Wool Monsoon Jasmine - Wool Rugs @ The Natural Rug Store
Home » Classic Collection » Wool Rug
Wool Monsoon Jasmine Rug
Inner: Wool - Monsoon / Jasmine
Border: Cotton Herringbone / Ecru
Luxury Wool Monsoon Jasmine Rug Oorsig van Modules — Dissipelskap
Oorsig van Modules / Module Previews
Module 1 / 2 (Afrikaans)
Module 1 / 2 (English)
Module 3 / 4 (Afrikaans)
Module 3 / 4 (English)
Kliek op enige van die modules waarvan u die inleiding wil lees. Kliek daarna op die “tablet” en dan kan u met die muis op en af beweeg binne die “tablet om die inleiding te lees. Indien u op of af wil beweeg op die bladsy, kliek op die wit gedeelte van die bladsy, of herlaai die hele blad.
Een van die baie effektiewe maniere van dissipelskap wat in die kerk voor die Reformasie ontwikkel is, is die proses van geestelike begeleiding (spiritual direction). Ongelukkig het baie van die wysheid wat sodoende deur die kerk opgedoen is, mettertyd verlore geraak. Vandag is daar weer ŉ herontdekking van die waarde daarvan en word geestelike begeleiers (spiritual directors), weer oral deur kerke opgelei.
In die proses van geestelike begeleiding word daar van die veronderstelling uitgegaan dat God op pad is met elke mens. Elkeen van ons is op ŉ reis, ons is nie maar net toevallig waar ons is nie. Op hierdie reis is God besig om in ons lewens te werk en vir ons te probeer duidelik maak wat sy wil vir ons lewens is. Deur middel van geestelike begeleiding word mense dan begelei om te leer onderskei waarmee God besig is in hulle lewens. Die kuns van dissipelskap, soos ek dit sien, is dan ook niks anders as juis dit nie, om te leer onderskei waarmee God besig is in jou lewe.
Met hierdie modules van dissipelskap, wil ek graag mede gelowiges begelei om hierdie kuns te ontwikkel, om te kan raaksien en onderskei waarmee God in hulle lewens besig is. Wanneer mense leer om dit te doen, begin die lewe al hoe meer sin maak en begin mense ook hulleself en hulle eie rol hier op aarde beter verstaan. Om hiertoe te kan kom, is dit natuurlik van wesenlike belang om in ŉ lewende verhouding met God die Vader te leef van dag tot dag. ŉ Verhouding waarin en waardeur ek in toenemende mate God se Vaderliefde, sy goedheid, sy genade, sy omgee, sy versorging, sy troos, sy betrokkenheid by my lewe en sy leiding van dag tot dag leer ken en ervaar.
© Excerpt - Deon Loots
Die Identiteit van ŉ Dissipel
In hierdie deel van ons dissipelskapreis, gaan ons veral konsentreer op ons nuwe identiteit in Christus, en ons gaan kyk hoe gedragsverandering plaasvind. Ons het reeds in die begin al uitgewys dat ‘n mens se identiteit (jou beskouing van jouself), jou gedrag bepaal. Jy sal sien dat Anderson in sy boek in hoofstukke 2 en 3, veral baie maak van jou nuwe identiteit en soms klink dit asof jy maar net verstandelik tot die regte insig oor jou identiteit moet kom en dan sal alles verander.
Dit is ongelukkig nie so eenvoudig nie. Om te verstaan wat ons erfenis in Christus alles inhou, is natuurlik belangrik, maar daar is meer as net dit by verandering van gedrag betrokke. Dit gaan hier oor gedragspatrone wat moet verander wat oor jare heen aangeleer en ingeoefen is. Om dit werklik te verander, is meer as net die kennisname van ‘n klompie feite nodig. Daarom wil ons in hierdie sessie kortliks kyk na wat alles betrokke is by die proses van gedragsverandering.
Hierdie boek bestaan grootliks uit die deel van my eie meditasies en tyd met God. Dit wat ek ervaar het wat God met my uit sy Woord deel en wat Hy op my hart lê. Dit kom vanuit 'n periode van ongeveer twee jaar waarin my vrou behandel is vir beenmurg kanker. Dus, nie 'n maklike tyd nie. In die tyd het ek egter op 'n besondere manier en in groter mate, begin ervaar waarom ons net "een ding" nodig het. Die "een ding" is my voedingsaar, my behoud, my versorging, my antibiotika, my teenmiddel in 'n tyd wat ek dit baie nodig het!
