Attie se koffietafel.

Scot had a wonderful teaching last night on The Power of Pentecost to Fellowship.

These were the three main points he made.

1.The Dots of Fellowship.

Follow the dots in Luke and you will realize how important the church was in the live, death and ressurection of Jesus.

2. The Day of Fellowship.

When Pentcost happens a church is born and the first sign of the church is fellowship. (more…)

“People love Jesus, but they do not like te church.”

That is the way Scot started out his teachings on Wednesday night. According to Scot it is the result of the gospel the church preached and still preaches. The church preached a gospel where the only thing that mattered was a personal salvation and a personal arelationship with God.

According to George Barna there are 20 Million Christians in the USA in whose life the church plays no significant role.

Out of personal discussions with these people Dan Kimball came to the conclusion that there are 6 reasons why this is the case: (more…)

The song we closed with tonight was “I stand amazed”. Those words describes what we experienced tonight. In the life af the apostle John we discovered this truth: Through the Power of the Holy Spirit of Pentecost, God transforms our ability to love people and transcends our inability to love some people.

1. In John, (and in us) the power to love is blocked out by his prejudice. (more…)

The second teaching of Scot McKnight on the Power of Pentecost was “The Power to Change”.

Last night Scot made the point that the Holy Spirt want’s to transform our abilities and transcend our inabilties. This process involves change.

Tonight we learned about the importance of embracing the cross in the process of change. We are able to overcome our inabilities through the power of the Holy Spirit by embracing the cross.

The cross is a symbol that reminds us that we have crucified ourselves and now we are living for Christ. The implication is that a start to do what I don’t want to do and stop doing what I want to do. Stop gossiping for instance; start being a more giving spouse; a more patient parent; more caring neighbour.  By embracing the cross you start doing what God wants you to do.

We go through three faces on our way to embrace the cross: (more…)

We had a wonderful evening with Scot McKnight last night. We had a full church and wonderful praise and worship. But the best of the night was definitely Scot himself. He spoke on the Power of Pentecost. You can listen to his teaching here: Scot McKnight - The Power of Pentecost.

For the people in South Africa: Scot McKnight is the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University. He lives with his wife, Kristen, in Chicago. He goes to church at Willowcreek in Chicago.

The five Dutch Reformed Churches in Rustenburg, South Africa made it possible to bring Scot to South Africa to teach at their annual Pentecost event and a few other places as well.

Die NG Kerk het ‘n unieke tradisie. Die gebruik om in die dae tussen Hemelvaart en Pinkster bymekaar te kom het sy oorsprong in die 19de eeu in Wellington in die tyd toe Dr. Andrew Murray die predikant was. Sy gemeente was die eerste gemeente om Pinksterfees op hierdie wyse te vier. Op die Sondag van Pinksterfees waarop die uitstorting van die Heilige Gees normaalweg gevier word, het daar ‘n onverwagse herlewing in die gemeente uitgebreek.

Sedertdien hou die NG kerk in hierdie tyd Pinkster. Oorspronklik was dit tien dae lank wat die gemeentes elke aand by mekaar gekom het en Pinksterbidure gehou het. (more…)

Donderdag het ons terug gedink aan die hemelvaart van die Here Jesus. Veertig dae na die opstanding is Jesus opgeneem in die hemel.

Waarom die veertig dae?

Waarom was die hemelvaart nie direk na die opstanding nie?

Wat het in die veertig dae gebeur?

In Handelinge 1 lyk dit of drie belangrike ding in die veertig dae gebeur. (more…)

Scot McKnight besoek Rustenburg volgende week en ons gaan die klank van die dienste ook op internet beskikbaar stel. Ons doen bietjie van ‘n proeflopie met my laaste preek. Jy kan hier daarna luister. Ek hoor graag jou mening en as dit goed gaan, gaan ons op ‘n meer gereelde basis preke hier plaas.

More is dit veertig sedert Paasfees. Veertig dae sedert die kerk Jesus se opstanding gevier het. More vier die kerk oor die hele wêreld die hemelvaart van ons Here Jesus. Tot 1994 was hemelvaartdag ‘n openbare vakansiedag in Suid Afrika, nou nie meer nie. Verskeie Christen-sakemanne hanteer die dag nog steeds soos ‘n vakansiedag. Ek weet ook van ‘n hele paar van ons lidmate wat elke jaar op hierdie dag verlof vat.

In ons eie gemeente was dit vir ons ‘n nuwe uitdaging om die belangrike dag in die kerk te bly vier. Op een of ander manier het ons by ‘n stil nagmaal uitgekom. Op die Donderdag is die kerk van 06:00-08:00 en 18:00-20:00 oop. Elke persoon kan op sy eie tyd inkom aan die hand van ‘n handleiding stil word en wanneer hy/sy reg is vorentoe stap en dan sal een van die leraars vir hom/haar nagmaal bedien. (more…)

Dit gaan nog steeds doller as kop af. Ek is besig met finale reëlings met betrekking tot Scot McKnight se besoek aan Suid Afrika wat Saterdag begin.

Ek het gister in ons gemeente uit Filippense 2:12-18 gepreek.

Ek het voorberei om hierdie aanhaling uit Thabo Mbeki se biografie te gebruik, maar op die laaste oomblik gedink dat die enkele aanhaling dalk al die ander dinge wat ek wil sê kan neutraliseer, met die gevolg dat ek dit nie gebruik het nie.

Ek is baie bewus van Thabo Mbeki se tekortkominge en onvermoë om werklik ‘n staatsman van formaat te wees en sy mislukking as bemiddelaar in Zimbabwe, wat tot gevolg gehad het en steeds tot gevolg het dat baie mense van Zimbabwe baie swaar kry. Tog het hierdie woorde in sy biografie het my laat dink: (more…)