Hosted by TruLight Ministries – The Place of Truth
Transformation = Regeneration = Re-Birth = Regeneration = Transformation
In the Bible transformation means “change or renewal from a life that no longer conforms to the ways of the world to one that pleases God” (Romans 12:2). This is accomplished by the renewing of our minds, an inward spiritual transformation that will manifest itself in outward actions. The Bible presents the transformed life in Christ as demonstrated through our “bearing fruit in every good work [and] growing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). Transformation involves those who were once far from God being “drawn near” to Him through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).
Moreover, evidence of transformation within us is seen in the way we increasingly reflect the likeness and glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). For as the apostle Paul said, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9). To be considered as children of God, we must be led by the Spirit of God. And it is through the power of God’s Spirit that Christ lives within us. The transformed life mirrors the attitude of the apostle Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
This power of transformation comes from one source. Paul said, “For the message of the cross [the gospel] is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). In speaking of Jesus, the apostle Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, boldly declared this truth: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Transformed lives begin with the gospel message of Christ, for in it is the power of God. It is the gospel that brings us salvation: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17).
Through the gospel message of Christ, we learn “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:13-14).
Just before he died, the apostle Peter provided us specific instructions on how we are to live out our transformed lives: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness … for if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:3-11).
In die Bybel beteken transformasie “verandering of vernuwing van ‘n lewe wat nie meer ooreenstem met die weë van die wêreld na een wat God behaag nie” (Romeine 12:2). Dit word bewerkstellig deur die vernuwing van ons denke, ‘n innerlike geestelike transformasie wat homself in uiterlike dade sal manifesteer. Die Bybel bied die getransformeerde lewe in Christus aan soos gedemonstreer deur ons “vrug dra in elke goeie werk [en] groei in die kennis van God” (Kolossense 1:10). Transformasie behels dat diegene wat eens ver van God was, “nader gebring” word tot Hom deur die bloed van Christus (Efesiërs 2:13).
Boonop word bewyse van transformasie binne ons gesien in die manier waarop ons toenemend die gelykenis en heerlikheid van Christus weerspieël (2 Korintiërs 3:18). Want soos die apostel Paulus gesê het: “Julle word egter nie deur die sondige natuur beheer nie, maar deur die Gees, as die Gees van God in julle woon. En as iemand die Gees van Christus nie het nie, behoort hy nie aan Christus nie” (Romeine 8:9). Om as kinders van God beskou te word, moet ons deur die Gees van God gelei word. En dit is deur die krag van God se Gees dat Christus in ons leef. Die getransformeerde lewe weerspieël die houding van die apostel Paulus: “Ek is met Christus gekruisig en ek leef nie meer nie, maar Christus leef in my. Die lewe wat ek in die liggaam leef, leef ek deur die geloof in die Seun van God wat my liefgehad het en Homself vir my oorgegee het” (Galasiërs 2:20).
Hierdie krag van transformasie kom van een bron. Paulus het gesê: “Want die boodskap van die kruis [die evangelie] is dwaasheid vir die wat verlore gaan, maar vir ons wat gered word, is dit die krag van God” (1 Korintiërs 1:18). Deur van Jesus te praat, het die apostel Petrus, bemagtig deur die Heilige Gees, hierdie waarheid met vrymoedigheid verklaar: “Die saligheid is in niemand anders nie, want daar is ook geen ander naam onder die hemel wat aan die mense gegee is waardeur ons gered moet word nie” (Handelinge 4:12).
Getransformeerde lewens begin met die evangelieboodskap van Christus, want daarin is die krag van God. Dit is die evangelie wat vir ons verlossing bring: “Ek skaam my nie oor die evangelie nie, want dit is die krag van God tot redding van elkeen wat glo, eerste vir die Jood, dan vir die nie-Jood. Want in die evangelie word ‘n geregtigheid van God geopenbaar, ‘n geregtigheid wat deur die geloof is van begin tot einde, soos geskrywe is: ‘Die regverdige sal uit die geloof lewe’” (Romeine 1:16-17).
Deur die evangelieboodskap van Christus leer ons “om die oue mens af te lê wat by julle vorige lewenswandel hoort en deur misleidende begeertes verdorwe is, en om vernuwe te word in die gees van julle gemoed en die nuwe mens aan te trek wat na die gelykenis van God geskape is in ware geregtigheid en heiligheid” (Efesiërs 4:22-24). “Want as julle volgens die sondige natuur leef, sal julle sterwe; maar as julle deur die Gees die misdade van die liggaam doodmaak, sal julle lewe; want die wat deur die Gees van God gelei word, is kinders van God” (Romeine 8:13-14).
Net voor sy dood het die apostel Petrus ons spesifieke instruksies gegee oor hoe ons ons veranderde lewens moet uitleef: “Sy goddelike krag het ons alles gegee wat ons nodig het vir die lewe en godsvrug … want as julle dit doen, sal julle nooit struikel nie, en julle sal ‘n ryk ontvangs hê in die ewige koninkryk van onse Here en Verlosser Jesus Christus” (2 Petrus 1:3-11).
