Hi Almal,
Ek wil net gougou vir julle almal laat weet dat die datum van die volgende Worship Complete Live aand geskuif is na die 22ste van Augustus en nie die 15de nie. Die algemene reeling is dat dit die 3de Sondagaand in elke maand is, maar Augustus is snaaks met 5 Sondae en skuif ons dit dan net vir Augustus met ‘n week aan. hehe.
Lekker dag!
Ek het sommer gevoel om so ietsie te deel wat so week terug op my hart was! Ons sê so baie keer vir onsself of vir mekaar dat ons die Here moet loof en prys in alles! Natuurlik is dit waar en ek glo ons harte is regtig opreg, maar na ‘n paar dae van konfrontasie met uitdagende situasies en dalk moeilike omstandighede (vir ander) en waak oor die die vreugde in my hart besef ek net weer hierdie woorde is ietwat moeliker om toe te pas as wat ons dalk aan onsself erken. Ons verwys graag en ek hou tog self so baie van die storie van Paulus en Silas wat toe hulle in die tronk was die Here geloof en geprys het; dat die aarde geskud het en die tronkdeure oopgegaan het of na Dawid wat so baie Psalms gekryf het terwyl dit regtig rof in sy lewe gegaan het, maar wanneer dit wat vir my realiteit is teen al hierdie waarheid skree, is dit regtig moeiliker.
Die volgende woorde wat Matt Redman skryf het by my opgekom en my baie bemoedig, “Situations change for better or worse, but God’s worth never changes.” Hier het ek net weer iets ontdek. Ons heg waarde aan alles wat in ons lewe met ons gebeur. Wanneer die Here iets in ons lewe doen heg ons waarde daaraan, maar omstandighede en ander dinge wat gebeur kompeteer teen en beroof ons van dit wat die Here in ons lewens doen. Wanneer die waarde van die een dan in my lewe styg, daal die waarde van die ander. Luister ek na opinies van mense oor my of na dit wat God van my sê, heg ek waarde aan die standaarde van die wêreld of aan die standaarde van God, heg ek waarde aan God se Woord wat die waarheid is? Dan die belangrikste vir my: Heg ek waarde aan Wie God in my lewe is?!!! Sjoe, dan besef ek omdat ek weet, dat ek weet, op grond van WIE Hy is, die waarde wat God vir my het, wil ek Hom loof in alles! Kan dit wees dat Paulus en Silas God geloof en geprys het omdat hulle geweet het Sy waarde is ver bo die situasie waarin hulle hulself bevind het, ver bo dit wat hulle prys gegee het en sommer net vir Wie Hy in hulle lewens was? Ja, omstandighede en situasies verander, maar God se waarde verander NOOIT nie!!!! Daarom kan uitroep en sing in alle omstandighede: “Here my God ek sal U loof, ek sal U prys, U is ongelooflik, U is alles vir my!”
Phil 3:7,8
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”
“U is alles vir my
U is die lied hier op my lippe, U’s die Naam wat ek bely
U is alles vir my
U’s my begin, U is my einde, U’s my weg, U is my lewe
U is alles vir my en U is genoeg!”
Retief Burger
Hallo Almal,
Net ‘n kort boodskap om vir al julle klomp mooi mense te se dat ons weer die 18de bymekaar kom by Jabes AGS vir Worship Complete en almal is welkom.
Verlede Vrydagaand het ek die geleentheid gehad om te gaan kuier by die AGS kerk in Melkhoutfontein se jeug. Hulle jeugleier, Jonathan, is besig om psalm 23 oor ‘n tydperk van ‘n paar Vrydae deur te werk en het hy my gevra of ek nie iets het om te deel met hulle oor hierdie lieflike deel van die skrif nie.
