and distribution projects both in South Africa and worldwide.
Maybe God is calling you to share the good news of the Gospel in this way.
Prayer: Almighty God, thank you for your word and the assurance that it will never pass away. Bless all those who spread the Gospel so that people all over the world may praise and glorify you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Every day is a blessing from the Almighty - 6 March 2014
Neville Turley
This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (KJV)
If you lived in a time when worship at the temple in Jerusalem was mandatory, you would know this verse well. For it is part of a hymn of thanksgiving and praise to God.
Once a year people would gather in a procession outside the temple for the Feast of Tabernacles, which is very similar to the Harvest Sunday celebrated in some Christian churches today. During this feast God’s children are commanded to rejoice for the blessing of God’s provision and care. It is considered to be especially important to be charitable towards others at this time.
Too often our minds are crowded with our own concerns. In a full agenda of daily activities, it is so easy to put God low on our list of priorities. We need to remember that every day we wake up; is a gift from God.
The Almighty Sovereign God who created heaven and earth and made us in his own image has made this day for us. He is a great and wonderful God.
From generation to generation he calls his children to serve and glorify him. This is now our time and that reality should fill us with joy. Through no merit of our own he loves us and has placed us on earth for a purpose and a period – but not forever! For that reason our thoughts each day should express our overwhelming gratitude and praise for a God who loves us deeply.
Prayer: Almighty God, may the Holy Spirit enable us to use each day you grant us to your glory. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Aan Hom die eer! - 7 Maart 2014
Neville Turley
Die hemel en die aarde sal vergaan, maar my woorde nooit. Matthew 24:35
Vandag is 'n baie spesiale dag vir mense wat die Bybel liefhet. Die Bybelgenootskapbeweging is 210 jaar oud.
Die Britste en Buitelandse Bybelgenootskap is op 7 Maart 1804 in Londen gestig. Hierdie Genootskap is die moedergenootskap van baie ander Bybelgenootskappe, ook van die Bybelgenootskap van Suid-Afrika.
Die besluit om 'n genootskap te stig om die groot tekort aan Bybels te probeer verlig, was die gevolg van die begeerte en volharding van 'n arm Walliese tienermeisie wat beslis was om 'n Bybel in haar taal te bekom. Nadat sy vir jare geld bymekaargemaak het, het sy sowat 40 km na die naaste dorp gestap om 'n Bybel by die plaaslike predikant te gaan koop.
Tydens 'n vergadering in Londen het daardie predikant haar in sy pleitrede vir Bybel vir Wallis as voorbeeld gebruik. 'n Medepredikant het saamgestem en gesê: "Indien vir Wallis, hoekom nie vir die koninkryk nie, hoekom nie vir die hele wêreld nie?"
Die werk wat Bybelgenootskappe doen, het nie eers in 1804 begin nie. Dit gaan baie verder terug. Toe Moses met die 10 gebooie wat hy met die volk van die Here moes deel van Sinai af gekom het, was dit reeds 'n voorsmakie van wat Bybelgenootskappe vandag doen.
Die volledige Bybel is tans in 484 tale beskikbaar en die Nuwe Testament en Bybelboeke in 'n verdere 2 067 tale. Maar met meer as 6 000 tale in die wêreld, is die taak nog lank nie klaar nie.
Die wonderlike van Bybelgenootskapwerk is dat alle Christene van alle ouderdomme betrokke kan raak, byvoorbeeld deur die Bybel-per-Maand Klub. Lede is aktief betrokke by vertalings- produksie- en verspreidingsprojekte, beide vir Suid-Afrika en die res van die wêreld.
Miskien roep die Here jou vandag om die goeie nuus van die evangelie op hierdie manier met ander te deel.
Gebed: Here, dankie vir die versekering dat u woord nooit sal vergaan nie. Seën almal wat die Evangelie versprei sodat mense regoor die wêreld U kan loof en prys. Ons bid dit in u Naam. Amen
Elke dag is 'n geskenk van Bo - 6 Maart 2014
Neville Turley
Dit is die dag wat die Here gemaak het; laat ons daaroor juig en bly wees. Psalm 118:24
As jy in die tyd geleef het toe dit verpligtend was om by die tempel in Jerusalem te aanbid, sou jy hierdie teksvers baie goed geken het. Dit is deel van 'n lied om die Here te dank en te loof.
Een keer 'n jaar het die volk van Israel buite die tempel bymekaargekom vir die loofhuttefees. Hierdie fees is soortgelyk aan die oesfees wat sommige kerke jaarliks vier. God se kinders is beveel om gedurende hierdie fees met blydskap die Here te dank vir al sy seëninge en sorg. Dit was ook belangrik om op dié dag mededeelsaam te wees en na ander uit te reik.
Te dikwels is ons gedagtes propvol van ons eie probleme. In ons gejaagde lewens is dit so maklik om die Here baie laag op ons prioriteitslys te plaas. Ons moet onthou dat elke dag wat ons wakker word 'n geskenk van God is.
Die Almagtige God wat hemel en aarde gemaak het, en ons na sy beeld geskape het, het ook hierdie dag vir ons gemaak. Hy is 'n groot en wonderbare God.
Hy roep sy kinders van geslag tot geslag om Hom te loof en eer. Nou is dit ons beurt en dit moet ons met blydskap vul. Hy het ons lief en Hy het vir my en vir jou deur genade en nie omdat ons dit verdien nie juis op hierdie stadium op aarde geplaas om Hom te verheerlik. Ons is egter slegs vir 'n tydperk en nie vir altyd nie hier geplaas! Ons behoort elke dag ons oorweldigende dankbaarheid en lof aan God te bewys omdat Hy ons so liefhet.
Gebed: Hemelse Vader, gee dat deur die Heilige Gees ons elke dag wat U aan ons skenk tot u eer sal leef. In die Naam van Jesus Christus vra ons dit. Amen
Everything has its time - 11 November 2013
Riélle Heine
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens … He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:1,11a
The concept of time always crops up somewhere in our daily conversations. What is shocking is that it is mostly mentioned in a negative context. Something along the line of "I'm so busy, I did not have time" or "Everything is so rushed " or "Look how the time has flown!"
Time, which was intended as a gift from God, has become our boss. Instead of being in control of our time, it feels as if time is a skateboard under our feet that we’re desperately clinging to, trying to stay on top! Many things we plan down to the last detail, but when it comes to time, we carry on indifferently.
Too often we think like this about time:
Everything can wait until later,
Everything in this world can be postponed
- until I feel like doing it
- until I feel better
- until my children are older, or out of the house
- until I’ve worried myself sick about it
... until it's too late.
Maybe there’s a letter, an email, a phone call or a visit you’ve been putting off for weeks - maybe now is the time to do it. Maybe today is the time to encourage, to forgive, to speak or to remain silent. Perhaps the time has now come to go back and make amends.
The other day I found this English poem tucked away between some cards I had stashed away (I wish I knew who the author was):
When I have time
there is a poem to be written,
a song to be sung
When I have time
there is a child to be led
a prayer to be said.
When I have time
I’ll tell you a story,
I’ll visit a friend.
Alas, time is gone –
The poem’s unwritten,
The song unsung
The child is a man
grown up unled
The prayer, ah! the prayer,
it went unsaid.
The story is ended.
Prayer: Lord, let me realise anew each day that time is a great gift from you. Help me not to postpone things. Help me to plan my time, to grab hold of the hours and use them. Amen