2 Kor 10:17 Maar wie roem, moet in die Here roem. 18 Want nie hy wat homself aanbeveel, dié is beproef nie, maar hy wat deur die Here aanbeveel word.

Ons het nou net in ons gemeente deur hierdie proses gegaan om ‘n senior pastor te beroep. En dit maak nogal ‘n mens se taak maklik as die Here self iemand al voorberei het.

Nog voordat ek een woord met een van die moontlike pastore gesels het, glo ek het die Here vir my gesê, “dis my keuse”. Ek het dit stilgehou want daar is ook gesê die raad sou eenparig dieselfde man kies – en dit was ook so.

Bevestiging! Nie net moes die Here in sy hart hom regkry vir hierdie aanstelling nie maar ook in die hart van sy vrou. Hulle is sekerlik deur sekere prosesse geplaas en moes sekere dinge eers deurmaak voordat die tyd van die Here vir so ‘n aanstelling in hulle lewens reg was.

Daar was mense wat hulle self aanbeveel het, en ek glo daar is niks mee verkeerd nie, maar vir hierdie gemeente het die Here iemand in gedagte gehad wie Hy self voorberei het. Prys God!

Ek glo daarom dat die wil van God sal geskied in hierdie gemeente van ons! Die een het geplant, die ander natgemaak en ‘n ander sal oes!

Net hierby hierdie gedagte vir enige aanstellings komitee … miskien gaan dit so rof in jou organisasie omdat jy nie vir die Here luister nie! Jy stel mense aan wie hulle self aanbeveel, terwyl jy jou ore toe hou vir die Gees van God om aan te stel die persoon wie die Here vir jou gestuur het!

Die aanstelling bly jou keuse, laat die Here toe om aan te stel, sodat jy kan oes!

2 Co 10:17 But he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. 18 For not he who commends himself is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

We have just gone through a process in this congregation to appoint to a senior pastor. And it makes our task very easy if the Lord Himself shows us the person he has prepared.

Even before speaking to the possible pastors, I believe the Lord told me, when I saw a picture, "this is my choice". I kept it quite because it was also said that the council would unanimously choose the same man - and it was so.

Confirmation! Not only did the Lord prepare his heart but also the heart of his wife. They were certainly prepared by the Lord, and had to go through certain things in their own lives, before the time of the Lord was right, for such an appointment.

There were people who recommended themselves, and I believe there is nothing wrong with it, but for this church, the Lord had someone in mind who He prepared Himself. Praise God!

I therefore believe that the will of God will take place in this congregation of ours! One planted, another watered and another will take the harvest!

Just this thought for any appointment committee ... maybe it's so unorganised in your organization because you did not listen to the voice of the Lord! You chose people whom recommended themselves while closing your ears to the voice of the Spirit of God! You refused to appoint the person whom the Lord sent you!

The appointment remains your choice, allow the Lord to appoint for you so that you can have an harvest!

1Co 12:18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body as it has pleased Him. 19 And if they were all one member, where would be the body? 20 But now indeed many are the members, yet only one body.

We were given this report the other day that our academy, where I work, - is the best police academy in the country. So much so that it was said in a meeting where all the commanders of the other academics were present.

Now one can say - yes it's the best instructors, or they have the best administration department - or the best whatever! But this is the truth ... was it not it for the instructors, where would the academy be? Or...

Was not it for the administration office - where would the academy be? Or ... was it not for human resources - where would the academy be? Or … was it not for the cleaners, where would the academy be?

Yes, there is this truth - everyone who is part of the academy, even the management - is the ones causing this machine to work! Everyone with his own task! Everyone focused on what he should do - what his job is!

So also the church! Be involved, everyone be involved! Focus on the task at hand! Because every individual has been called by the Lord by name - nobody is unimportant - everybody has his role! You are called by the Lord - make yourself useful!

