Sometimes we complicate our faith and our Christianity. We write thousands of books in an attempt to clarify what God’s will is for us. We argue with one another about what the law of God is actually saying and expects from us. Sometimes we get so angry if the other person cannot or will not […]
Read morePaul concluded his letter to the people of Corinth with a wish. He wished them joy and he wished them a lot of peace and real love: 11 And that’s about it, friends. Be cheerful. Keep things in good repair. Keep your spirits up. Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God […]
Read moreIt’s always important that every member of a team do his or her part. It’s no use the Springboks having the best and fastest backline and the biggest and roughest frontline, but at the lineouts the hooker’s throw-ins are not straight so that the opponents win the ball. And in the scrums the hooker is […]
Read moreWe are not reading from God’s Word today. We’re reading His children living His Word (or rather not). Translation of a moving column that originally appeared in Rapport by Sonja Loots: If only we could see This column is for Nontyatyambo, Olwethu and Slindokuhle. For Anesipho, Lutho, Gadija and all the other youngsters at the […]
Read more1 Corinthians 16:5-24 Some people think that once you’ve converted you have arrived and that you can put up your feet and relax. But that’s not true. On the contrary. That is the time you have to equip yourself for your new life, because you see, there are many dangers. You won’t believe how your […]
Read more1 Corinthians 13:6-13 It is as if Paul is rethinking the matter after he had had so much to say about love. There actually is so much more to learn about love but we cannot understand all of it because we only Know God incompletely. 12We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a […]
Read more1 Corinthians 13:6-10 An sms on my cell: “X’s divorce final today.” Just like that. My energy drops into my shoes. The poor children. The poor woman. The poor man. I remember their wedding. Small, intimate. So joyful with everybody laughing and feeling the love. Did the love dry up? Run out? Did the love […]
Read more1 Corinthians 13:6-7 6Puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, 7never looks back, but keeps going to the end. Love never dies. Like Paul at the beginning of this chapter, I want to talk about love and show where verses 6 and 7 had not taken root: “I was married […]
Read more1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Our family went to get three number 5s at McDonalds in Stellenbosch. First they got the order wrong and brought us McFeasts. We waited patiently in the number 1 parking place. Fortunately, our order came quickly and we were on our way, turning right and stopping at the four-way stop. As I […]
Read more1 Corinthians 13:4 4…Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. To love means not to be jealous. It is unacceptable to have blown up cheeks because you don’t have the same or as much as someone else. When you love, you don’t talk unkindly about what the other one has got. I can’t be nasty […]
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