My pa het al ‘n hele klompie jaar terug vir my in ‘n ou hoogs-hollandse bybel gewys hoe die eienaar, wat heel moontlik in die groot depressie jare geleef het, psalm 23 “deur” gelees het. Die blaaie is baie duidelik meer aan gevat as die res rondom dit en is daar selfs vlekkies wat lyk soos druppels wat merke gelaat het op die bladsy wat nie op ander plekke voorkom nie. Wat hierdie druppels is, of dit nou net water of dalk trane is, maak nie saak nie, want dit verskyn alles by psalm 23. Dit het ‘n groot indruk op my gemaak wat gemaak het dat ek self ook redelik al tyd spandeer het op hierdie psalm en is was daar nog altyd baie rykdom daarin. Wel nie in die woorde van die psalm nie, maar hoe direk dit spreek tot ons lewe selfs nog vandag.
Ek skryf nou baie oor die psalm, maar wat ek egter wil deel is net in kort hoe ons Herder nogsteeds gereed staan om ons te laat neerle in groen weivelde en te neem na waters van rus is. Ons het sommer as die klein groepie van 17 mense rustig op ‘n mat gesit en net ons gedagtes weer oor die woorde van die psalm laat gaan en kortliks stil gestaan by die gedagte van gaan “neerle” by die weivelde en waters. Sonder om veel te doen het ek net met die ghitaar gesit en ons het die koor gedeelte van Light of the world gesing en net rustig geraak by Hom. Vandaar het Hy self met outjies begin gesels en werk en was dit so ‘n voorreg om te sien hoe getrou Jesus is om nie net te wees in woorde nie, maar ook deur Sy Gees lewend by ons.
Vanuit my persoonlike ervaring van die aand was dit vir my baie spesiaal om te weet dat die outjies nie gaan vaskyk in my op soek na hulle ervaring nie, maar hulle het ‘n geleentheid gehad waar hulle met God self kon ontmoet. Ek dink ek probeer maar net met hierdie paar woorde getuig van God se werklikheid en Sy begeerte om ons te ontmoet, Sy skepping.
Groete vanuit ‘n kouerige Laingsburg,
Louw
Dit is ‘n geruime tyd vandat ons ‘n bietjie nuus op die blad gesit het, maar julle het nie veel gemis nie. Hmmmm behalwe vir Worship Complete Live vir Mei wat ‘n spesiale aand was. Weereens was dit iets anders as die voriges en daar was gefokus op gebed met Tilana van Stilbaai wat met ons gedeel het. Baie dankie vir die terugvoering wat ons kry vanaf individue wat rerig bemoedigend is. Dit is goed om te weet dat die aande waarde het vir mense en dat hulle dit nie ervaar as ‘n “show” nie.
Dit is immers ons hart om ‘n geleentheid te skep waarby enige persoon welkom sal wees om te wees wie hy of sy is voor God se aangesig en dit is goed om te hoor dat dit gebeur. Dit bly vir my een van die grootste seeninge om te kan sien hoe mense hul Hemelse Vader self ontmoet in tye van aanbidding. Ons vat wel ‘n bietjie ‘n breek vir Junie en sal die volgende Worship Complete Live aand in Julie wees. Ek dink nie ons het al datums vasgemaak nie, maar hou maar die winkel vensters en u gemeentes se afkondigings dop. Hopelik onthou ek darem om weer vanaf die webblad weer ‘n kennisgewing te laat uitgaan en dan is die Facebook group ook ‘n goeie manier om op hoogte te bly.
Dit is darem nie dat daar niks gebeur het nie en vir die wat by April maand se Worship Complete Live aand was, sal onthou dat ons ‘n paar liedere gesing het aan die begin. Die klank en beeld is opgeneem en kon ek darem iets doen daarmee. Ek glo ons sal van dit kan beskikbaar maak op die site vir luister en moontlik download vir die wat wou.
Nou ja, julle moet warm bly in ons winter wat waarlik opgedaag het hierdie week met lekker sneeutjies op die berge. Groete en vrede,
Louw
Hi almal, net so ‘n kort boodskappie om te se dat ons het 100 DVD’s van verlede jaar se Jeugweek beskikbaar teen R50 per DVD. Dit bevat al vier boodskappe van Ds Manie Botha asook van die musiek soos opgeneem gedurende die dienste. Julle kan my direk kontak rakende dit indien daar meer navrae is. Ek voeg my selnommer hieronder by. Dit sal ook te koop aangebied word by die komende Worship Complete Live aande asook by Moedergemeente se Jeugweek wat volgende week begin.