Bible Verse and Prayer for Today
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
—Hebrews 11:3
Where did it all come from? Where did matter, energy, order, beauty, specificity, diversity, and time come from? How did our universe come to possess complexity and structure when all we know about our existence moves to decay, disorder, and death? By faith, we know it came from the articulated design of our Heavenly Father! Out of chaotic nothingness, God spoke into existence all creation.
Prayer
We thank you, dear Lord, for the incredible world that you made. Thank you for the principles of order that govern our world and help us understand it. Thank you for the intricacies and beauty that humble us. Our hearts soar at the variety and majesty of your vast and astounding creation. In Jesus’ name, we praise and thank you as we look at what you have done with amazement. Amen and Amen.
Bybel Vers en Gebed vir Vandag
Deur geloof verstaan ons dat die heelal deur God se bevel gevorm is, sodat die sigbare nie uit die sigbare ontstaan het nie.
—Hebreërs 11:3
Waar kom dit alles vandaan? Waar kom materie, energie, orde, skoonheid, spesifisiteit, diversiteit en tyd vandaan? Hoe het ons heelal kompleksiteit en struktuur verkry as alles wat ons van ons bestaan weet, na verval, wanorde en dood beweeg? Deur geloof weet ons dat dit uit die geartikuleerde ontwerp van ons Hemelse Vader gekom het! Uit chaotiese niksheid het God die hele skepping in aansyn gespreek.
Gebed
Ons dank U, liewe Here, vir die ongelooflike wêreld wat U gemaak het. Dankie vir die beginsels van orde wat ons wêreld beheer en ons help om dit te verstaan. Dankie vir die ingewikkeldhede en skoonheid wat ons nederig maak. Ons harte styg oor die verskeidenheid en majesteit van u ontsaglike en verstommende skepping. In Jesus se naam loof en dank ons U terwyl ons met verwondering kyk na wat U gedoen het. Amen en Amen.
Bible Teaching of the Day
Another word for Transformation or Regeneration is rebirth, related to the biblical phrase “born again.” Our rebirth is distinguished from our first birth, when we were conceived physically and inherited our sin nature. The new birth is a spiritual, holy, and heavenly birth that results in our being made alive spiritually. Man in his natural state is “dead in trespasses and sins” until he is “made alive” (regenerated) by Christ. This happens when he places his faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:1).
Regeneration is a radical change. Just as our physical birth resulted in a new individual entering the earthly realm, our spiritual birth results in a new person entering the heavenly realm (Ephesians 2:6). After regeneration, we begin to see and hear and seek after divine things; we begin to live a life of faith and holiness. Now Christ is formed in the hearts; now we are partakers of the divine nature, having been made new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). God, not man, is the source of this transformation (Ephesians 2:1, 8). God’s great love and free gift, His rich grace and abundant mercy, are the cause of the rebirth. The mighty power of God—the power that raised Christ from the dead—is displayed in the regeneration and conversion of sinners (Ephesians 1:19–20).
Regeneration is necessary. Sinful human flesh cannot stand in God’s presence. In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus said twice that a man must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3, 7). Regeneration is not optional, for “flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6). Physical birth fits us for earth; spiritual rebirth fits us for heaven. See Ephesians 2:1; 1 Peter 1:23; John 1:13; 1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18. Regeneration is part of what God does for us at the moment of salvation, along with sealing (Ephesians 1:14), adoption (Galatians 4:5), reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18–20), etc. Regeneration is God’s making a person spiritually alive, as a result of faith in Jesus Christ. Prior to salvation we were not God’s children (John 1:12–13); rather, we were children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3; Romans 5:18–20). Before salvation, we were degenerate; after salvation we are regenerated. The result of regeneration is peace with God (Romans 5:1), new life (Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17), and eternal sonship (John 1:12–13; Galatians 3:26). Regeneration begins the process of sanctification wherein we become the people God intends us to be (Romans 8:28–30).
The only means of regeneration is by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. No amount of good works or keeping of the Law can regenerate the heart. “By works of the law no human being will be justified in [God’s] sight” (Romans 3:20). Only Christ offers a cure for the total depravity of the human heart. We don’t need renovation or reformation or reorganization; we need rebirth.
Bybel Lering vir die Dag
Nog ‘n woord vir Transformasie of Regenerasie is wedergeboorte, verwant aan die Bybelse frase “wedergebore”. Ons wedergeboorte word onderskei van ons eerste geboorte, toe ons fisies verwek is en ons sondige natuur geërf het. Die nuwe geboorte is ‘n geestelike, heilige en hemelse geboorte wat daartoe lei dat ons geestelik lewend gemaak word. Die mens in sy natuurlike toestand is “dood in oortredings en sondes” totdat hy deur Christus “lewend gemaak” (wedergebore) word. Dit gebeur wanneer hy sy geloof in Christus plaas (Efesiërs 2:1).
