Az Úr csodásan működik... (God gaat zijn ongekende gang...)

Bladmuziek van hongaarse versie: http://enekeskonyv.lutheran.hu/enek328.htm


Gezang 447


1 God gaat zijn ongekende gang
vol donk're majesteit,
die in de zee zijn voetstap plant
en op de wolken rijdt.

2 Uit grondeloze diepten put
Hij licht, en vreugde uit pijn.
Hij voert volmaakt zijn plannen uit,
zijn wil is souverein.

3 Geliefden Gods, schept nieuwe moed,
de wolken die gij vreest,
zijn zwaar van regen overvloed
van zegen die geneest.

4 Zoudt gij verstaan, waar Hij u leidt?
Vertrouw Hem waar Hij gaat.
Zijn duistere voorzienigheid
verhult zijn mild gelaat.

5 Wat Hij bedoelt dat rijpt tot zin,
wordt klaar van uur tot uur.
De knop is bitter, is begin,
de bloem wordt licht en puur.

6 Hoe blind vanuit zichzelve is
het menselijk gezicht.
Godzelf vertaalt de duisternis
in eind'lijk eeuwig licht.
Liedboek voor de Kerken 1973

Story of the Bamboo

Story of the Bamboo Benjamin E. Newcombe has taken this fact as a basis for a parable. On the hillside in the Kucheng District of China, the most valuable trees are often marked with the owner’s name. A common way of conveying water from the mountain springs down to the villages is in channels made of lengths of bamboo fitted one to the other Some of these bamboos are four or five inches in diameter When I was seven years old, Helen Ligler, a missionary on furlough from Africa, told this story on a Sunday morning in Cicero Bible church, Cicero, IL. At the conclusion, I offered my young heart to God for ser vice in India. Subsequently, I spent 13 years in India as a medical missionary nurse in the villages. ED. A beautiful tree stood among scores of others on a lovely hillside, its stem dark and glossy, its beautiful feathery branches gently quivering in the evening breeze. As we admired it, it seemed to say: “You admire my tall stem and graceful branches, but I have nothing to boast of. All I have I owe to the loving care of my Master. It was he who planted me here in this fruitful hill, where my roots, reaching down to hid den springs, and continually drinking of their life- giving waters, receive nourishment, beauty and strength for my whole being. “Do you see those trees to one side, how parched they are? Their roots have not reached the living springs. Since I found the hidden waters I have lacked nothing. “You observe those characters on my stem? Look closely—they are cut into my very being. The cutting process was painful—I wondered at the time why I had to suffer—but it was my Masters own hand that used the knife. When the work was finished, with unutterable joy I recognized it was his own name he had cut on my stem. Then I knew beyond doubt that he loved me and prized me, and wanted all the world to know that I belonged to him. I may well make it my boast that I have such a Master.” Even as the tree was telling us of its Master, we looked around and lo! the Master himself stood there. He was looking with love on the tree. In his hand he held a sharp axe. “I have need of thee,” he said. “Art thou willing to give thyself to me?” “Master,” replied the tree, “I am all thine own— but what cause can such as I be to thee?” “I need thee,” said the Master, “to take my living water to some dry, parched places where there is none.” “But, Master, how can I do this? I can dwell in the living springs, and imbibe their waters for my own nourishment. I can stretch up my arms to heaven, and drink their refreshing showers, and grow strong and beautiful, and rejoice that strength and beauty alike are all from thee. I can proclaim to all what a good Master thou art. But how can I give water to others? I but drink what suffices for my own food. What have I to give to others?” The Master’s voice grew wondrously tender as he answered, “I can use thee if thou art willing. I would cut thee down and lop off all thy branches, leaving thee naked and bare. Then 1 would take thee away from this, thy happy home, and carry thee out alone on the far hillside, where there will be only grass and a tangled growth of briers and weeds. Yes, and I would still use the painful knife, for all those barriers within thy heart should be cut away one by one, till there was a free passage for my living water through