Die bedoeling daarvan is dus nie om in die eerste plek "goeie Skrifuitleg of teologie" te wees nie. Dit is meer van 'n persoonlike aard en my belewenis van God se inspraak in my lewe. Dit mag dus dikwels gebeur dat 'n baie kritiese leser voel of sê dat die teks wat aangehaal word, iets heeltemal "iets anders" beteken of sê as wat ek daaroor deel.
Ek wil vra dat jy dan begrip daarvoor sal hê dat dit in mens se persoonlike tyd en omgang met God, oor meer gaan as net "verstaan en uitlê van die teks". Dit gaan oor jou lewe, en dit wat nou in jou lewe aan die gang is. Dit gaan oor hoe God vanuit sy Woord met jou werk en nie oor hoe jy met die Woord werk nie. Daarom is dit ook ietwat van 'n risiko om iets soos die met 'n groter gehoor te deel. Baie daarvan is baie persoonlik. Ek het dit wel ook in 'n mate verwerk sodat dit meer van toepassing kan wees op 'n groter gehoor.
Ek doen dit ook omdat ek agterkom dat dit juis die aspek van die lewe van 'n dissipel is, wat so baie kinders van die Here mis. Dit is iets wat hulle afskeep omdat hulle mos weet dat God goed is, en "sal verstaan" dat hulle nie daarby kan uitkom nie. So asof dit "'n guns sou wees wat hulle aan God doen, as hulle dit wel gedoen het".
Dit is so 'n ongelukkige en verkeerde siening van tyd met God spandeer. Niemand kan God 'n guns doen om tyd met Hom te spandeer nie. Hy doen ons 'n guns deur met ons te kommunikeer. Dit is ons wat skade lei, verarm en so baie mis as ons nie tyd met Hom spandeer nie.
Dan is daar 'n ander ontsaglike groot leuen wat baie mense glo, naamlik dat "my lewe nou so besig is dat ek net nie genoeg tyd het om by iets soos 'stiltetyd' uit te om nie." Dit gaan uit van die voorveronderstelling dat om tyd in te ruim om by God stil te word, jou iets gaan "kos". Dit gaan jou van jou "kosbare tyd" waar jy "iets meer nuttigs" kon doen, beroof. Dit gaan vir jou minder tyd gee vir jou werk of besigheid en dit kan jy nie nou bekostig nie!
Hierdie boek gaan oor gebed. Hou dit asseblief deurentyd in gedagte. Alles wat ek gaan bespreek en behandel, het ten doel om die ware aard en inhoud van gebed (soos ek dit verstaan), met jou te deel. Die doel is dan ook om jou te begelei om te leer bid. Daarmee wil ek nie voorgee dat jy nie alreeds weet wat gebed is of hoe om te bid nie. Ek glo net dat ons almal nog altyd meer kan leer oor gebed en wat dit alles inhou. Ek gaan dus gereeld vra dat jy eers vir ŉ paar oomblikke sal stilstaan om te bid. Al die stilword geleenthede sal met die volgende simbool aangedui word: . Mens leer immers net hoe om te bid deur self te bid.
Shâma‛, is die Hebreeuse woord vir “luister”. Dit word in die Bybel veral gebruik as ŉ oproep om na God te luister, om met aandag te luister sodat ons Goddelike wysheid en insig kan bekom. Met ander woorde: dit is ŉ oproep tot gebed.
As ons dan oor gebed praat, is dit belangrik dat ons presies verstaan met wie ons te doen het, of met wie ons in gemeenskap gaan, wanneer ons bid. Ons almal wat kinders van God is, glo dat ons met God self praat wanneer ons bid. Ek dink egter nie dat ons altyd goed verstaan wat dit alles inhou as ons sê dat ons “met God” praat of gemeenskap het nie. Dit gaan vir my daaroor dat ons kennis van God baie gebrekkig is. Baie van ons mag dalk ŉ redelike klompie kop-kennis van God hê, maar dan nog altyd baie min ervaringskennis van wie Hy werklik is. Ervaringskennis van God word volgens my siening net deur ware en intieme gebed, deur gemeenskap met God opgedoen.