Regenerasie is ‘n radikale verandering. Net soos ons fisiese geboorte daartoe gelei het dat ‘n nuwe individu die aardse ryk binnegaan, lei ons geestelike geboorte daartoe dat ‘n nuwe persoon die hemelse ryk binnegaan (Efesiërs 2:6). Na die regenerasie begin ons goddelike dinge sien en hoor en soek; ons begin ‘n lewe van geloof en heiligheid lei. Nou word Christus in die harte gevorm; nou is ons deelgenote van die goddelike natuur, nadat ons nuwe skepsels gemaak is (2 Korintiërs 5:17). God, nie die mens nie, is die bron van hierdie transformasie (Efesiërs 2:1, 8). God se groot liefde en vrye gawe, Sy ryke genade en oorvloedige barmhartigheid, is die oorsaak van die wedergeboorte. Die magtige krag van God – die krag wat Christus uit die dood opgewek het – word vertoon in die wedergeboorte en bekering van sondaars (Efesiërs 1:19–20).
Wedergeboorte is noodsaaklik. Sondige menslike vlees kan nie in God se teenwoordigheid staan nie. In Sy gesprek met Nikodemus het Jesus twee keer gesê dat ‘n mens weer gebore moet word om die koninkryk van God te sien (Johannes 3:3, 7). Wedergeboorte is nie opsioneel nie, want “vlees gee geboorte aan vlees, maar die Gees gee geboorte aan gees” (Johannes 3:6). Fisiese geboorte maak ons geskik vir die aarde; geestelike wedergeboorte maak ons geskik vir die hemel. Sien Efesiërs 2:1; 1 Petrus 1:23; Johannes 1:13; 1 Johannes 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18. Wedergeboorte is deel van wat God vir ons doen op die oomblik van verlossing, tesame met verseëling (Efesiërs 1:14), aanneming (Galasiërs 4:5), versoening (2 Korintiërs 5:18–20), ens. Wedergeboorte is God wat ‘n persoon geestelik lewend maak, as gevolg van geloof in Jesus Christus. Voor verlossing was ons nie God se kinders nie (Johannes 1:12–13); eerder was ons kinders van die toorn (Efesiërs 2:3; Romeine 5:18–20). Voor verlossing was ons ontaar; na verlossing word ons wedergebore. Die resultaat van wedergeboorte is vrede met God (Romeine 5:1), nuwe lewe (Titus 3:5; 2 Korintiërs 5:17), en ewige seunskap (Johannes 1:12–13; Galasiërs 3:26). Wedergeboorte begin die proses van heiligmaking waarin ons die mense word wat God bedoel het ons moet wees (Romeine 8:28–30).
Die enigste manier van wedergeboorte is deur geloof in die voltooide werk van Christus aan die kruis. Geen hoeveelheid goeie werke of onderhouding van die Wet kan die hart wederbaar nie. “Uit werke van die wet sal geen mens voor [God se] aangesig geregverdig word nie” (Romeine 3:20). Slegs Christus bied ‘n geneesmiddel vir die totale verdorwenheid van die menslike hart. Ons het nie opknapping of hervorming of reorganisasie nodig nie; ons het wedergeboorte nodig.
Today’s Devotional
Transforming from Glory to Glory : “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB).
With those few words—“from glory to glory”—Paul sums up our entire Christian life, from redemption and sanctification on earth, to our glorious eternal welcome into heaven. There is a great deal of content packed into those few words. It’s all so important that Paul labors at great length, from 2 Corinthians 2:14 through the end of chapter 5, to open his readers’ eyes to a great truth. Let’s see why that truth matters so much.
The same Greek word for “glory” is used twice in the phrase from glory to glory, yet each usage refers to something different. The first “glory” is that of the Old Covenant—the Law of Moses—while the second is that of the New Covenant, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Both have astonishing splendor.
The Old Covenant was given to Moses directly from God, written by God’s own finger (Exodus 31:18). That root of our Christian faith is glorious indeed; it’s the glory we’re coming “from.” Yet the New Covenant, the glory we’re going “to,” far surpasses that of the Old.
The transformation is from the glory of the Law. Like the stone it was written on, the Law was inflexible and absolute, applying to all Israelites without much regard for individual circumstances (Hebrews 10:28). Though holy, good, and righteous in itself (Romans 7:12), the Law was, for us sinners, the letter that kills us (2 Corinthians 3:6). The Law was an external force to control behavior. In addition, stone, despite its strength, is earthly and will eventually wear away. The Law was merely a temporary guardian (Galatians 3:23–25) until something better came along.
The transformation is to the glory of the New Covenant, which far surpasses the Old in every way. It forgives us of our sin and gives us sinners life (John 6:63). It is written on believers’ hearts by the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3), so our obedience to God springs up from within us by God-given desires rather than by threats of legal punishment. In place of a cold set of writings as a guide for pleasing God, we now have Father, Son and Holy Spirit making their home with us, fellowshipping in loving intimacy, teaching us everything we must know and do (John 14:23; 16:13). That position in Christ is as permanent, eternal, and spiritual as God Himself, rather than temporary and earthly.