thee. “Thou wilt die, thou sayest; yes, thou wilt die, but my water of life will flow freely through thee. Thy beauty will be gone indeed. Henceforth, no one will look on thee and admire thy freshness and grace, but many will stoop and drink of the life-giving stream which will reach them through thee. They may give no thought to thee, but will they not bless thy Master who hast given them his water through thee? Art thou willing for this,—to die?” I held my breath to hear what the answer would be. “My Master, all I have and am is from thee. If thou indeed hast need of me, then I willingly give my life to thee. If only through my sacrifice thou canst bring thy living water to others, I yield myself to thee. Take and use me as thou wilt, my Master.” And the Master’s face grew still more tender. But he took the sharp axe, and with repeated blows brought the beautiful tree to the ground. It rebelled not, but yielded to each stroke saying softly: “My Master, as thou wilt.” And still the Master held the axe and continued to strike until the stem was sev ered again, and the glory of the tree, its wondrous crown of feathery branches, was lost to it forever. Now, indeed, it was naked and bare”—but the love-light in the Master’s face deepened as he took what remained of the tree on his shoulders, and bore it away,—far over the mountains. Arriving at a lonely and desolate place, the Master paused, and again his hand took a cruel looking weapon, with sharp-pointed blade, and this time thrust it right into the very heart of the tree—for he would make a channel for his living waters, and only through the broken heart of the tree could they flow unhindered to the thirsty land. Yet, the tree repined not, but whispered with breaking heart, “My Master, thy will be done.” So the Master, with the heart of love and the face of tenderest pity, dealt the blows, and spared not,— and the keen-edged steel did its work, till every barri er had been cut away, and the heart of the tree lay open from end to end. Then again he raised it, and gently bore it to where a spring of living water, clear as crystal, was bubbling up. There he laid it down—one end just within the healing waters. And the stream of life flowed in, right down the heart of the tree from end to end, along all the road made by the cruel wounds—a gentle current, to go on flowing noiselessly, flowing in, flowing through, flowing out, never ceasing. And the Master smiled and was satisfied. Again the Master went, and sought for more trees. Some shrank back and feared the pain but others gave themselves to him with full consent, saying, “Master, we trust thee. Do with us what thou wilt!” Then he brought them, one by one, by the same painful road, and laid them down end to end, and as each tree was placed in position, the living stream poured in, fresh and clear from the fountain and, till through its wounded heart the line growing longer and longer, till at last it reached to the little children, who had thirsted, came and drank, and hastened to carry the tidings to others: “The water has come at last—the long, long famine is over; come and drink.” And they came and drank and revived. And the Master saw, and his heart was gladdened. Then the Master returned to his tree and lovingly asked, “Dost thou regret the loneliness and suffering? Was the price too dear—the price for giving the living water to the world?” And the tree replied. “My Master, no; had I ten thousand lives, how willingly would I give them all to thee for the bliss of knowing, as today I know, that I have helped to make thee glad.” http://setup.finalweb.net/home/140001498/140001501/Chera/Fall99/bamboo.htm

Túrmezei Erzsébet: Pótvizsga a szeretetből

A Mester nagy iskolájában,

Ma szeretetből pótvizsgáztam.
Tanítóm előtt remegve álltam...
Az első vizsgán én megbuktam.
A tételt bár kívülről tudtam,
De a gyakorlatban előre alig jutottam.

Szeretem én, ki engem szeret,
Minden jó embert, akit csak lehet,
De az ellenségem?
Aki megrágalmaz, kinevet,
Ad mindenféle csúfnevet,
Gyaláz és megaláz engemet?

Ilyet nem tudok szeretni! Nem!
És ezt húztam ki a tételen,
,,Hogy az ellenségemet is szeressem!"
Szereted-e? - Kérdezte tanárom,
Az én Mesterem és Megváltóm.
Nem tudom, hiába próbálom!