Hierdie “egte kennis” van God, kennis deur ŉ verhouding, is nie iets wat mens kan opdoen deur baie te lees of deur baie tyd met God te spandeer tot op ŉ punt dat jy voel da jy Hom nou “goed ken” nie. Om kennis van God op te doen, is nie iets waarmee mens kan “klaarkry” nie, want God is net so onbegryplik groot en heerlik, dat Hy ver bo die begrip van ons beperkte, verstandelike vermoë uitstyg. Daarom sal ons, as ons leer om werklik te bid, ook nooit ophou om vir God beter te leer ken nie! Die oomblik as jy die gevoel het dat jy nou alreeds vir God ken, is jy in werklikheid op ŉ punt waar jy eintlik geen benul het van wie God is nie. Of as daar baie tyd verbygaan, sonder dat jy iets nuuts van God leer of van Hom ontdek het, is dit waarskynlik so omdat jy opgehou het om werklik te bid, om werklik in gemeenskap met God te leef. Terwyl jy in lewende gemeenskap met Hom leef, sal jou kennis van Hom deurentyd bly groei.
Daarom gaan ek ook die boek begin deur eers vir ŉ ruk lank na te dink oor wie God is. Wat is dit wat ons van Hom weet soos wat Hy Homself in die Bybel openbaar. Die Bybel staan immers ook bekend as die “openbaring van God”. Met ander woorde, dit is die primêre manier waarop God gekies het om Homself mee aan ons bekend te stel.
Die Roeping van ŉ Dissipel
In hierdie volgende been van ons dissipelskap proses, wil ons jou graag verder op die pad van navolging van Christus begelei. In Modules 1 en 2 het ons baie aandag aan jou persoonlike verhouding met God gegee. In Modules 3 en 4 wil ons jou graag help om jou eie unieke roeping in God se koninkryk beter te verstaan en ook te begin uitleef (as jy dit nog nie doen nie).
Die pad van dissipelskap begin altyd met die uitnodiging om Hom te volg. Daardie eerste tyd van navolging is dan ‘n tyd waarin ons net volg, kyk, leer, luister, oplet, vra vrae en sit aan sy voete. Dit is presies ook wat die dissipels gedoen het vir drie en ‘n half jaar lank. Gedurende hierdie tyd gee die Here wel soms vir ons kleiner werkies om te doen (soos Hy ook vir sy dissipels gegee het). Ons kan dit sien as in-diens-opleiding. Daar sal egter ‘n tyd kom waar ons al duideliker sal begin hoor: “Soos die Vader my gestuur het, stuur Ek julle ook.” (Joh. 20:21).
In hierdie module gaan ons eers kyk na die pad wat God met Israel in die Ou Testament geloop het. In hierdie verhaal is daar baie waardevolle beginsels van dissipelskap opgesluit. Ons leer ook baie van roeping en dienswerk deur te kyk na hoe God toe al mense geroep en gebruik het. Ons sien ook alreeds in die Ou Testament dat die hart van dissipelskap uit 'n intieme verhouding tussen God en mens bestaan, 'n verhouding waarin Hy ons God wil wees en ons uitnooi om sy gehoorsame kinders te wees.
Die Bediening van ŉ Dissipel
Welkom by die volgende fase van die dissipelskap proses. My gebed is werklik dat jy in hierdie fase nader sal kom aan die punt waar jy duidelikheid kry oor jou spesifieke roeping hier op aarde. Onthou, jy is nie maar sommer net hier nie, jy is met ’n doel hier. God wil jou gebruik in sy koninkryk. Hierdie module is spesifiek daarop afgestem om jou te help om te onderskei waar en hoe God jou wil gebruik. Natuurlik kan ons net riglyne gee. Jy sal dit self moet toepas en in jou verhouding met die Vader moet uitvind wat dit vir jou beteken om jou roeping in die praktyk van elke dag uit te leef.