1Kor 12:18 Maar nou het God elkeen van die lede in die liggaam gestel soos Hy gewil het. 19 As almal een lid was, waar sou die liggaam wees? 20 Maar nou is daar wel baie lede, maar net een liggaam

Ons het nou die dag hierdie rapport gekry dat ons Akademie waar ek werk glo – kop bo water – die beste polisie akademie in die land is. Soveel so dat dit in ‘n vergadering gesê is waar alle bevelvoerders van die ander akademies teenwoordig was.

Nou kan mens sê – ja dis die beste instrukteurs, of hulle het die beste administrasie department – of die beste wat ook al! Maar dit is die waarheid … was dit nie vir die instrukteurs nie, waar sou die akademie wees? Of …

Was dit nie vir die administrasie kantoor nie – waar sou die akademie wees? … of … was dit nie vir die menslikke hulpbronne nie – waar sou die akademie wees? Of was dit nie vir die tereinwerkers of skoonmakers nie, waar sou die akademie wees?

Ja daar is hierdie waarheid – almal wat hier deel van is selfs die bestuur – dis hulle wat hierdie masjien maak werk! Elkeen met sy eie taak! Elkeen gefokus op wat hy moet doen – wat sy taak is om te verrig!

So ook die kerk! Wees betrokke, elkeen wees betrokke! Fokus op die taak op hande! Want elke rolspeler het die Here op Sy naam geroep – daar is niemand wat nie belangrik is nie – elkeen het sy rol! Jy is deur die Here geroep – maak jouself handig!

Rom 16:10 Groet Apélles, die beproefde in Christus. Groet hulle wat van die huis van Aristobúlus is.

1Kor 11:28 Maar die mens moet homself beproef en só van die brood eet en uit die beker drink.

In my dae was bestuurskole waar hulle jou leer om te bestuur, voordat jy vir jou lisensie gaan nie, so gewild soos vandag nie. Nou se dae is hulle oral waar jy ry!

Oral sien jy mense met die een of ander klein karretjie, of trokkie leer bestuur! Dit word net nie meer gedoen soos in ons dase nie! Nee, ons was die old school!

Vandag, vat hulle jou, leer jou, eksamineer jou, en kyk of jy reg is om vir jou lisensie te gaan. Hulle toets jou om te sien of jy reg is om te bestuur! Dan gaan jy vir jou lisensie.

Hier leer die Woord ons dat ons, ook eers onsself moet eksamineer (beproef / toets) voordat ons nagmaal gebruik. Die Woord sê nie ons mag nie nagmaal gebruik nie, dit leer ons net om nie te gebruik voor ons eers introspeksie gedoen het nie.

Waarom laat die Here beproewwinge op ons pad kom? Sodat ons juis introspeksie kan doen! Sodat ons juis, ons tekortkominge kan waarneem en daaraan werk! Wanneer ons dan daarmee deel, dis wanneer ons groei!

Rom 16:10 Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of Aristobulus' household.

1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.

In my days, driving schools, where they teach you to drive, before you go for your license, were not as popular as today. These days there is a school around each corner!

Everywhere you see people with some little vehicle, or a small code 10 truck, learning to drive! Lessons is no longer done as in the old days! No, we are the old school!

Today, they take you, teach you, examine you, and see if you are ready to go for your license. Then they also test you to see if you are ready to drive! Only after that, you go for your license.

Here the Word teaches us that we must first test ourselves (examine / approve) ourselves before using communion. The Word does not say we may not use communion, it only teaches us not to use it before we have first done some introspection.

Why does the Lord bring trials our way? So we can do introspection! So that we understand that we do have some shortcomings, to work on! When we then deal with these shortcoming that is when we start growing spiritually!

1Th 2:4 but as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tries our hearts. 5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor with pretense of covetousness; God is witness.

I praise God for his patience. Because after I was born again, I still did so many things wrongly! But systematically, the Lord opened my eyes, through His Word, the Word of truth.

One situation I remember now, I was riding with my bike in the morning and asking the Lord. But Lord, if this is so wrong, why does it feel so right? It was because of my lifestyle at that moment.

How did I know I did something that was not right in the eyes of the Lord? His Spirit, and His Word! He was admonishing me but ... in and with an awesome love.

