Ben Fourie
“… I am descended from David; I am the bright morning star!" Revelation 22:16b, GNT
"I am coming soon!” Revelation 22:7a, GNT
First and second coming – these two cannot be separated. Both are equally important to any believer, but we sometimes give preference to one of them. Christmas is usually the day of the year when churches are full. Christmas conjures up images of a manger, a baby, shepherds and wise men bringing gifts. The biblical visions of the second coming conjures up images of natural disasters and other strange happenings. These images are sometimes scary. No wonder that many believers shy away from the visions of the second coming and find the images surrounding Christmas more to their liking.
This, however, should not be so, the two should not be separated. The baby in the manger is, after all, the same One who will come back to reign as King forever. The branch from the stump of Jesse is also the bright morning star of Revelation. We should never make the first coming more important than the second coming. After all, why should we fear the second coming of Jesus? Revelation is not meant to frighten us, but to comfort us.
The image of Christ as the bright morning star is very special. Early one morning, recently, I was looking at the planet Venus, the beautiful heavenly body that we call the morning star. It brought joy to my life as I remembered what the morning star meant to me. It signals the end of a dark night and is a beautiful metaphor about the new life in Christ. I know that all night and darkness in a spiritual sense are gone. When the real Morning Star will appear at the second coming, the darkness of this world, with its wars, hate and so many bad things, will finally come to an end. The light of God will shine everywhere and nobody will live in darkness anymore.
This is our last Verse-a-day for this year. We wish you a very blessed Christmas and may the bright Morning Star shine on you.
We are, God willing, looking forward to see you again on January 20th when our Verse-a-day will be back for the new year.
Prayer: Father, we thank you that the baby in the manger is now the King in our lives. We pray that during this Christmas, you will give us a view of that time when it will be Christmas forever. Amen
Ben Fourie
“Ek is die wortel en die geslag van Dawid, die helder môrester." Openbaring 22:16b, 2020-vertaling
"Kyk, Ek kom gou!” Openbaring 22:7a, 2020-vertaling
Koms en wederkoms, onafskeidbaar van mekaar. Ewe belangrik vir die gelowige, maar tog geniet die een so dikwels voorrang bo die ander. Kersfees is seker die dag in die jaar wat die kerke die volste is, want Kersfees laat ons dink aan 'n krip, 'n baba, diere, herders en wyse manne wat geskenke bring. Die Bybelse uitbeelding van die wederkoms laat ons dink aan geweldige natuurverskynsels en ander vreemde dinge wat sal plaasvind. Die beelde in Openbaring is inderdaad soms skrikwekkend en dit is dus nie vreemd dat ons liewers wil wegskram van die wederkomstoneel en eerder aan die Kerstoneel wil dink nie.
Tog kan die twee nie van mekaar geskei word nie, want die Baba in die krip is dieselfde Een wat met die wederkoms as Koning sal terugkeer om te heers. Die takkie uit die stam van Isai van wie Jesaja praat, is ook die blink môrester van Openbaring. Ons as gelowiges behoort nie van Kersfees meer te maak as van die wederkoms nie. Daar is immers geen vrees vir die wat glo nie. Openbaring is nie bedoel om ons van angs te laat bewe nie, maar is geskryf as 'n boek van troos vir elkeen van ons.
Die beeld van Christus as die blink môrester is vir my baie besonders. Onlangs het ek weer na die planeet Venus gekyk. Die pragtige blink hemelliggaam wat ons as die môrester ken, het my met vreugde vervul omdat dit 'n besondere metafoor is vir die nuwe lewe in Christus. Vroegoggend wys die môrester vir ons dat die donker nag verby is. Wanneer die ware Môrester eendag verskyn, sal dit ook die teken wees dat die donker nag van ons ou wêreld met sy oorloë en vergrype en so baie wat sleg is, finaal verby sal wees. Dan sal God se lig alles oorspoel en niks en niemand sal meer in die donker wees nie.
Hierdie is ons laaste dagstukkie vir die jaar en ons wil graag vir al ons Vers-'n-dag lesers 'n wonderlike geseënde Kersfees toewens. Mag die blink Môrester ook vir jou die pad van verlossing helder aanwys.
Ons sien u DV graag weer op 20 Januarie wanneer Vers-'n-dag vir die nuwe jaar begin.