Szelíden monda, de erélyesen:
 - Pótvizsgára mész, és ha mégsem
Tanulod, megbuksz egészen.
A szeretet nehéz tétel,
A legtöbben ebben buknak el,
Mert, aki bánt is, szeretnünk kell!

De Mesterem tovább tanított,
Különórára magához hívott,
Szeretetével sokat kivívott!
Mutatta kezén, lábán a sebet,
Hogy mennyit terem a szeretet,
Eltűri a kereszt-szegeket.

Eltűri a gúnyt, a gyalázatot,
Töviskoszorút, s nehéz bánatot.
A dárdaszúrást, mit értem kapott.
Így tanított, szívem felrázta.
Látta, hogy hajlok a tanításra.
Szeretetét a szívembe zárta.

És most pótvizsgáztam belőle.
Ott volt az ellenségem is.
Gúnyos megjegyzést kaptam tőle,
De szeretettel feleltem,
S e szeretettel őt megnyertem...
És a pótvizsgán átmentem.

Tovább tanulok, tovább megyek,
Vannak, „szeretet-egyetemek",
Magasak, s mégsem elérhetetlenek!
Mert más tudományt sokat tanulhatok,
Megcsodálhatnak, úgy vizsgázhatok.
Ha szeretet nincs bennem: SEMMI VAGYOK.

Forrás: http://szalai4913.blogspot.hu/2011/03/turmezei-erzsebet-potvizsga-szeretetbol.html

Psalm 16

Psalm 16

A miktam[a] of David.

1 Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Footnotes:
Psalm 16:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 16:10 Or holy

Psalm 17

New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

1 Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.
3 Though you probe my heart,
though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
my mouth has not transgressed.
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not stumbled.
6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.
10 They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
13 Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down;
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers for their little ones.
15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Ha nem teszek semmit sem

Ha nem teszek semmit sem

2011-03-03 20:01:25, csütörtök Riczu Péter feldolgozásában: http://gazdagret.naplopok.hu/ifi/letoltesek/HaNemTeszek_04M02_16.mp3 Túrmezei Erzsébet: Ha nem teszek semmit sem Most nem sietek, most nem rohanok, most nem tervezek, most nem akarok, most nem teszek semmit sem, csak engedem, hogy szeressen az Isten. Most megnyugoszom, most elpihenek békén, szabadon, mint gyenge gyerek, és nem teszek semmit sem, csak engedem, hogy szeressen az Isten. S míg ölel a fény és ölel a csend, és árad belém, és újjáteremt, míg nem teszek semmit sem, csak engedem, hogy szeressen az Isten, új gyümölcs terem, másoknak terem, érik csendesen erő, győzelem... ha nem teszek semmit sem, csak engedem, hogy szeressen az Isten.

Maradj a helyeden

Maradj a helyeden

2011-03-03 20:00:08, csütörtök Túrmezei Erzsébet: Maradj a helyeden Maradj a helyeden ahol Isten látni akar! Ő tudja mi használ, s mi fenyeget, elrejt, ha kell, be is takar! Maradj a posztodon! Ott a helyed. Ha elfogadtad, amit ő ígért, a legjobb dolog: hinni! Az Ő szent lényét sérti a ,,miért", és a te Igéd: bízni! Maradj a helyeden, ha fárasztó is, és a feladat nehéz, az Úr ismeri szíved titkait, Ő rád szeretettel néz. A világ csak kínoz és elárul, fordítsd el tőle arcod! Az Úr irgalmán szíved elámul, csak Őt dicsérje hangod! Krisztus Megváltód! Ő a Vezéred, ha nehéz úton vezet, tanítja az engedelmességet, s életed boldog lehet! Ő már előre kiválasztotta, utad merre vezessen, lépésről lépésre eléd hozza! Te maradj a helyeden! ...... ........... ........... ......

Als Pelgrims Onderweg -- ter bemoediging in 2011

Van een goede vriend ontving ik de volgende bemoediging...

