Die studente het gevra oor “lust” – wellus. In die konteks van ons gesprek oor verhoudings en die liefde. Nie net “hoe ver, is te ver” nie, maar wat maak ‘n mens met “lust”, met jou slegte begeertes.

My aanpak in hierdie kort reeks was om eers te gesels oor die ware artikel, die liefde tussen man en vrou, die wyse waarop seksualiteit in die huwelik tot sy reg kom. Daarom het ons na Genesis gekyk met die tema van “helftes en helpers”. Ons het twee keer gekyk na Hooglied en afgesluit met ‘n perspektief op die wonder van “wedersydse interafhanklikheid”.

Dit is hoe God wil hê dat ons in die huwelik mekaar moet liefhê. ‘n Mens moet immers eers weet wat God wil, wat goeie begeertes is, voor jy kan kom by wat God afkeur, en waarvoor ‘n mens dan versigtig moet wees.

Maar, nou kom ons by julle vraag oor wellus. Ek gaan dit aanpak uit die hoek van die woorde wat die NT gebruik vir wellus. Die woord epithumia wat oor die begeertes gaan, en die woord porneia wat oor die dade gaan. (more…)

What is the Church?

Acts 13: 42-52

Summerstrand 18:30 October 6, 2019

Scripture reading and preaching

Acts 13:42-52

My first memory of the church was in the manse of a minister. I was absent when the certificates were handed out for the first year of Sunday school at the church.  I don’t remember much of that. But my mother sent me to get my certificate from Rev Leuvenink in the manse in Vredendal. Alone. Only six years old. I remember the hesitation at the gate; the awe that I felt at his length as he opened the door; the hospitality of the soft drink he poured for me; the lasting impression as I walked back down the dusty street: this is what it must be like to be in God’s presence.

After that I would have many other experiences in the church, walking a path with wonderful ministers – like MC Steyn, Jaap Weideman, André Strydom – and wonderful teachers, and wonderful members. But, that first experience stays with me.

I wonder what your first church experience was like. How was it? What people played a role? How is it today? What does the church mean to you? (more…)

Die wêreldbevolking het in 2016 gestaan op 7,5 miljard mense (7,7 in September 2019).

‘n Paar stukkies interessante statistiek. As die wêreld 100 MENSE was:

• Dan sou 25 kinders wees.
• Daar sou 75 volwassenes wees,
• Van wie nege 65 jaar en ouer sou wees.

Daar sou die volgende groepe wees:

• 60 Asiërs
• 16 Afrikane
• 14 mense uit die Amerikas
• 10 Europeërs

Daar sou die volgende aantal gelowiges wees:

• 31 Christene
• 23 Moslems
• 16 mense wat geen godsdiens aanhang nie
• 15 Hindoes
• 7 Boeddhiste
• 8 mense wat ander godsdienste beoefen

Daar is baie dinge wat goed gaan in die wêreld. Daar het groot verbeteringe tussen 2006 en 2016 vir mense gekom.

Byvoorbeeld:

• Daar sou volgens die skaal van 100 mense in 2006 slegs een persoon uit die 100 mense wees wat ‘n universiteitsopleiding gehad het. In 2016 het die getal tot sewe aangegroei. Dit is vandag waarskynlik nog hoër.

En die voorsiening van huisvesting is redelik goed:

• 78 mense uit die 100 het ‘n plek om hulle te beskerm van die wind en die reën.
• Maar, dit beteken dat 22 mense in die wêreld nie ‘n dak oor hulle kop het nie.

Die ontstellende statistiek is egter vir my dat uit die 100 mense:

• Sou een vandag sterf van honger
• 11 sou vandag ondervoed wees
• En 22 sou vandag oorgewig wees

En dit is hierdie laaste stukkie statistiek wat steeds kommer wek. 12 mense het nie genoeg om van te lewe uit elke 100 mense nie. 12% van die wêreldbevolking.

Dit is die eerste hoek vanwaar ons die verhaal van Lasarus en die ryk man moet lees, die teks vir vandag, Lukas 16:19-31. Ons lees die gelykenis uit die hoek van nood.

Download the English Translation: Listen to Lazarus and the Rich Man

HIER VOLG DIE HELE EREDIENS: (more…)

Walter Mischel

Walter Mischel conducted an experiment with four-year-olds in the 1970s. He left a four-year-old alone in a room with a marshmallow and a bell. If the child rings the bell, Walter returns immediately, and the child eats the marshmallow. If the little one can wait for Walter to come back of his own choice, he or she will get an extra sweet.

In videos from the experiment, you can see the kids wriggle, squirm, swing their legs, close their eyes, and sit on their hands. They are desperate to apply restraint. They usually really want to wait to get two sweets. Their actions differed greatly. Some could not hold out and rang the bell within a minute. Others could hold out for up to 15 minutes.

The children’s further development was followed by the researcher. Those who could wait longer scored higher points at school. They gained access to better educational institutions and accomplish more as adults. The children who rang the bell the soonest were prone to a higher percentage of bullying. Ten years later, they were rated poorer by parents and teachers, and by age 32 were more likely to have drug-related problems.

Walter Mischel’s conclusion was that children should learn that it is better to work, prepare and sacrifice for the future, rather than living for immediate satisfaction of needs. The future is more important than one might realize in the heat of the moment.

This is also true of spiritual life as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

I would like us to listen to Paul’s take on temptations. And to learn from him how waiting for God’s promise provide the way of escape from temptations. That is the only sure way to persevere in faith. (more…)