Paul is intent on directing Christians to focus on the spiritual glory of the New Covenant rather than the physical glory of the Old, as many Jews in his day refused to do. He compared the two types of glory by recalling how Moses absorbed and reflected God’s glory for a time after being in his presence (2 Corinthians 3:7–11, 13; cf. Exodus 34:29–35). Though Moses’ glow had a spiritual cause, there was nothing spiritual about the effect—any person, regardless of his relationship with God, could see the glow on Moses’ face, which he covered with a veil.
Not so the glory of the New Covenant. That can be seen only with a believer’s spiritual eyes—what Paul is doing his best to open, so that we discern the gospel’s glory. So he writes, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
But, as we move from glory to glory, there’s something even more important about the glory of the New Covenant that Christians must understand: its supernatural power to transform us. And that brings us to God’s ultimate purpose and destination for every believer, to transform us into the image of His own beloved Son (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:28–30; Philippians 3:20–21).
Before he finishes with the topic of being transformed from glory to glory, Paul presents yet one more astonishing claim: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This is the invitation the Lord makes to all Christians, to have our lives radically transformed here and now, by opening our eyes to see the glorious journey He is taking us on “from glory to glory.”
Vandag se Bemoediging
Transformasie van Glorie tot Glorie ; “Maar ons almal, terwyl ons met ‘n onbedekte gesig soos in ‘n spieël die heerlikheid van die Here aanskou, word van gedaante verander na dieselfde beeld, van heerlikheid tot heerlikheid, soos deur die Here die Gees” (2 Korintiërs 3:18).
Met daardie paar woorde – “van heerlikheid tot heerlikheid” – som Paulus ons hele Christelike lewe op, van verlossing en heiligmaking op aarde tot ons glorieryke ewige verwelkoming in die hemel. Daar is baie inhoud in daardie paar woorde verpak. Dit is alles so belangrik dat Paulus breedvoerig werk, van 2 Korintiërs 2:14 tot die einde van hoofstuk 5, om sy lesers se oë oop te maak vir ‘n groot waarheid. Kom ons kyk hoekom daardie waarheid so belangrik is.
Dieselfde Griekse woord vir “heerlikheid” word twee keer in die frase van heerlikheid tot heerlikheid gebruik, maar elke gebruik verwys na iets anders. Die eerste “heerlikheid” is dié van die Ou Verbond – die Wet van Moses – terwyl die tweede dié van die Nuwe Verbond is, die evangelie van Jesus Christus. Beide het verstommende prag.
Die Ou Verbond is direk van God aan Moses gegee, geskryf deur God se eie vinger (Eksodus 31:18). Daardie wortel van ons Christelike geloof is inderdaad glorieryk; dit is die heerlikheid waaruit ons kom. Tog oortref die Nuwe Verbond, die heerlikheid waarheen ons gaan, dié van die Oue verreweg.
Die transformasie is van die heerlikheid van die Wet. Soos die klip waarop dit geskryf was, was die Wet onbuigsaam en absoluut, en het dit op alle Israeliete van toepassing geraak sonder veel agting vir individuele omstandighede (Hebreërs 10:28). Alhoewel dit heilig, goed en regverdig op sigself was (Romeine 7:12), was die Wet vir ons sondaars die letter wat ons doodmaak (2 Korintiërs 3:6). Die Wet was ‘n eksterne krag om gedrag te beheer. Daarbenewens is klip, ten spyte van sy sterkte, aards en sal dit uiteindelik wegslyt. Die Wet was bloot ‘n tydelike bewaarder (Galasiërs 3:23-25) totdat iets beters gekom het.
Die transformasie is tot die heerlikheid van die Nuwe Verbond, wat die Oue in elke opsig verreweg oortref. Dit vergewe ons van ons sonde en gee ons sondaars die lewe (Johannes 6:63). Dit is deur die Heilige Gees op gelowiges se harte geskryf (Jeremia 31:33; 2 Korintiërs 3:3), so ons gehoorsaamheid aan God spruit uit ons deur Godgegewe begeertes eerder as deur dreigemente van wettige straf. In plaas van ‘n koue stel geskrifte as ‘n riglyn om God te behaag, het ons nou Vader, Seun en Heilige Gees wat hul tuiste by ons maak, in liefdevolle intimiteit gemeenskap het en ons alles leer wat ons moet weet en doen (Johannes 14:23; 16:13). Daardie posisie in Christus is so permanent, ewig en geestelik soos God self, eerder as tydelik en aards.
Paulus is daarop ingestel om Christene te lei om te fokus op die geestelike heerlikheid van die Nuwe Verbond eerder as die fisiese heerlikheid van die Ou Verbond, soos baie Jode in sy tyd geweier het om te doen. Hy het die twee tipes heerlikheid vergelyk deur te onthou hoe Moses God se heerlikheid vir ‘n tyd geabsorbeer en weerkaats het nadat hy in sy teenwoordigheid was (2 Korintiërs 3:7–11, 13; vgl. Eksodus 34:29–35). Alhoewel Moses se gloed ‘n geestelike oorsaak gehad het, was daar niks geesteliks aan die effek nie – enige persoon, ongeag sy verhouding met God, kon die gloed op Moses se gesig sien, wat hy met ‘n sluier bedek het.