Gebed: Ons dank U dat die Baba in die krip nou die Koning van die heelal is, en veral ook die Koning in ons harte is. Ons bid dat U hierdie Kersfees vir ons 'n blik sal gee op die tyd wanneer dit vir ewig Christusfees sal wees. Amen
Ben Fourie
... while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. Luke 2:6, GNT
Long ago, I read a striking poem by Eveleen Castelyn. It is in Afrikaans, but I will do my best to translate it. I would have liked to use the complete poem, but due to limited space, will only use the part about Christmas. The poem is called From Christmas to May.
“in December Jesus was born and they wrapped him in wrapping paper and laid him down in the supermarket – I decorated a tree with lights and little angels and invited him to a Christmas dinner of turkey and wine but he ran away to the desert.”
In the poem, Castelyn gives us a view of the commercialisation of Christmas. Years ago, the music in shops started around the middle of December. These days, you can already hear the music telling about the birth of our Saviour from the middle of November, blaring ever more loudly out of every loudspeaker, even in the smaller shops. The shops try to outdo each other with decorations. The celebration of the birth of Christ is the most profitable time for the supermarkets. The sad fact is that we are all responsible for this state of affairs. If we do not buy so royally, Christmas would not be such a festival of excess.
We, as a family, love Christmas. We like to buy presents for each other. We also decorate our home and make a very special Christmas dinner. I also like the beautiful stories about Christmas, like the one that I read in Dutch about a Christmas father called Karel Kerstmis. I am not against all “worldly” things around Christmas time; but to us, Christmas still has a very special character.
Christmas should be a festival of joy, however, there should always be a certain restraint to help us never forget the true reason for celebrating Christmas. As mentioned in a previous Verse-a-day devotional, the Christ in Christ-mas is none other than the Son of the Living God.
Prayer: Lord, we pray that you will help us to celebrate your birthday with the necessary homage. Use us this Christmas to bring some joy to those who have less than us. Amen
Ben Fourie
Terwyl hulle daar was, het die tyd aangebreek dat haar kind gebore moes word. Lukas 2:6, 2020-vertaling
Jare gelede het ek 'n treffende gedig van Eveleen Castelyn, genaamd "Van Kersfees tot Mei", gelees. Ek sou graag die hele gedig wou aanhaal, maar vanweë beperkte ruimte gee ek net die eerste twee strofes wat op Kersfees betrekking het.
“in Desember is Jesus gebore en hulle het Hom toegedraai in geskenkpapier en Hom neergelê in die supermark – ek het 'n boom versier met liggies en engeltjies en Hom uitgenooi na 'n Kersmaal van kalkoen en wyn maar Hy het weggevlug na die woestyn.”
In die gedig gee Castelyn vir ons 'n blik op die gekommersialiseerdheid van Kersfees. Vroeër jare het 'n mens hier van middel Desember Kersmusiek in die winkels gehoor en is die Kersversierings aangebring. Nou kan jy reeds vanaf November nie wegkom van oorverdowende Kersliedere en oormatige versierings in selfs die kleiner winkels nie. Die herdenking van Jesus se geboorte is die supermark se winsgewendste tyd. Die feit dat dit so is, is ongelukkig ons eie skuld. As ons nie so rojaal koop nie, sal Kersfees nie 'n fees van oordaad wees, sodat Jesus na die woestyn toe moet wegvlug nie.
Ons as gesin hou baie van Kersfees en ons koop graag geskenke vir mekaar. Ons versier die huis en maak graag 'n spesiale Kersete en daar is vir my min verhale so mooi soos verhale rondom Kerstyd. Ek het onlangs weer 'n ou Hollandse Kersverhaal van Karel Kerstmis besonders geniet, so moenie dink ek is gekant teen alle “wêreldse” dinge wat met Kersfees gepaard gaan nie. Tog het Kersfees nog altyd 'n baie spesiale karakter vir ons.
Kersfees moet 'n vreugdefees wees, maar daar moet 'n sekere ingetoënheid wees sodat ons nooit vergeet waaroor dit regtig gaan nie. Soos ons in 'n vroeëre dagstukkie gesien het, is die “Kers” in Kersfees tog niemand anders nie as die Seun van die Lewende God.
Gebed: Ons bid dat U ons sal help om u verjaardag te vier met die nodige eerbetoon. Gebruik ons ook hierdie Kersfees om mense wat minder as ons het iets te laat ervaar van Jesus se feesdag. Amen