Liewe Gebedsvriende
Ons groet u in die Wonderlike Naam van ons Verlosser. In hierdie uitsonderlike tyd in die geskiedenis waar bykans die hele wêreld met al sy bedrywighede bykans tot stilstand gedwing is, is ons so gefokus op wat oral in die wêreld gebeur dat ons aandag maklik afgetrek kan word van wat Jesus persoonlik vir ons kom doen het. Terwyl baie van ons tot stilstand gedwing is, is dit die ideale tyd om net weer ons harte voor God stil te maak en tyd met Hom te spandeer om opnuut weer Sy stem en leiding te ervaar. Ons is innig dankbaar vir elke gebedstryder en ondersteuner wat volhou om te bid vir elke werker in die AEB. Graag deel ek met u in kort wat F.B. Meyer geskryf het oor die Kruisiging van Jesus:
Joh 19:17 “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
Joh 19:18 Where they crucified him, …”
Just outside the city gates, beside the main road, was a little conical eminence, which from its resemblance to a skull was called in Aramaic, Golgotha, and in Latin, Calvary. As we speak of the brow of a hill, they called the bald eminence a skull. The three languages in which the inscription was written stand for religion, government, and science. Note that every one of us is unconsciously writing his verdict about Jesus Christ; and when once it is written, there is no altering it. We may be forgiven, but the past cannot be obliterated.
The clothes of the crucified were the perquisite of the soldiers. But Christ’s were so poor that they were not worth keeping entire, except the inner tunic, the gift of someone’s-it may well have been His mother’s-love. What a contrast! Above, the consummate evidence of love working out the plan of eternity; below, the appeal of ignorance and brutality to chance.
Love made Mary brave to encounter the tragedy of that scene. The sword, as Simeon had foretold, was piercing her soul, Luke 2:35. Jesus knew how lonely she would be. He had neither silver nor gold, but could at least secure her a home and tender care. As the cross was elevated but slightly from the ground, His words could easily reach the little group. He chose the title, Woman, rather than “Mother,” lest identification with Himself should bring her insult.
It is to this paragraph that the soul turns when oppressed with the consciousness of guilt. The light-hearted world, which has never known the terror of a sinful conscience, turns from it as from a tragedy of woe and blood, but the repentant sinner presses from this vintage the wine of life. We stand beside thy Cross, O Son of God, and worship in adoring love, as we behold thy tenderness to thy mother, thy devotion to Holy Scripture, and the majesty of thy last cry of victory. It is finished-the Saviour’s work of redemption and the ground of our salvation. What is there left for us, but to hide in the cleft of His pierced side, and to seek the cleansing of the water and the blood?
NUUS UIT DIE VELD
Spesiale gebeurtenis: Daar is groot opgewondenheid oor die geboorte van ‘n tweeling in die AEB. Die trotse ouers, Daniel en Maria Marais van Upington wat werksaam is in die Oranje-Rivier distrik. Ons gebed is dat die Here hierdie twee seuntjies se lewens ryklik sal seën.
Algemeen: Feitlik alle aktiwiteite het tot stilstand gekom en alle Paaskonferensies is gekanselleer. Dit het egter nuwe inisiatief gelei en verskeie boodskappe sal op die internet beskikbaar wees. Sien meer besonderhede op die media bladsy.
Uit Noord- & Suid-Gauteng: Taylor en Annelize het reeds vier kosbare Jeug en kinder bybelstudies ontwikkel wat in ‘n JPEG formaat beskikbaar is.Voor die Inperking het Taylor by Spur gepreek. Na die tyd het die kelners ewe plegtig vir hom ‘n R200 voucher oorhanding en met ‘n kort toesprakie dankie gesê vir die geleentheid terwyl so min van hulle ooit op Sondae kan kerk toe gaan. Ons eer die Here vir Sy getrouheid om Sy Woord “te stuur” na wie Hy wil.
VRYSTAAT: Albert Potgieter skryf van die redding van ‘n kosbare siel tydens ‘n onlangse uitreik.