 

Als pelgrims onderweg

Het ondernemen van een pelgrimstocht

is een manier om weer contact te

krijgen met de wortels van je leven. Zo

is pelgrimeren naar Santiago de Compostella

populair: in Haarlem is vanouds

een vertrekpunt, waar vandaag

de dag ook een pelgrimstocht per fiets

start (bij het voormalige Sint Jacobs

Godshuis in de Hagestraat; een

ANWB-bord vermeldt: Santiago de

Compostella 2375 km)!

 

Lees verder: http://www.josdouma.nl/bronwater/Bronwater%2020070114.pdf.

Filmpje "Messah tijdens lunch" grote hit

filmpje_‘messiah_tijdens_lunch’_grote_hit[1]

Steinbach József karácsonyi gondolatai

The Parable of the Bamboo Tree

Have you heard or read this story before? It’s an African parable by Emmaus-Katigamu. I first heard it in 1978 at a large mission conference in the Netherlands, specifically focusing on the call to mission. Especially nowadays, I can’t think of my ministry without this story popping to the forefront of my mind.

Bitter-sweet – but I can’t see another path, and no example in the Bible affords one. Whether Joseph (13 years in slavery and prison), Moses (40 years on the backside of the desert), David (14 years on the run, living in caves) or Paul (sent home to cool off for a couple years before going out on his first missionary journey)… All were processed.

The Apostle was able to write:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us… Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. – 2 Corinthians 4:7, 16

Read more: http://www.scribd.com/full/32089869?access_key=key-20t3wck5a9ialsjxyp2u

Mentoring young people - Wybe Bijlsma

Dear Anne-Marie,

Visiting you was a delightful experience. Jean and I very much enjoyed meeting you, especially since you are such an enthusiastic and vibrant ambassador for our Lord. As you know, I amd very eager to mentor young people, particularly in the area of resilient relationship-formation and Christian worldview development.
Today I read the following commentary:

The vice-president of a large Christian university recently observed: "Students come here with a love for God in their hearts but their minds think like pagans!" Christian college students thinking like pagans? What would cause this administrator to make such a statement?
To answer this question, the Nehemiah Institute surveyed high school students nationwide to determine their worldview. Students were asked a number of questions relating to important issues of the day. How they responded would help researchers discover whether the young people viewed the issues of the day from a Biblical perspective or from a humanistic perspective.
The results revealed something that should be a wake-up call to Christian parents everywhere. The average score placed most of our Christian teens squarely within the secular humanist camp! Now keep in mind these young people were all members of evangelical churches. Most of them would tell you that they love Jesus. But when it comes to important cultural issues, they think like, well, pagans.

This is what I have observed many times: young Christians who want to serve God but whose mind has been inundated with a humanistic mentality, so they do not have a way of evaluating life from a Christian perspective. Getting young people to attend church is not good enough. We must find ways of captivating their hearts and minds fully for the Lord's service and instilling in them a Spirit-filled imagination and a will eagerly devoted to making our Lord's Kingdom of shalom become more visible in this world.
Anne-Marie, how can we fire up young Hungarians to become socially and culturally more relevant for multi-faceted Kingdom service? I'd like to think along with you in this regard. We need to mentor many talented young people who are willing to foster a robust Kingdom vision for the nations in many of their peers. There may be a cloud of despondency hanging over Hungary, but God's people must not sit down and lament by "the rivers of Babylon," but ought to ignite their Spirit-filled imagination to stir up the new life in Christ in the young people of Hungary and neighbouring countries.

May God keep on encouraging you, Anne-Marie.

Warm regards,
Wybe

There is hope!

Late afternoon it turned absolutely dark as heavy thunderstorms with gusting winds, rains, and hail hit the western part of Budapest where I live. It was frightening. I was not surpised to hear that the weather alarm was turned to red. And then, after an hour or so, out of the darkness a beautiful rainbow turned up, and shortly after the sun was shining again. Sometimes nature speaks so powerful! I was very encouraged, singing, trusting my Lord, that God will make a way... out of whatever difficulties we face!

