Page 6 - Good News March 2010 paper

THE COAL MINER
When I was a son with my father…
he taught me and said: “Your
heart must hold on to my words”
(Proverbs 4:3-4).
Some of you reading these lines
may not have had the benefits of a
good or extensive education. You
may be deficient in your know- something that will convince my
ledge of many things. But here is
the encouraging thing - none of
these issues are important when
it comes to the matter of defeating
Satan.
I remember being present some
years ago in a church in South
Wales when a debate was held
between a university professor
and an ordinary coal miner. The
subject was: “Is the Bible true?” .
The university professor presen-
ted his arguments in a clear
fashion, and I remember feeling
quite sorry for the miner as I
envisaged some of the difficulties
he might face when making his
reply. After the professor had
finished, the miner stood to his
feet. And for over an hour, I wit-
nessed one of the most amazing
demonstrations of the Holy Spirit
at work that I have ever seen in my
entire life.
The miner began by asking ers, 2004].
ICTOR HUGO het aan die
einde van sy lewe gesê:
V“Winter is on my head,
but eternal spring is in my heart.
The nearer I approach the end,
the plainer I hear around me the
immortal symphonies which
invite me.”
DAVID HUME was 'n bekende
ateïs, filosoof en historikus wat
uit sy pad gegaan het om die
Christelike geloof in diskrediet
te bring. Selfs toe dit duidelik
word dat sy einde nader kom,
het hy probeer om voor sy
vriende 'n front van onver-
skilligheid voor te hou.
Sy huishoudster het egter vertel
dat sy sielswroeginge al erger
afmetings aangeneem het. Hy
wou nie alleen wees nie, kerse
mag nie in die nag doodgeblaas
word nie en hy het onrustig
geslaap.
Die selfverwyt en vrees op sy
gesig het toegeneem soos die
dood nadergekom het. Hy was
sonder God en sonder hoop. Sy
wanhoop was 'n verskriklike
gesig. Sy laaste woorde voordat
hy sy bewussyn verloor het,
was: “I am in the flames!”
CAESAR BORGIA, 'n staats-
man, het aan die einde van sy
aardse pad gesê wat so baie
ander sekerlik ook al moes sê: “I
have made provision for every-
thing during my lifetime - only
not for death; and now I must die
totally unprepared!”
HEINRICH HEINE, 'n digter en
skrywer van liedere, was belydenisse wat sy aan die einde
bekend as groot skeptikus en
Godslasteraar, maar het later in
everyone to bow their heads as he
prayed a prayer which went
something like this: “Lord, I have
not had much education, but You
know that I love Your Word and
have spent my life searching its
pages. Help me now to say
friends here that Your Word is
true.” He then proceeded to
demolish the arguments of the
professor simply by quoting
appropriate Scriptures without
even a simple comment.
When he had finished, there was a
thunderous applause. The pro-
fessor's well-articulated, highly
intellectual arguments had been
torn to pieces by the sharp edges
of the Sword of the Spirit - by that
and by that alone!
Prayer: O Father, the more I hear
of Your Word, the more I want to
hear. For I was created by Your
Word, designed according to
Your Word, and I can never
remain content until I am indwelt
with Your Word. Teach me even
more. Amen.
[From: Everyday with Jesus
Bible, with devotions by Selwyn
Hughes, Holman Bible Publish-
sy lewe genadiglik tot inkeer
gekom. In 'n naskrif by 'n ver- sinnig: “Jesus, I love You. Jesus, I
sameling gedigte genaamd love You.”
Romancero, het hy geskryf:
“When you are on your deathbed,
you become more sensitive and
you would like to make peace with
God and the world… Poems, that
only contained halfway re-
proaches against God, I delivered
over to the flames in a fearful zeal.
It is better that the verses burn
than the verse maker… I returned
to God as a prodigal son, after I fed
the swine with the Hegelians for a
long time… In the theology I have
to accuse myself of retreating,
because I returned to a 'personal
God'.”
Kort voor die einde het hy nog
geskryf: “The old lyre has been
smashed to pieces on the Rock
which is called Christ. The lyre
which clamoured for revolt, which
sang forth doubt, mockery, and
unfaithfulness to God. O Lord, O
Lord, I bow myself down and beg:
forgive, forgive me for my songs.”
CHARLES IX van Frankryk het aan
die einde gesê: “I am lost! I realise
it clearly.”
MOEDER TERESA was seker een
van die bekendste Christene van
die afgelope eeu. Toe hulle haar
aan die einde van haar lewe
verdowingsmiddels wou gee om
haar ongemak en pyn te verlig, het
sy geweier en gesê: “Ek wil wakker
wees wanneer ek my God ont-
moet.”