Ek onthou hoedat die hoof my verlede jaar vertel het hoe bekommerd hulle oor ‘n sekere kind is, weens die dinge waarmee sy betrokke is. En hier staan sy voor my na ‘n uitnodiging. Ek vra toe vir haar hoekom het sy agter gebly en wat in haar lewe aangaan. Sy sê toe dat sy nie meer so kan aangaan (met haar sondige lewe) nie, en dat sy op ‘n punt is om haar saak met die Here reg te maak. Ek kon my ore amper nie glo nie. Ek het toe die voorreg om saam met daardie meisie te bid, nadat sy bitter diep sondes bely het, en haar na die Here gelei.
NOORDWES: Mev. Alta Swanepoel skryf: Deur ons kosbare Here Jesus se genade dra Hy ons deur en versterk ons dag vir dag. Joggie het weer die voorreg gehad om by ‘n gemeente te preek. Die Here het waarlik in die gehoor se harte gewerk en daar het 5 mense agtergebly vir redding. Prys Jesus wonderlike naam wat van sonde verlos. Ons het die vrouekamp na 22 -24 Mei geskuif. Bid asb. saam dat daar ’n kragtige werk van die Here sal wees.
WES-KAAP: Tydens ons laaste Straat-uitreik in Stellenbosch het ek maar net weer opnuut besef dat ons met ‘n geslag jongmense sit wat in ‘n groot mate eintlik ‘n onbereikte groep is wat werklik weinig of niks van die evangelie van Jesus Christus weet nie. Nog nooit was daar so ‘n wye verskeidenheid geestelike aktiwiteite op ‘n Sondag soos nou in ons land nie – in groot kerke, in skoolsale, in huise, in ons industriële gebiede of ander vergaderplekke – en tog was daar nog nooit so ‘n diep geestelike duisternis in en oor ons land soos nou nie. Die rede: die blote afwesigheid van die evangelie van Jesus Christus! Ons huidige generasie (jonk en oud!) het dringend ‘n eietydse openbaring van die Here Jesus en Golgota nodig!
NATAL: Roy Daniel wrote: A 22-year-old white man who was a manager at a store cried after I gave a short Bible study on how to know you are saved. He said “One week back I did not believe in God. I am an atheist who has never been in church or read a Bible. One week back I almost lost my job and I prayed to God and said, ” God if you exist show me”. I then got a text message within the next 5 minutes that was sent to me by mistake from USA Pennsylvania saying I am praying for you. I took this to be God as I had never had anyone sent me a text on prayer before. I asked the person in USA what to do and he texted I should read John and attend a church. I asked around about churches and was afraid to come on a Sunday as there are so many people. My friend in a Baptist church said I could come to the smaller Bible study for starters. So, I am here, and I know God exists. I only can remember a few verses from John, but I want this salvation you are talking of, I just don’t know what it is can. It was so wonderful to help him further, pray for him and give him a sermon on salvation to listen to. He is now attending that church and excitedly in contact about the sermons we gave him. One week back he hated God and would never have set foot in a church.
NOORD KAAP: Ian Waterson skryf: Ons het waarlik ‘n baie goeie tyd in Orania gehad. Die Here is besig om deure in die dorp vir ons oop te maak asook guns in die harte van die mense te gee. Ons het goeie besoeke gehad. Dis met hartseer dat ons verneem het dat tannie Eve de Meyer na haar ewige tuiste is, by die Here Jesus Christus. Daar was ‘n dankdiens gehou om vir die Here dankie te sê vir haar lewe. Was wonderlik om te hoor dat die lieflike geur van die Here Jesus in haar lewe was. Ons is dankbaar teenoor die Here vir hoe Hy ons guns gee in die harte van die mense.
AEB CONVENTION SPEAKER: Keith was recently privileged to preach at three very fruitful outreaches which were arranged by the Heart Cry for Revival in SA which were held in Pretoria, Kempton Park and Roodepoort. These were followed by a Revival Convention in Pennington, Natal, in which a good amount of souls responded for salvation. He has since been recording messages for the Christian Radio Broadcasts here in Natal and will be preaching live on the internet over this Easter weekend in a live broadcast being arranged by America.
In Sy liefde
Frans & Erica Gericke