Nie so met die heerlikheid van die Nuwe Verbond nie. Dit kan slegs met ‘n gelowige se geestelike oë gesien word – wat Paulus sy bes doen om te oopmaak, sodat ons die evangelie se heerlikheid kan onderskei. Hy skryf dus: “Want God wat gesê het: Laat daar lig skyn uit die duisternis – het sy lig in ons harte laat skyn om ons die verligting te gee van die kennis van God se heerlikheid wat in die aangesig van Christus vertoon word” (2 Korintiërs 4:6).
Maar soos ons van heerlikheid tot heerlikheid beweeg, is daar iets selfs belangriker aan die heerlikheid van die Nuwe Verbond wat Christene moet verstaan: die bonatuurlike krag daarvan om ons te transformeer. En dit bring ons by God se uiteindelike doel en bestemming vir elke gelowige, om ons te verander na die beeld van Sy eie geliefde Seun (2 Korintiërs 3:18; Romeine 8:28–30; Filippense 3:20–21).
Voordat hy afsluit met die onderwerp van verander word van heerlikheid tot heerlikheid, bied Paulus nog ‘n verstommende bewering aan: “Daarom, as iemand in Christus is, is hy ‘n nuwe skepsel; die oue is verby, die nuwe het gekom!” (2 Korintiërs 5:17).
Dit is die uitnodiging wat die Here aan alle Christene rig, om ons lewens hier en nou radikaal te laat verander, deur ons oë oop te maak om die glorieryke reis te sien waarop Hy ons neem “van heerlikheid tot heerlikheid.”
The Collectors of Manna – Women of the Word // Gaarders van Manna – Vroue van die woord
Dilize Light has Managed a TruLight Ladies Group on Telegram for the Past 6 Years and from Today . she will be Sharing her Manna with the Ladies in The TruLight Daily Manna Platform . Dilize is the only Daughter of Pastor Dirk and has been part of the Ministry since the age of 11 . Dilize is also the Radio Host for the Popular TruLight Top 10 that airs on TruLight Radio XM saturdays at 17h00′
Dilize Light bestuur die afgelope 6 jaar ‘n TruLight Damesgroep op Telegram en van vandag af sal sy haar Manna met die Dames deel op die TruLight Daaglikse Manna-platform. Dilize is die enigste dogter van Pastoor Dirk en is deel van die bediening sedert die ouderdom van 11. Dilize is ook die radio-aanbieder vir die gewilde TruLight Top 10 wat Saterdae om 17:00 op TruLight Radio XM uitgesaai word.
Eerste Treë:
Wanneer ‘n kind sy of haar eerste treë gee, is dit opwindende nuus om met almal te deel. Dit het my dus getref dat kinderjare ‘n kwaliteit van spesiaalheid bied wat amper vir die res van die lewe verdwyn. Om aan eerste treë by kinders te dink, het my verdere waardering gegee vir die feit dat God die woord beeld van kinders kies om ons verhouding met Hom te beskryf. Die Nuwe Testament kondig aan dat ons God se kinders is, met al die regte en voorregte van waardige erfgename (ROM 8:16-17). Jesus (die enigste Seun van God) het gekom, word ons vertel, om ons aanneming as seuns en dogters in God se familie moontlik te maak.
Ek verbeel my God beskou elke hakkelende tree vorentoe in my geestelike wandel met die gretigheid van ‘n ouer wat ‘n kind daardie heel eerste tree sien gee.
Miskien, wanneer die geheime van die heelal uiteindelik onthul word, sal ons ‘n onderliggende doel leer om kinders te sien groei. Dit mag wees dat God ons hierdie tye van spesiaalheid gegun het om ons tot Sy oneindige liefde te ontwaak. Van die volheid van daardie liefde is ons ervarings hier op aarde bloot glimpse.
Jy is geliefd !
First Steps:
When a child takes his or her first steps, it is exciting news to share with everyone. So it struck me that childhood offers a quality of specialness that almost disappears for the rest of life. Thinking about first steps in children gave me further appreciation for the fact that God chooses the word image of children to describe our relationship with Him. The New Testament announces that we are God’s children, with all the rights and privileges of worthy heirs (ROM 8:16-17). Jesus (the only Son of God) came, we are told, to make possible our adoption as sons and daughters into God’s family.
I imagine God views each faltering step forward in my spiritual walk with the eagerness of a parent watching a child take that very first step.
Perhaps, when the secrets of the universe are finally revealed, we will learn an underlying purpose for watching children grow. It may be that God has given us these special times to awaken us to His infinite love. Of the fullness of that love, our experiences here on earth are merely glimpses.
You are loved!