Well, I could make two choices, I could choose, to go on and to not change, I could choose to keep people happy, but it would definitely not have "impressed" the Lord. So it was my choice ... "impress" the people or "impress" God!

The question ... if I choose people, what would have been the end of that? Would He have entrusted me with His Word? What would I choose? To be from the house of David or from the house of Soul?

Soul wanted to please people, David, God! Look at their lives and then you answer that question! To whom did the Lord entrust his house! Choose today who you are going to serve?

1Tes 2:3 Want ons vermaning was nie uit dwaling of uit onsuiwerheid of uit bedrog nie; 4 maar soos ons deur God waardig geag is dat die evangelie aan ons toevertrou sou word, so spreek ons, nie om mense te behaag nie, maar God wat ons harte beproef.

Ek prys God vir Sy geduld. Want nadat ek wedergebore is, het ek nogsteeds so baie dinge anders gedoen! Maar stelselmatig het die Here my oë oopgemaak, deur Sy Woord, vir die waarheid.

Ek ‘n geval, een waar ek besig was om vroeg oggend met my fiets te ry en vir die Here te vra, Maar Here, as dit dan so verkeerd is, waarom voel dit dan so reg? Dit was as gevolg van my lewenstyl, op daardie oomblik.

Hoe het ek geweet, ek doen iets wat nie reg was in die oë van die Here nie? Sy Gees, en Sy Woord! Hy was besig om my te vermaan maar … in en met ontsaglikke liefde.

Wel ek kon twee keuses maak, ek kon kies, om aan te gaan en nie te verander nie, ek kon aanhou mense behaag het, maar dit sou defnitief nie die Here “impress” het nie. So dit was my keuse … “impress” die mense of “impress” God!

Die vraag … as ek mense sou kies, wat sou die uiteinde daarvan wees? Sou Hy Sy Woord aan my toevertrou het? Wou ek van die huis van David, of van die huis van Soul wees?

Soul wou mense tevrede stel, David, God! Kyk na hulle lewens en dan beantwoord jy daardie vraag! Aan wie Het die Here Sy huis toevertrou! Kies vandag nog wie jy gaan dien?

1Pe 4:16 But if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God because of this. 17 For the time has come for the judgment to begin from the house of God. And if it first begins from us, what will be the end of those disobeying the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Remember when we were newlywed, and we saw how other people dealt with their children’s bad behaviour, when they misbehaved, we easily said: My child will not dare to do this or that!

And then when our own children come? We soon faced reality! Our children also acted the same! As long as our intent was to discipline them!

We can certainly not discipline other people’s children, but our own children we can!

So also with the house of the Lord! God disciplines us now, but for our salvation! Those of us who listens to His discipline! Then if we repent of our ways, the discipline will be to our advantage!

Therefore those on the outside of His house should know, if the Lord disciples his own children, how much more will he discipline those whom does not belong to him? Those who rejected Him and His discipline!

Such discipline will, however, be to their disadvantage! For it is terrible to fall into the hand of the living God! Yes, children do not despise the Lord's discipline.

1Pe 4:16 Maar wanneer iemand as ‘n Christen ly, moet hy hom nie skaam nie, maar God verheerlik in hierdie opsig. :17 Want die tyd is daar dat die oordeel moet begin by die huis van God. En as dit eers by ons begin, wat sal die einde wees van die wat aan die evangelie van God ongehoorsaam is? 18 En as die regverdige nouliks gered word, waar sal die goddelose en die sondaar verskyn?

Dink gou toe ons kort getroud was, en ons sien mense met kinders en hoe hulle hul kinders hanteer, dan het ons maklik gesê: my kind sal nie waag om dit te doen, of dat te sê nie!

En toe ons eie kinders kom? Het ons gou die realiteid tegemoed gekom! Ons kinders het toe net so opgetree! Solank ons voorneme darm net was om hulle te disiplineer!

Ons kan tog sekerlik nie ander se kinders wil dissiplineer maar ons eie kinders het nie maniere nie, of hoe?