Wat ‘n maand! Februarie het op ‘n baie hoe noot afgeskop by Oakdale en was dit nie ‘n ongelooflike week saam met die 400? jong manne van die landbou skool nie. Kort daarna was van ons betrokke by ‘n bedieningsgeleentheid te Robertson en hier is ons nou, ons eerste Worship Complete aand vir 2010!!! Komende Sondagaand skop ons 2010 se maandelikse aanbiddingsbelewenisdienste af by Jabes AGS, Riversdal.
Ons glo dit gaan weereens ‘n fantastiese geleentheid wees waar ons as gelowiges van verskillende agtergronde saam kom om Jesus te verheerlik, maar ook om as ‘n liggaam saam Hom te ontmoet en die ongelooflike persoon wie Hy is te ontmoet en te geniet.
Verder in die pyplyn is ons dan ook by komende Donderdag by Riversdal NG Moedergemeente vir hulle eerste jeugaand vir 2010.
Sien julle daar!
This is the first post for 2010 on Worship Complete and I suppose I should be writing good wishes to everyone, but I suppose it is a bit late as January is almost on it’s back. But the coming year is overshadowed by the thought of this website being almost a year old. On the 5th of February it would be exactly 1 year since the first post saw the light on Worship Complete.
Well, nothing really significant in this as many things have their first birthday, but I’m simply astounded by the amount of opportunities the Lord has given us to be part of people this past year. It really was a year of new things and wasn’t it amazing! When you are in the groove of things you just keep going and don’t really see how a momentum is generated with your activities. Then to look back and see how many times we could actually minister with the gifts that we have it really is amazing. The Lord does make use of you when you say “send me”. And what an amazing experience it is to move where He is moving!
Okay, back to 2010 and we are looking forward to see what is going to happen this year. You could wish for many things, but truly in my heart I just have a desire that God would use me as He sees fit, and I’m content with that. I don’t have any great expectations to do “more” or “greater things”. All I need is Your closeness Lord.
There is an upcoming opportunity and that is the first week of February at Oakdale. Once again we will be with the energetic boys of the local agricultural high-school. We are looking forward to it and would be starting our preparation this coming week.
Please take some time and look back at the past year and see what an awesome year 2009 was.
Louw
I’m honest when I say that I look at the past weekend with a full heart as it slowly drifts off in the lingering images of yesterday. How do you define success or failure when you do not know how God works, or how deep He is involved with each and every life that was given to us for a timespan of 34 conscious hours. As the facalitator of the weekend program I would look at the group’s level of interaction as a sign of stimulation. Being a group that ranges from ages 10 – 18 in the end it is difficult to hold their attention when you are sharing with them about something. So the weekend was focused very much around specific activities that could then serve as a game with a life lesson.
Still I felt in my heart on Saturday morning that I can’t find the right way on how I can present them with the Message of Hope in a way that they can relate to, as I’m so separated from their daily realities at home.
As I set aside some time to reflect on the weekend, Tuesday morning, a song of Micheal W Smith came to mind about a girl who stood up in her circumstances and in the end it even cost her, her life. “This was her time, this was her dance, she lived every moment , left nothing to chance . . .” . These words became so true to me as I realised that this weekend wasn’t planned to be my “time”. Late Saturday morning I spoke to my wife to contact a girl who occasionally visits her who literally came from the same neighbourhood as these children, experienced the same circumstances and even once having her life threatened by the social problems in her mothers house. Also she would be able to relate to their feelings of hopelessness as she herself ended up in hospital in attempts of suicide. So we asked her if she would be willing to come and share her testimony with the kids and she was so excited as she said that she has been waiting for an opportunity to share with young people about her past, but mostly about how God has saved her in these dire circumstances.