TruLight Ministries Daily Entertainment
TruLight TV – God Determines Every Step
Is godly living outdated? There are some messages pushed by believers that don’t align with the way God calls us to live. The lines between Christianity and culture are blurred in our society. Watch today’s video to learn how to spot false coaches and to listen for godly ones. Today’s guest artist on Gospel Music USA (Jim and Melissa Brady) – It’s been quite some time since the Gospel Music world has seen the merger of such a talented musical force. Of course, it was a merger that those close to the source felt certain would eventually happen; however, no one knew just exactly when. It was one that was destined to happen many years before it ever took place, as the ministry it is today. Nevertheless, those close to Jim and Melissa Brady have known for many years that when God united this young couple in marriage, He had great plans for them. Enjoy today’s show and thanks for watching.
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BIBLE PROPHECY IN THE NEWS
New Archaeological Evidence Points To Sodom And Gomorrah’s Location
For centuries, skeptics have dismissed the Biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah as myth. The story seemed too dramatic, too supernatural to be a historical fact. But new archaeological findings near the Dead Sea are forcing even doubters to reconsider. Dr. Titus Kennedy, a field archaeologist with the Discovery Institute, has uncovered compelling evidence that matches the Bible’s description of divine destruction from above.
The breakthrough centers on a geographic anchor that has been hiding in plain sight for millennia. Of the five cities mentioned in Genesis as located in the Jordan Valley, one, called Zoar, was never lost to history. Named in numerous ancient documents and located on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, Zoar provides the key to finding its infamous neighbors. Kennedy, who headed excavations in the area of ancient Zoar, explains that when angels came to save Lot from Sodom, he escaped to Zoar that same day. This means archaeologists searching for Sodom have a limited area to cover.
The answer lies in the nature of the destruction itself. For years, the leading candidate for Sodom has been Bab edh-Dhra, an Early Bronze Age city on the southeastern shore of the Dead Sea within a day’s walk of Zoar. Kennedy reports that mass charnel houses have been found there, where the dead were buried above ground instead of being interred in caves. These burial sites show evidence of fires that started from their roofs and spread downward. “This hints that the destruction came from above and was not deliberately set from within the tombs,” Kennedy said. This matches precisely what the Bible describes.
The Bible records the fate of these cities with chilling clarity: “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And He overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground” (Genesis 19:24-25). The Hebrew word gofrit, translated as brimstone, refers to sulfur, and Kennedy’s excavations have revealed sulfur balls embedded in the soil around the Dead Sea, golf-ball to tennis-ball-sized spheres that are extremely flammable.
About 20 kilometers south of Bab edh-Dhra lies the site of Numeira, tentatively identified as Gomorrah. There, Kennedy discovered human skeletons beneath a collapsed tower. “We don’t usually find complete skeletons just lying around in excavation sites from this period,” Kennedy noted, because it was customary to bury the dead in sealed tombs. This suggests a sudden catastrophe in which people died where they stood, much like what happened in Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Two other nearby sites, Feifa and Khanazir, which may have been the remaining cities of the five-city grouping, also showed signs of sudden destruction and fire. All five cities existed in the Early Bronze Age and were fortified. Then they were abandoned. Bab edh-Dhra and Numeira were definitively destroyed by massive fires, and at Feifa and Khanazir, where illegal digging has occurred, ash layers have been discovered. Meanwhile, Zoar remained occupied not just for centuries but for millennia, still existing in the Byzantine period and beyond, retaining its name as the Bible indicates.
The archaeological evidence for Zoar’s survival is matched by repeated Biblical references. Moses mentioned Zoar in Deuteronomy 34:3 as a geographical boundary. The Sages understood that Zoar’s preservation served as testimony to God’s judgment on the other cities. Isaiah and Jeremiah both referenced Zoar as a living city in their times, in stark contrast to how they spoke of Sodom as destroyed and desolate.
Near Zoar, Kennedy excavated a cave containing Early Bronze Age pottery. Byzantine Christians built a church there, inscribed with the name “Church of Saint Lot,” the cave where Lot and his daughters fled after arriving in Zoar. The location fits the Biblical description perfectly. Genesis 19:30 states that Lot “went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the hills with his two daughters, for he feared to dwell in Zoar.” Looking at the area today, hills rise directly to the east of where ancient Zoar stood, and just to the northeast sits this ancient cave. “We can’t say for sure that it’s the place,” Kennedy acknowledged, “but it certainly fits things as far as the geography and the chronology and the tradition.”
The competing theory places Sodom at Tall el-Hammam, a Middle Bronze Age city northeast of the Dead Sea. Researchers there believe the site was destroyed by a meteor impact, based on a 1.5-meter-thick carbon- and ash-rich layer of destruction. But Kennedy points to a fatal flaw in this identification. After its destruction in the later Middle Bronze Age, Tall el-Hammam was reoccupied.
It was inhabited during the Iron Age, when Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied that Sodom remained an abandoned ruin. It was still occupied in the Roman Period when Jesus said that Sodom “would have remained until this day” if it had witnessed his miracles, implying it no longer existed. Tall el-Hammam contradicts the Biblical record that Sodom was never rebuilt.
