Page 2 - Good News August 2011 paper

V Beweging wat die loop van die dank jou. Hierdie is ook 'n
Vervolg van p. 1ervolg van p. 1
die vergadering sou binnestap, geskiedenis verander het? geskenk.”
kom daar iemand by hom staan Van Tolstoi word vertel dat hy Tússen ons, en náby ons, is daar
wat vir hom tot groot onder- eendag 'n bedelaar in die strate mense wat alléén staan. Sommige
skraging was: die gevierde ou van Moskou raakgeloop het. Die staan alleen in hul stryd teen die
generaal Frundsberg. Hy sit sy arme man was koud en honger, en sonde. Ander is eensaam op die
hand op Luther se skouer, en sê: in sy ellende het hy sy lelike, pad van beproewing en lyding.
“My arme monnik! My klein growwe hande bedelend uitge- Baie gaan gebuk onder die verant-
monnik! Jy is besig om 'n stryd te steek. woordelikhede wat vir hulle opge-
begin wat groter is as al die Tolstoi het gaan staan, en sy lê is. Laat ons onthou: Daar is
gevegte waarin ek en my helde sakke deursoek na 'n geld- krag in 'n vriendelike woord.
betrokke was. Gaan voort in die stukkie. Hy het ongelukkig niks by Daar is 'n boodskap in 'n hand-
Naam van die Here, en hou goeie hom gehad nie. Met opregte druk!
moed: God sal jou nie verlaat meegevoel sit hy toe maar sy “...Silwer en goud het ek nie; maar
nie!” hand op die skouer van die wat ek het, dit gee ek vir jou...”
'n Hand op sy skouer, 'n bemoe- bedelaar en sê: “Ek is jammer (Hand. 3:6).
digende woord... Wie kan sê wat broeder, maar ek het niks by my [Uit: 'n Handdruk in die Herfs,
dít vir Luther beteken het, watter nie.” “Toemaar broeder,” was die Dr. HJ Piek, NG Kerk-Uitgewers,
bydrae dit gelewer het tot die ou bedelaar se antwoord, “ek Kaapstad].

nd they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God putting Stephen to death. In fact, he stood holding the
and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ clothes of those who threw the stones. He was
AThen he knelt down and cried out with a loud “ravaging the church, and he would enter house after
voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And house, drag off men and women, and put them in
when he had said this, he fell asleep (Acts 7:59-60 prison” (Acts 8:3). Later, as he travelled to Damascus,
NKJV). still breathing threats and murder against the
If Christ lives in you, then He can love in you and disciples of the Lord, Jesus revealed Himself to him
through you. You too can forgive injuries, pray for and asked him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting
your enemies, and make every allowance for their Me?” (Acts 9:4). Jesus identified Himself with the
wickedness. martyrs!
The first man ever to die for Christ was Stephen. Our Are you a Stephen (who loved and forgave his
reading of Acts 6-7 makes it clear that he was unjustly enemies) or a Saul (who ravaged people) and
murdered. But Christ lived in him. His last words unknowingly also Jesus at the same time?
were a magnificent echo of Calvary: “Lord, do not However, after Saul's conversion and later becoming
charge them with this sin.” Paul, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, he wrote to
Remember, Stephen was stoned to death. Imagine the Philippians: “Let this same attitude and purpose
how painful that must have been! One by one the and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus:
stones pounded the life from his body, but though they [Let Him be your example in humility:] Who, although
battered the life out of him, they could not batter the being essentially one with God and in the form of God
love out of him! Like his Lord, he kept on loving to the [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make
end. Christ was on his mind up until his last moments. God GOD], did not think this equality with God was a
“Lord,” he said, “do not charge them with this sin.” thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, but stripped
The chapter ends with a lovely sentence: “And saying Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to
this, he fell asleep.” But don't let these words lead you assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became
to think that there was no hurt, no pain, no physical like men and was born a human being. And after He
agony. He would have felt it all; you can be certain of had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled
that. But the love of Christ poured into him and Himself [still further] and carried
through him, and, taken up with HIM in his heart and His obedience to the extreme of
mind, his soul was taken up to be with HIM… death, even the death of the cross!”
As an afterthought: A man named Saul agreed with (Phil. 2:5-8, Amplified Bible).

(Lees Jesaja 41:8-14). nie, want Ek is
“Wees nie bevrees nie, want Ek is met jou; jou God...”
kyk nie angstig rond nie, want Ek is jou 'n Vader en sy
God. Ek versterk jou, ook help Ek jou, ook seuntjie stap
ondersteun Ek jou met My reddende een nag deur 'n
regterhand” (Jesaja 41:10). donker woud.
Daar word vertel dat 'n bejaarde ou moeder Die klein hand-
die gewoonte gehad het om gedurende die jie hou die
nag na haar dogter te roep: “Is jy daar?” vader s'n baie
“Ja moeder, ek is hier. Ek sal nie weggaan styf vas.
nie.” “Is jy bang, my kind?”
“Nee, dis alles reg, my kind. Ek wou maar “Nee, nie as Pappa by my is nie,” kom die
net seker maak.” antwoord.
Ek wou maar net seker maak. Kind van ons Hemelse Vader, jou Vader is
Dit is dié sekerheid waarna ons almal by jou. Moenie eensaam en onrustig wees
dikwels soek - ek wil aan iemand vashou. nie. HY hou jou hand vas!
Ek wil weet dat ek vasgehou word. Hy het gesê: “Ek sal jou nooit begewe en
Wonderlike wete! Die Here gee my daardie jou nooit verlaat nie” (Heb. 13:5).
sekerheid in Sy Woord: “Wees nie bevrees [Uit: As die las swaar word, Ds. WJ Bergh,
nie, want Ek is met jou; kyk nie angstig rond NG Kerk-Uitgewers,1980].