Barmhartige Samaritaan Preek Lukas 10:25-37

Dis interessante tye waarin ons leef.  Dit voel vir my ek kan nie bybly oor waaroor ek ontstoke moet wees nie.  Eers is almal woedend oor ‘n dominee wat dit durf waag om liefde en solidariteit te betoon aan Moslems.  Toe jy weer kyk, begin almal hul DSTV skottels vernietig.  Ek het nog nie eers al die videos van verontwaardigde vernietiging klaar gekyk nie, toe dreig Moreletta Park om die NG Kerk te verlaat en almal baklei daaroor.  En toe is daar ‘n Boer wat almal verwar met wat presies hy nou eintlik soek.

Verlede week die tyd sit ek en kyk hoe die verkiesingsluitslae stuk-stuk uitkom en een ding is duidelik:  ons leef in ‘n samelewing wat al meer gepolariseerd raak.  Wêreldwyd. Maar ook hier by ons.

Maar die Messias vertel stories van ‘n barmhartige Samaritaan.

Nou het ons natuurlik hierdie storie al te veel gehoor, dit te mak gemaak.

Amy-Jill Levine skryf dat ons geloof bedoel is om verdruktes te troos en gemaklikes te verdruk.  In Engels:  “to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.” As ‘n mens m.a.w. na ‘n gelykenis soos hierdie luister en jy dink “Ja!  Ek hou daarvan”, of, erger nog, dit daag jou nie uit nie, dan, sê Levine, het jy nog nie goed genoeg geluister nie.  Dis veronderstel om jou ongemaklik te maak, om jou uit jou gemaksone te skud.

Written by Rethie van Niekerk on 19/05/2019. Posted in Preke, Rethie van Niekerk

Prepare yourself – Luke 2:25-35

Make-up routine

I am fascinated by my wife’s make-up routine every morning.

My son just wakes up, showers, get dressed, eats what I have prepared for him, and leaves for work. Quick. Hair shaven with a size four, so he is always ready for the day.

It is more or less what I do as well, although I have to make breakfast, so it takes me a bit longer. And I do not use a size four, there is too little hair left!

But my wife, she goes through that whole routine that many women go through every morning. Eight steps:

1. Step 1: Moisturize or apply a primer. …
2. Step 2: Fill in brows. …
3. Step 3: Apply foundation. …
4. Step 4: Cover dark spots with concealer. …
5. Step 5: Add eyeshadow. …
6. Step 6: Finish off the eye look with liner. …
7. Step 7: Add blush to the apples of the cheeks. …
8. Step 8: Apply highlighter.

Ladies, do you know what I am talking about? And the result? To die for! I love my wife. More than anybody else.

Get your things ready, boys, the boss may come today

But preparation can actually be much more than to get ready for your day. Preparation can be life-saving. As the saying goes:

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

While on one of his expeditions to the Antarctic, Sir Ernest Shackleton had to leave some of his men on Elephant Island. Whilst on his way to pick them up, he was delayed, and by the time he could go for them he found that the sea had frozen over and his men were cut off.

Three times he tried to reach them, but his efforts ended each time in failure. Finally, with his fourth and last effort, he found a narrow channel through the ice.

Guiding his small ship back to the island, he was delighted to find his men not only alive and well, but all prepared to get aboard. They were soon on their way to safety and home.

After the excitement ended, Sir Ernest inquired how it was that they were ready to get aboard so promptly. They told him that every morning their leader rolled up his sleeping bag, saying,

“Get your things ready, boys, the boss may come today.”

Preparing to be led by the Spirit

It is the same in the spiritual life. To be led by the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, you have to prepare for his presence. We will do well if we live by that motto in our spiritual lives: “Get your things ready, boys and girls.”

But not because the boss may come today. Rather, because the Spirit may come today. Because He wants to lead us. He is the one that is with us, and in us, and wants to guide us into the life that God has for us.

Let us read the story of Simeon in Luke 2:25-35

Written by Chris van Wyk on 12/05/2019. Posted in Chris van Wyk

Bly by My – Lukas 2:25-40

‘n Seuntjie vra sy ma eendag waarom sy so ‘n paar grys hare het. Sy antwoord dat elke grys haar kom van iets wat hy verkeerd gedoen het. Hy knik so ingedagte en sê: “Nou verstaan ek, dit is hoekom ouma heeltemal grys is!”

Daar is egter ‘n ander grysheid wat nog meer besonders is. ‘n Grysheid wat ‘n teken is van wysheid, nie van spanning of ‘n gebrek aan melanien nie.

Die spreekwoord sê: “Sy is grys.” Daarmee bedoel ons glad nie dat daar ‘n grys haar op haar kop is nie. Net dat sy wys is ver bó haar jare.

Dit is wat Spreuke ook sê:

“Grysheid is ’n sierlike kroon; dit word gevind op die weg van geregtigheid.” (16:31).

Grysheid is nie ‘n ouderdom nie. Dit is ‘n toestand. Dit is ‘n manier van leef. Dit word gevind op die weg van geregtigheid. Dit is die wysheid wat begin by die ontsag vir die Here. Dit is die wysheid wat weet dat die enigste manier van leef wat sin maak, is om by die Here te bly.

Kom ons lees van twee sulke grys mense. Mense wat die wysheid ten toon stel van ‘n lewe by die Here.

HIER VOLG DIE HELE EREDIENS:

Written by Chris van Wyk on 12/05/2019. Posted in Chris van Wyk

Called to witness about the light in the darkness – John 1:1-18

It is not about size

The great concern of the Bible is not about the size of the church, it is about the saved in the church. It is not about how many people are gathered in the church. But how many people are saved in and also through the witness of the church.

The apostle John writes at the end of his gospel: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31).

That means that there are two categories of people.

• People who are saved, who believe in Jesus, who trust Him with their lives, who obey His commandments, who live in His light.
• And there are people who are not saved, who do not believe in Jesus, who do not trust Him with their lives, who do not obey His commandments, who do not live in His light, but instead, lives in darkness.

That is also true of us in the church. It is not about how many of us are here. It is about how many are saved. That is something you have to be sure about. That Jesus Christ is your Saviour.

Written by Chris van Wyk on 05/05/2019. Posted in Chris van Wyk

Geloofsonderskeiding – Petrus en Kornelius Handelinge 10 Preek

My vraag, hier op die vooraand van die verkiesing, is:  wat kan ons leer oor die manier waarop God praat, oor hoe ons God se wil ken?

Nou moet jy hoor dat hier ‘n diep voorveronderstelling in hierdie vraag lê.  Dit veronderstel dat ons God se wil soek, dat ons wil weet wat God se wil is.  In alles in die lewe, in alle besluite wat ons neem.  Byvoorbeeld wanneer ons hierdie week gaan stem:  dan is die veronderstelling in my vraag dat ons nié net wêreldse oorweegredes gebruik in die maak van ons kruisie nie, maar dat ons dit biddend doen, soekend na God se wil.  Maar die verkiesing is natuurlik net ‘n voorbeeld.  Die veronderstelling is dat ons met enige iets in ons lewens – met alles, soek na God se wil.  En dan is die vraag:  hoe weet ek wat God sê?  Watter leidrade gee hierdie verhaal vir ons oor hoe om God se stem te onderskei?

Written by Rethie van Niekerk on 05/05/2019. Posted in Preke, Rethie van Niekerk