The southeastern sites near Zoar have a documented history spanning decades of research. After a decade of digging, archaeologist Phillip Silvian of Trinity Southwest University reported in 2018 that the 15-square-mile circular Middle Ghor was a fertile plain, populated continuously for at least 2,500 years. Some form of catastrophe 3,700 years ago brought this to a sudden end, wiping out an estimated 40,000 to 65,000 people who inhabited the area. The event was so catastrophic that the region remained unpopulated for 600 years.
Studies of 120 small settlements in the region showed signs of extreme, collapse-inducing heat and wind. Pottery was exposed to such intense heat that it melted into glass. Zircon crystals in those glassy coats formed within one second at extremely high temperatures, perhaps as hot as the surface of the sun. The researchers suspected a huge meteor strike, but found no crater. They concluded that a meteoric airburst occurred, similar to the 1908 Tunguska Event in Siberia, where an explosion flattened 770 square miles of forest without leaving an impact crater.
A 2021 study published in the journal Scientific Reports involved 21 co-authors from across the United States, Canada, and the Czech Republic, including archaeologists, geologists, geochemists, and cosmic-impact experts who spent 15 years analyzing Tall el-Hammam. They determined that bricks melted at temperatures of 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit, hotter than a volcano. They concluded that about 3,600 years ago, an icy space rock measuring 50 meters across entered the atmosphere at 38,000 mph and exploded about 2.5 miles above the ground. The resulting blast was about 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
The storm traveled 14 miles across the valley, toppling the walls of Jericho and burning it to the ground. Shockwaves from the explosion pushed a bubbling brine of Dead Sea salts over once-fertile farmland. Located in an arid region, it would take several centuries of minimal rainfall to wash away enough salt deposits to allow a return to agriculture. Radiocarbon dating places the destruction within 50 years of 1650 BC.
The evidence drew criticism from some in the scientific community. An opinion piece in Sapiens Anthropology Magazine called the claims “pseudoscientific,” and critics questioned whether altered images were used as evidence. Steven Jaret and R. Scott Harris suggested that standard smelting processes caused the extreme heat affecting the pottery. Paul Braterman dismissed the researchers as representing “an unaccredited Bible college,” and James Hoffmeier questioned their credentials.
Silvian responded forcefully, calling the accusations of photo manipulation “categorically false” and noting that critics made “ad hominem attacks against the authors and the institutions with which we are associated. None of their comments addresses the science within our paper.” He called it “a classic example of character assassination substituted for a rational discussion of the evidence.”
The debate took an unexpected turn when Dr. John Bergsma, a Catholic theologian and professor at Ohio’s Franciscan University, publicly acknowledged that he now believes Tall el-Hammam represents Biblical Sodom. For Bergsma, who had been skeptical of fantastic Biblical accounts, the turning point came 15 years ago at a Society of Biblical Literature conference where he heard Stephen Collins present his research.
When Bergsma asked what destroyed the cities, Collins showed him glazed pottery from the Bronze Age, a technique not invented until a thousand years later. “That glass layer that you get when you basically set off an atomic bomb in the desert,” Bergsma explained. “This pottery was raised to over 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit for a brief moment.”
“That really changed my perspective on the Old Testament,” Bergsma said, “because what it pointed out to me was that things that sounded so outlandish to be history, that even I, as a believer, was tested and tempted to discount, were suddenly shown to be a historical event.”
Kennedy’s approach differs from that of the Tall el-Hammam researchers in his strict adherence to both archaeological and Biblical evidence. The Madaba Map, a mosaic constructed around 542 AD on the floor of a church in Jordan, shows Zoar on the southeastern shore of the Dead Sea, with Lot’s Cave marked next to it. Josephus, in the first century, wrote that the Dead Sea extended as far as Zoar.
Eusebius of Caesarea, in the third and fourth centuries, placed Zoar on the southeast side of the Dead Sea. The fourth-century Roman military document Notitia Dignitatum mentions a Roman encampment at Zoar, and eight tombstones of Roman military officers have been found there. The pilgrim Egaria from about 380 AD wrote about the bishopric of Zoar, and a tombstone has been discovered with a Greek inscription for Opsis, the bishop, from about 369 AD.
The cumulative evidence is striking. Multiple ancient sources confirm Zoar’s location. Archaeological excavations reveal destruction from above at sites within a day’s walk of Zoar. The timeline matches the Biblical chronology. The nature of the destruction matches the Biblical description. And the long-term abandonment of the region matches the prophetic declarations that these cities would never be rebuilt.
The skeptics who dismissed the Bible’s account as mythology now face a mounting pile of physical evidence that demands explanation. Fire from heaven no longer sounds like ancient superstition when pottery melted at temperatures hotter than the sun’s surface and entire cities were incinerated in moments. The question is no longer whether divine judgment fell on Sodom and Gomorrah. The question is whether modern archaeology has finally located where it fell.
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Every Christian Should Be Concerned – Criminal Prosecution For Bible-Verse Post
A Finnish politician is now facing her third trial for upholding the biblical truth about marriage — this time, before her nation’s Supreme Court.