Veral van belang in die module, is die “Rigtingwyser retraite” wat gehou sal word. Dit gebeur tydens ’n naweek waar ons jou baie meer spesifiek wil help om, onder leiding van die Heilige Gees, te onderskei presies hoe en waar God jou wil gebruik. Tydens die naweek gaan ons kyk na jou visie, jou persoonlikheidstyl en jou gawes. Maar nog meer as dit, ons gaan nie net vir jou help om jouself beter te verstaan nie, ons wil vir jou die geleentheid gee om by God stil te raak om te hoor wat op sy hart vir jou is. Daar is immers ’n rede waarom Hy aan jou ’n visie, ’n bepaalde tipe persoonlikheid en sekere gawes gee.
Hy wil jou as instrument in sy koninkryk gebruik. In voorbereiding vir die retraite, gaan ons jou nou al help om belangrike aspekte van jou roeping en gawes te onderskei. Daarvoor het ons ŉ Rigtingwyser bladsy op bladsy 150 sodat jy elke keer daar kan aantekeninge maak van dit wat vir jou duidelik word. Doen dit asseblief – dit sal jou baie help met die onderskeidingsproses.
Prior to the Reformation, one of the very effective ways of discipling that the church developed was the process of spiritual direction. Sadly much of the wisdom that the church acquired in this way, was gradually lost. Presently there is a rediscovery of the value that spiritual direction has, and as a result, spiritual directors are once again being trained in churches.
The point of departure within the process of spiritual direction is that God is on a journey with every person. It is not mere co-incidence that we happen to be where we are. On this journey God is at work in our lives trying to clarify what His will is for our lives. It is through spiritual direction that people are directed to learn to discern what God is doing in their lives. In my view, the art of discipleship is just that; learning to discern what God is doing in your life.
With these modules of discipleship, I want to guide fellow believers to develop this art of seeing and discerning what God is doing in their lives. Once people learn to do this, life begins to make more sense and people are able to better understand not only themselves but the role that they have on earth as well. To arrive at this point, it is of course crucial to have a living relationship with God the Father every day; the kind of relationship in and through which I increasingly come to know and experience the love of the Father, His goodness, His grace, His care, His nurturing, His comfort, His involvement in my life and His guidance.
This relationship commences when I respond to the invitation that Jesus extends: “Follow me”. As with His first disciples, I am invited to walk with Him. His first disciples responded to this calling by literally leaving everything and simply going with Him. During this time they did not do a lot for Him. They simply followed Him wherever He went. While doing it, they observed Him, listened to Him, and learnt from Him, got to know Him, spent time with Him, spoke to Him, looked at what He did and how He did it. In this way they were “trained” to become like Him, having the same values and convictions. After almost three years of training Jesus sent them out to, in turn, make disciples of others or, put differently, to direct others to live in the same manner.
I believe with all my heart that the road of Discipleship follows the same route even today. When we begin to follow Him, we must at first just follow, listen, watch, observe, converse, spend time and learn and learn and learn yet again. We must simply just be with Him, come to know Him and admire Him, learn to think like him, how He sees people, how He views the world, what His values and convictions are, so that we too can make these our own. It is the only way we are going to be able to discern what God is doing and what He is doing in each of our lives. If we are faithful in doing this we will also one day hear: “as the Father sent me, so I am sending you.”
In this part of our discipleship journey, we are going to pay particular attention to our new identity in Christ and we are going to focus on how change in our behaviour takes place. We have already pointed out that a person’s identity (your view of yourself) has a direct effect on how you behave. You will see that in chapters 2 and 3 of his book, Anderson emphasises your new identity to the extent that it seems that you just have to come to a correct understanding of your identity and everything else will change. Unfortunately, it’s not so simple. Understanding what our inheritance in Christ is all about is important but there is more involved in changing our behaviour. We are talking about behavioural patterns that have been acquired and reinforced over the years. To truly change one needs more than just knowledge of a few facts. Therefore, in this session we will briefly look at what the process of changed behaviour entails.
Up to this point we have learnt much about our desires, our masks, our behaviour and ourselves. One thing that should be clear is that our behaviour needs to change if we are to become more Christ-like. Many of us often try hard to change ourselves, but we don’t succeed. It is however not surprising! Our own attempts at changing ourselves, generally result in us wearing masks. In other words, it is merely pretence without any real inner change. This shouldn’t surprise us because it’s only the Spirit of God that can change and renew us inwardly. This is precisely what is needed – a change from the inside. Read 2 Cor. 3:18 to confirm this.