Needless to say that the weekend was completely changed from just a “fun” weekend, to a weekend that led to a few kids making a objective decision about their own life and ultimately a choice to trust God for their life. After she shared with the kids I asked them to close their eyes and if they would like to make the same decision that this girl made in the midst of her circumstances, they should look me in the eyes. What an amazing opportunity to see how young people look at you and you can see the seriousness and the honesty when about half of the group indicated that they are making this decision in their own life.
*sigh* *pause*
This time when I’m pausing in my chain of thought it is not because of a feeling of being unshure, but simply as I’m sighing of relief of how God knows what He is doing, even when we don’t. hehe. So yes, I am humbled to see how God is able to truly visit young people who are walking sometimes no to far from the “valley of death” of which psalm 23 speaks about.
One last thing that I would like to reflect on is the blatant reality of the suffering that children face, emotionally, physically and spiritually, when parents choose not to walk in the ways that God calls His creation to walk in. If anyone dare to question this statement I would just ask him or her to commit some weekends for a few years to work with kids, and the evidence will be blatantly visible in each little face that gets burnt into your heart when you see the results of suffering that children go through due to the parents not walking in God’s ways.
Please feel free to comment on any of the posts. We love to get feedback from anyone.
Louw
This weekend I’m facalitating a camp with a group of children ranging in age from 13 -18. The group of children have been identified by one of the local welfare organisations and normally they bring groups of kids to remove them a bit from their day to day problems and “bless” them with a weekend doing fun stuff.
These kind of weekends are always emotionally draining for me as you share your heart and joy with them hoping that it would somehow be a blessing to them, only to find that on the Sunday afternoon that the reality of the place where they are going back to are almost instantly stealing the bit of joy that they might have experienced the weekend. Even when you have shared the message of Christ with them over the time of the weekend it seems as if the message is also clouded by the immense oppressive environment where they are returning to.
The question that then plagues my mind is how do I present this gospel so that it would not sound like what they have heard probably so many times, as the church in general find it easy to “share” the gospel to the poor, and even many times with a indirect promise of a “better” life. I believe this is the reason why I’ve found in my travels as a missionary and being involved in the lives of poor people, that the general assumption in the minds of poor people is that if I give my heart to the Lord, He will give relief. Due to the immense need that these people face, they grab at anything that might relieve their physical need in their desperation to rise above their circumstances.
*sigh* *pause*
How then do I present my message that will make sure that they see their spiritual need as more important, in their mind, as their physical need. In answer to my own question I would say that firstly I can’t do it at all. In the more “comfortable” christian life we have been somewhat dependant on having a speaker/leader/pastor that can theologically “convince” us of our spiritual condition and then from there we respond, without implying that this is the motive of the preacher. I know we all trust that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of the people we address, but still we tend to add our own capability to it.
Then I might find myself at a place where I would like to impart a certain “hope” to the people, but once again, it is the words of mere man who will not change the fact that I go to bed hungry, stop the domestic violence, stop the substance abuse and stop the emotional and/or physical abuse. By this time it seems an awry task to present a message that needs to challenge these conditions and it becomes more and more “dwarfed” by the magnitude of the physical reality.
BUT!!! There is a different reality. One of which the writer speaks in Romans 8:18 – ”I am of the opinion that there is no comparison between the pain of this present time and the glory which we will see in the future. – BBE”. Even though it might seem for the human nature somewhat “useless”, this verse blessed me very much this morning: Mat 11:5 ”The blind see; those who were not able to, are walking; lepers are made clean; those who were without hearing, now have their ears open; the dead come to life again, and the poor have the good news given to them.”
So, irrelevant of my intellectual understanding, I will share the Gospel of Hope with the poor and trust that the Spirit of God will confirm it in the lives of these people who are conveniently forgotten about from day to day by the “regular” community. May they find the riches of Him and may He be so real to them that “nothing can compare to the promise I have in You”, to quote a well known song that is being sung by churches all over the world, but then it stays true that it is easier to sing these words when my life is not that much challenged by circumstances.
Lord may our worship be in spirit and truth.
Louw
