Have a look at the figure below. According to an article in the Daily Maverick this is what South Africans need…. WORK!
Work, or the lack of work, is by far the single most pressing and overwhelming need for South Africans. Should an institution not take note of this, they will render themselves irrelevant. ATS and the church in general should carefully consider this need.
Continue readingDuring a recent email exchange between one of ATS’ support personnel and a Diploma student, the student wrote the following. We thought it is a wonderful example of the personal working of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life, and share it with permission of the student.
Continue readingThe dictum of Auckland Park Theological Seminary (ATS) is “Sanctified in Thy truth”. It dates back to around 1949 when Dr FP Möller (senior) created the first hand drawing of the logo. I have over the years often thanked the Lord for the dictum Dr Möller had chosen so many years ago as it still directs our path today. I have asked the Lord through his Holy Spirit to help us understand what this dictum means for a theological training institution within our present-day context of relativism (a belief that there is no truth – whatever you want to be true is true), fake news, and mass media.
In the article “A picture guide to good preaching”, one of the principles was that a sermon should be Christ-centric (or Christocentric).
Readers have asked us for more information on how to create a sermon that is Christ-centric. We have recorded a reading of the essay “Forgiveness – a Christ-centered perspective” to illustrate this principle in practice. You can read or listen to this essay to get a practical example of how to be Christ-centric.
We also have a second video example: “Aan wie se kant is God?” (apologies to our English readers – it’s only available in Afrikaans). In this example, a few ways that people try to use the Bible to promote their own agenda (similar to the “kapstok preek”) are mentioned, and then, in conclusion, an excellent Christ-centric position is made.
We trust that these examples will help you to better understand the principle of being Christ-centric.
Lastly, there is also the “Saviour – Sermon” test: a test of whether a sermon is Christ-centric or not, is when the congregation’s response afterwards is “What a Saviour!” rather than “What a sermon”.
Facilitation is a process where people gain new knowledge by participating in the Bible study rather that listening to information being presented by the ‘expert’ (be it the facilitator or pastor). It is a process where people learn by being actively involved in the process.
Facilitating is an art of providing the right stimulus to a group so that they participate fully in their own spiritual growth. The focus is therefore not on telling (preaching to) a group what to do, but rather on asking the right questions that will enable the group to “discover” truths and principles.
Facilitation is not teaching, not telling, not lecturing, not preaching, and not directing.
Facilitation is to provide the resources and the structure for group members to explore, learn and develop.
Continue readingThe dominant wildebeest bull keeps to his defined territory. He finds a high point in this territory, and stands waiting for a herd of cows to enter his territory. I always feel so sorry for this poor animal standing lofty and alone, waiting and waiting…
Continue readingThe question this article focusses on is: Is baptism with the Holy Spirit accompanied by speaking in tongues? A second question that necessarily accompanies the previous one is: what is the sense of speaking in tongues? The answer to these two questions may highlight the wonder and power of baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The question is not about: does the believer, who does not have the experience of speaking in tongues, have the Holy Spirit? By the very nature of what a believer is, all believers (they have accepted Jesus after all) have the Holy Spirit in their lives. From biblical perspective, there cannot be a person who has accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour without the working of the Holy Spirit in his life. How else would Jesus be present and active in his life? If a believer could be without the Holy Spirit, then it could also be asked whether a born-again person is without the first person in the Trinity, the Father? Indeed, it concerns the question of the triune God’s presence in a believer’s life. After all, we read: “… for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13). The assumption is that in everything it is God who works through his Spirit in a born-again person.
Continue readingDie vraag waaroor hierdie artikel gaan, is: gaan die doop in die Heilige Gees gepaard met die spreek in tale? ’n Tweede vraag wat noodwending hiermee saamgaan, is: wat is die sin van die spreek in tale? Die antwoord op dié twee vrae mag die wonder en krag van die doop in die Heilige Gees na vore laat kom.
Die vraag gaan nie oor: het die gelowige, wat nie die ervaring het om in tale te praat nie, wel die Heilige Gees? Uit die aard van wat ’n gelowige is, het alle gelowiges (hulle het immers vir Jesus aangeneem) die Heilige Gees in hulle lewens. Vanuit die Bybelse waarheid kan daar nie ’n persoon wees wat Jesus as sy persoonlike saligmaker aangeneem het, sonder die werking van die Heilige Gees in sy lewe nie. Hoe anders sou Jesus teenwoordig en werksaam in sy lewe wees? Indien ’n gelowige sonder die Heilige Gees sou wees, kan selfs gevra word of ’n weergebore persoon sonder die eerste persoon in die Drie-eenheid, die Vader, is? Dit gaan inderdaad om die vraag oor die Drie-enige God se teenwoordigheid in ’n gelowige se lewe. Ons lees immers: “… want dit is God wat julle gewillig en bekwaam maak om sy wil uit te voer” (Fil 2:13). Die aanname is dat God al die pad deur sy Gees in ’n weergebore persoon werksaam is.
Continue reading‘n Reeks oor die huwelik en gesin, aangebied deur prof Jan Hattingh.
Continue readingThis article is part of BIG Change.
The economy is a living organism with millions of connections between large, medium, and tiny nodes, in essence it boils down to over 55 million interconnected individuals. Fifty-five million individuals that come together in this country to trade in skills and time. People who want to gain value, and who want to improve their own lives and the lives of others through mutually-beneficial transactions.” ~ Chris Hattingh, about South Africa’s economy (BizNews).
The economist and philosopher Friedrich Hayek explains this complexity as a system that no one can possibly get a mental grasp on. We cannot begin to truly understand this organisation and connection of millions of nodes, and therefore it is an order that no one can possibly control.
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