Alhoewel daar na haar dood groot
gewag gemaak is van sekere
van haar lewe gemaak het oor haar
eie onsekerheid en twyfel, was
“He pulled me out of deep waters. wrongs and establish His eternal
He rescued me from my powerful Kingdom.
enemy” (Ps. 18:16-17). Sixth, we must take up the Sword of
Once we become Christians, we are the Spirit, the Word of God, and
involved in a fight against Satan wield the written Scriptures in the
and his forces. God, however, has same way our Lord did in His
given us a defense against Satan wilderness temptations.
and his tactics, which consists of six Having done all this, it is still
separate pieces of spiritual equip- possible to be defeated by the devil
ment. unless we know how to pray in the
First, He has given us the belt of power of the Spirit. We must pray
truth - a willingness to let God's not only when things are going
truth govern every part of our lives. wrong but continuously, fervently,
Second, the breastplate of powerfully, and perseveringly. Our
righteousness - seeing clearly that prayers must catch alight and burst
we are not saved by our own into flame. Against such praying,
righteousness, but by Christ's. the principalities and powers are
Third, we must have our feet helpless.
sandalled with readiness for the Prayer: My Father, now that I have
Gospel of Peace - our determination seen the resources that are available
to stand firmly in the faith. to me in Christ, I realize that my
Fourth, we must raise the shield of responsibility to avail myself of
faith - the quick action by which we these resources is greater than ever.
act upon God's truth and refuse Help me to put everything I have
Satan's lies. learned into action. Amen.
Fifth, we must put on the helmet of [From: Everyday with Jesus Bible,
salvation - the glorious hope that, with devotions by Selwyn Hughes,
one day, the Lord will right all Holman Bible Publishers, 2004].
haar sterwenswoorde ondubbel- Sy sterfbed-ervarings is meege-
bring deur 'n ernstige beroerte.
Daar was berouvolle emosies
en sielewroeging. Dan weer het
JOSEPH EVERETT het vir die hy sy tande in magtelose
laaste 25 minute voor hy sy asem woede-uitbarstings teen God en
uitgeblaas het, aanhoudend net mens gekners. Sy dood was 'n
een woord gesê: “Glory! Glory! verskriklike gesig. Van sy
Glory!...” agnostiese vriende het die deur
Dit moes iets baie wonderliks van sy kamer bewaak sodat
gewees het wat hy beleef het ander mense nie kon sien hoe
terwyl hy die dimensionele grens grusaam die dood van 'n vyand
tussen lewe en dood oorgesteek van God is nie.
het. Selfs die verpleegsuster wat na
hom moes omsien tydens sy
Seker een van die bekendste laaste ure op aarde, kon die
ateïste van alle tye en een van wie verskrikking van sy sterfbed
redelik volledige aantekeninge kwalik hanteer. Sy het gesê: "Vir
oor die laaste paar treë van sy al die geld in Europa wil ek nie
lewensreis gemaak is, was weer 'n ongelowige sien sterf
VOLTAIRE (1694 - 1778). nie!"
Sommige beskou hom as 'n deïs, Deur die nag het hierdie hoogs-
omdat hy wel ruimte gemaak het geleerde en intelligente man,
vir 'n opperwese wat op die rede, VOLTAIRE, met al sy rykdom en
en nie op openbaring gebaseer is baie aardse eer telkens in
nie. doodsangs uitgeroep: "Neem
Hy was een van die grootste en hierdie monster uit my kamer
venynigste teëstanders van die uit!" Was dit dalk die doods-
Christelike geloof en het selfs engel wat gekom het om sy siel
verder gegaan as sommige libe- te eis? Tussendeur het hy
rale teoloë van ons tyd deur die geskreeu en gepleit om
bestaan van die historiese Jesus vergifnis. Toe die doodsangs
te ontken en te beweer dat die hom versmoor, het hy in
Evangelies die produk van mense desperaatheid sy geneesheer,
se verbeelding is. dr. Tronchin, gesmeek: "Ek sal
Voltaire het nie geskroom om jou die helfte van my goed gee,
openlik met God te spot nie en as jy my lewe met ses maande
gesê Hy is 'n komediant wat voor kan verleng." Toe die dokter vir
'n gehoor optree wat te bang is om hom sê dat hy ongelukkig niks
te lag. Hy het, soos andere na hom, meer vir hom kan doen nie, het
voorspel dat die Christendom 'n hy verskrik uitgeroep: "Ek is
verdwynende verskynsel is. Hy deur God en mens verlaat! Ek
het o.a. gesê: "'n Honderd jaar na gaan hel toe! O Christus! O
my tyd sal daar nie meer 'n Bybel Jesus Christus!"
op aarde wees nie, behalwe een [Uit: 5 MINUTE voor en ná die
wat dalk deur 'n persoon ontdek dood, Isak Burger, Carpe Diem
sal word wat na oudhede soek." Media, 2009].