Continuing Education for Pastors

Invitation

The Central and Eastern European Institute for Mission Studies („CIMS” / „KMTI”) of the Károli Gáspár Reformed University invites you herewith to a workshop and retreat to be held in April 2010, organized in co-operation with the local Church District of the Reformed Church in Hungary, as part of the Long Life Learning program for pastors.


SPIRITUAL DEPTH IN LIFE AND LEADERSHIP
Date: April 12th – 16th (from Monday till Friday).
Location: Budapest, CIMS / KMTI (Budapest, XI. ker. Kálvin tér 7, conference center on the 3rd floor)
Lecturer: Timothy C. Geoffrion, Ph.D (USA)
This 5 day workshop / retreat will be based on one of Tim’s recent publications „The Spirit-led leader: Nine Leadership Practices and Soul Principles” (Alban 2005).

A more detailed description can be downloaded from: http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B1ampV5iX-QtYTlmYzE2OTQtNTVlYi00MTc2LTkxOTktZTU5MzFlN2NlNmM1&hl=en

Deadline of application: March 29th, 2010.

The registration form can be downloaded from: http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AVampV5iX-QtZGRqd3Iyem1fNGdmNjZtZnQy&hl=en


Please see the enclosed material, including the application form for further details. Feel free to forward this email to all those who might be interested!

Further information and application:
at KMTI / CIMS
cims@kre.hu (Mrs. Mónika Józsa).

One Step at a time: A Pilgrim's Guide to Spirit-Led Living

One Step at a Time:
A Pilgrim’s Guide to Spirit-Led Living

Each year, tens of thousands of pilgrims walk el Camino de Santiago—the Way of St. James—a 500-mile route across northern Spain that has existed for over a thousand years. Tim Geoffrion, author of The Spirit-Led Leader, made this pilgrimage with his wife and teenage sons in 2006. He writes in One Step at a Time not about his own journey but about how God works in those who seek to be led by the Spirit. Using pilgrimage as a metaphor for the Spirit-led life, he offers his experiences, thoughts, and reflections as a catalyst for readers’ own spiritual pilgrimage—the lifelong journey of growth into the life Christ intends for us. Geoffrion has written so that readers can learn to recognize God’s activity in our lives, to live more fully in God’s love, to follow Jesus Christ according to our unique calling and purpose, and to let the Holy Spirit fill and lead us in every aspect of the journey.

One Step at a Time is for those who value spiritual vitality and growth enough to learn how to live Spirit-led lives. It is for those willing to invest sufficient time and energy into seeking and finding the spiritual treasures available to us. It is for those who are seeking to better root their lives in God and orient themselves around spiritual truths. Whether or not we ever travel a path like El Camino, we can each learn how to better walk our own spiritual pilgrimage, one step at a time.

Praise for the Book

“In this fine book, Timothy Geoffrion calls us all to be spiritual pilgrims whether we leave home or not. He suggests practical steps we can take as we engage the lifelong process of seeking an ever-deepening connection with God.” —Jane E. Vennard

 

Step by step prayer

Step By Step

 

He does not lead me year by year,

Nor even day by day,

But step by step my path unfolds;

My Lord directs my way.

Tomorrow’s plans I do not know.

I only know this minute;

But He will say, “This is the way,

By faith now walk ye in it.”

And I am glad that it is so,

Today’s enough to bear;

And when tomorrow comes, His grace

Shall far exceed its care.

What need to worry then, or fret?

The God who gave His Son

Holds all my moments in His hand

And gives them, one by one.

 

by Barbara C. Ryberg

 

 

 

"Do the next thing"

When feeling overwhelmed by too many tasks to do, I remind myself of a quote by Elisabeth Elliott: "Do the next thing", a variation on Ecclesiastes 3. I put it on my computer as a screensaver a month or so ago...

Do the Next Thing