So ook met die huis van die Here! God dissiplineer ons wel nou, maar tot ons redding! Vir ons wat luister na Sy tugting en ons bekeer van ons weë! Hoewel die tugtiging nou erg is, is dit tot ons voordeel!

Daarom moet die daarbuite weet, as die Here sy eie kinders tug, hoeveel te meer sal Hy die tug wat nie aan Hom behoort nie? Hulle wat Hom en Sy tug verwerp het!

Sulke tug sal egter tot hulle nadeel strek! Want vreeslik is dit om te val in die hand van die Lewende God! Ja, kinders verag nie die tug van die Here nie.

1Pe 4:16 But if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God because of this. 17 For the time has come for the judgment to begin from the house of God. And if it first begins from us, what will be the end of those disobeying the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Remember when we were newlywed, and we saw how other people dealt with their children’s bad behaviour, when they misbehaved, we easily said: My child will not dare to do this or that!

And then when our own children come? We soon faced reality! Our children also acted the same! As long as our intent was to discipline them!

We can certainly not discipline other people’s children, but our own children we can!

So also with the house of the Lord! God disciplines us now, but for our salvation! Those of us who listens to His discipline! Then if we repent of our ways, the discipline will be to our advantage!

Therefore those on the outside of His house should know, if the Lord disciples his own children, how much more will he discipline those whom does not belong to him? Those who rejected Him and His discipline!

Such discipline will, however, be to their disadvantage! For it is terrible to fall into the hand of the living God! Yes, children do not despise the Lord's discipline.

Psalm 66:10 Want U het ons getoets, o God, U het ons gelouter soos ‘n mens silwer louter.

‘n Tyd gelede het ‘n person opgestaan en ‘n groep mense wat bely dat hulle Christene is, myself ingesluit, verskriklik beledig en heeltemal verkeerd met ons gehandel.

Hierdie groep Chrtistene, myself inkluis, het die situasie almal op hulle eie manier hanteer. Toe dit met ons gebeur kon ons maklik sê, ja maar … hoekom straf die Here ons dan so? Ons kon ook gesê het – man die Here is kwaad vir ons, en ons kon ook gesê waar is die Here dan.

Ek glo daar is ook baie sulke ander gevalle! Een ding is seker, reg of verkeerd, ons almal hanteer het die situasie anders. Elkeen soos wat hy voel reg is.

Nou, na ‘n tydsverloop, kan ons elkeen terugkyk, en as ons eerlik met onsself is, sal ons die foute raaksien wat ons gemaak het – dis nou as Christen! Want ons kon dalk verkeerd opgetreë het.

Ons kon ook dalk verkeerde dinge met die mond kwytgeraak het waaroor ons spyt is. Een ding is seker, en ek glo dit dat die Here dit toegelaat het, sodat ons meer oor onsself kan leer!

Sodat ons kon kyk hoe gehoorsaam ons werklik aan Hom is. So, die vraag is het jy gegroei? Het jy as mens verander? Hoe sal jy dinge volgende keer doen? Het ek reg opgetree volgens Sy Woord?

Psa 66:10 You have put us to the test, God; as silver is purified by fire, so you have tested us.

A time ago, a person insulted a group of people who profess to be Christians, myself included, the person wronged us in front of other people.

This group of Christians, myself included, handled the situation all in their own way. When the situation happened, we could have easily said, yes but ... why does the Lord then punish us? We could also have said - man the Lord is angry with us, and we could have also said, but, where is the Lord.

I believe there are many such other scenarios too! One thing is for sure, right or wrong, we all handled the situation differently. Everyone as he felt was right.

Now after a time, we can look back and if we are honest with ourselves, we will see the mistakes we made – this is now, as a Christian! We might even have acted wrongly.

We could also have said some things we regret. But one thing is certain, and I believe that the Lord has allowed it so that we can learn more about ourselves as Christians!

For example we could see how truly obedient we are to Him. So, the question is have you grown? Were you changed as a human being? How will you do things the next time around? How did I act according to His Word?