You may be asking yourself whether you have any responsibility with regard to the needed change. Yes, you do have a responsibility. Earlier we pointed out that our responsibility is taking time to spend in God’s presence because it is his presence that changes us. It is when we spend time with God that his Spirit has the opportunity to change us from within.
The greatest damage to our personhood is caused to our inner world; deep within our inner being. It is here where the enemy succeeds in robbing us of our identity in Christ. He causes us to doubt our value as people; questioning the image that others have of us; whether we are acceptable or not; whether we can truly be forgiven for all our wrong doing; whether or not we are good enough as human beings. A person such as this, in effect, is actually then doubting their true identity.
The Calling of a
With this next leg of the discipleship process, we would like to further direct you on the journey of following Christ. In Modules 1 and 2 we focussed specifically on your personal relationship with God. In Modules 3 and 4 we would like to help you better understand your unique calling within the kingdom of God and how to walk within your calling (if you are not yet doing so).
The journey of discipleship always begins with the invitation to follow Him. During the initial stages of this walk we merely follow, observe, learn, listen, pay attention, ask questions and sit at His feet. This is exactly what the disciples did for a period of three and a half years. It is during this time that the Lord sometimes gives us smaller tasks to perform (in the same way that He also did with His disciples). We might view this stage as ‘in service training’. However, the time will come when we will come to hear more clearly: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21).
In this module we are first going to take a look at the path that God walked with the Israelites in the Old Testament. Many valuable principles regarding discipleship are locked up in this story. Furthermore, by looking at how God then already called and involved people, we are able to learn much about calling and service. We then already see reflected in the Old Testament, what lies at the heart of discipleship: an intimate relationship between God and mankind; a relationship in which He desires to be our God and we are invited to become His obedient children.
God therefore does not call us simply to go to heaven one day, while we build our own little kingdoms as we see fit in the meantime. No, we are called as disciples (pupils and followers), who learn from Him what really matters in life, so that we can be His representatives on earth. Then a time will come when He will send us to do the work that He has prepared for us (Eph. 2:10). This work could encompass anything.
To some it may mean that they continue working where they are at the moment, with the only difference being a new approach and commission; the difference would be that they realise that they are in their current circumstances with a specific purpose, i.e. to be a representative of the King of the universe. To others it may mean that they need to quit their jobs and do something totally different because the King needs them in another place. Whatever it may entail, of one thing I am certain: When you embark on the journey of discipleship in which you are getting to know God for who He truly is, you won’t want anything else for your own life besides that to which He is calling you. It will no longer pose a threat to you but will bring you only excitement and joy.
In the second half of the manual our aim is to specifically guide you in a direction that will bring you closer to the point where you realise where it is that the King needs you and wants to involve you. We will therefore be discussing what it truly means when we say that each of us has a specific calling and what it means to be sent.
Welcome to the next phase of the Discipleship process. My prayer is that through this you will come closer to getting clarity on what your specific calling is here on earth. Remember, you don’t just happen to be here; you are here for a purpose. God wants to involve you in His kingdom. This module has been structured specifically to help you discern where and how God wants to involve and use you. We can naturally only give guidelines. You will need to apply them and in your relating to the Father, establish what this calling entails specifically for you.
Of importance in this module is the “Direction Indicator Retreat” that will be presented. It takes place over a weekend where, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we want to assist you to discern and discover more specifically, where and how God wants to involve and use you. During this weekend we look at your vision, your personality style and your gifts. Moreover, we are not only going to help you to better understand these things, we want to give you the opportunity to become quiet before God to hear what is on His heart for you. After all, there is a reason why He has given you a vision, a particular personality and specific gifts. He wants to use you as an instrument in His kingdom.
In essence Discipleship is about us following Christ, listening to His voice so that we eventually get to the place where He can also actively send us out into His kingdom and use and involve us according to His intention and purposes. For every person that discovers this and who lives his life accordingly, a complete new way of living opens up here on earth; a very exciting way of living; a way of living that is full of surprises, full of hope, full of new life where he is able to become fully part of the working and plan of the incredible, creative and loving God that we serve.