Päivi Räsänen, a physician and 30-year veteran of Finland’s parliament, appeared before the Supreme Court of Finland on Thursday, combating charges of “hate speech” stemming from a 2019 social media post quoting Scripture in opposition to her church’s participation in Pride Month. “I stand here not only to defend my own right to speak freely, but to defend the freedom of every person to express deeply held beliefs without fear of punishment,” Räsänen declared before entering the courtroom.
“My case will show whether quoting the Bible can become a crime in a free country. I trust that the Finnish Supreme Court will uphold the rule of law and the fundamental freedom to speak openly about faith. No one should be censored for sharing the timeless truths of Scripture.”
Räsänen first faced prosecution in 2019, after sharing a social media post quoting Scripture to criticize the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland for participating in and promoting Pride Month and LGBT talking points. “How does the church’s doctrinal foundation, #raamattu [the Bible], align with the idea of elevating shame and sin as a source of pride?” she asked in a Twitter (now X) post. In 2021, the Christian parliamentarian was charged with three counts of inciting hatred against a minority group, charges categorized in Finnish law as “war crimes and crimes against humanity” and carrying penalties of up to two years in prison per charge.
Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland was also charged, in connection with a pamphlet Räsänen authored and Pohjola published in 2004 concerning Christian moral teachings on sexuality. A three-judge panel of the Helsinki District Court unanimously acquitted Räsänen and Pohjola of all charges in March of 2022, but prosecutors appealed the decision.
The Finnish Court of Appeals likewise unanimously acquitted the two Christians of all charges in November of 2023, but prosecutors once again appealed the decision, elevating the case to Finland’s Supreme Court. In both acquittals, judges observed that Räsänen and Pohjola had not intended to incite hatred against any minority, and that such an intention would have to be demonstrated in order to secure a conviction.
Prosecutors on Thursday demanded criminal convictions for both Räsänen and Pohjola, in addition to steep fines and the removal of both Räsänen’s social media post and all online content from the 2004 pamphlet Räsänen and Pohjola wrote and published, according to attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, who are representing Räsänen before the Supreme Court. Prosecutors called Räsänen’s defense of biblical truth “insulting,” arguing that her “intent is irrelevant” and that “what matters is how readers interpret the text.”
For her part, Räsänen and her legal team argued that her goal in authoring the 2004 pamphlet and the 2019 social media post was “to defend the Bible.” She said that “if the church leadership teaches values contrary to the Bible, it undermines the credibility of Scripture.”
In comments to The Washington Stand, ADF International Executive Director Paul Coleman said, “At the heart of Dr. Räsänen’s case is the basic question as to whether peacefully expressing long-held Christian beliefs is still legal in Finland. No one should face criminal charges for quoting the Bible or simply expressing their faith.” He continued, “This prosecution has dragged on for more than six years, demonstrating the state prosecution’s relentless desire to make an example of this long-serving civil servant. The outcome will send a message far beyond Finland’s borders.”
“If a member of parliament and former interior minister can be criminally prosecuted for a Bible-verse tweet, every Christian in the West should be concerned. Freedom of speech and religion must include the right to peacefully express beliefs that may not align with the prevailing political orthodoxy,” Coleman insisted. “For Christians in the United States, Dr. Räsänen’s case is a reminder that freedom is fragile. What happens in one democracy can quickly influence others. The time to defend free speech is now, before it disappears.”
GOG AND MAGOG UPDATE
Syria’s president, ‘global terrorist,’ to make historic visit to White House
Syria’s president is scheduled to visit the White House this week, according to multiple reports published over the weekend.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa will meet with President Donald Trump in the White House on November 10, according to reports that cited an American official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Ahmed al‑Sharaa (also known by his nom de guerre “Abu Mohammad al-Julani”) rose from his early years as a jihadist commander to become president of Syria in 2025.
He led the rebel-group Hay’at Tahrir al‑Sham (HTS), formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda, and was designated a “global terrorist” by the United States, with a bounty reportedly placed on his head.
Since taking office, al-Sharaa has sought to rebrand his image, speaking of reforming Syria’s institutions and pursuing regional diplomacy.
But his past remains a major sticking point: HTS is still listed as a terrorist organization by the EU and others, and many observers worry about accountability, the inclusion of minority communities, and the future of civil-governance under a leader whose roots lie in militant Islamism.
There has been no official confirmation thus far from either Damascus or the Trump administration regarding the planned meeting with President Trump.
However, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who also serves as the Trump administration’s envoy to Damascus, said on Saturday during a conference in Manama, Bahrain, that al-Sharaa would likely be visiting Washington next week.
The visit comes amid efforts by the US, led by Barrack, to bring Syria into an international coalition against the ISIS terror organization.
“We are trying to get everybody to be a partner in this alliance, which is huge for them,” Barrack said of Syrian inclusion in the alliance.
Al-Sharaa visited the United States for the first time in September, when he arrived in New York for the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week.
The planned visit to the White House next week will mark the second meeting between al-Sharaa and President Trump.
The two leaders first met in Saudi Arabia in May.
TruLight Ministry News
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