SCRIPTURE
13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
OBSERVATION
Throughout the Book of Corinthians, Paul talks about all of the false prophets that the people were following. What they were saying was smooth and may have seemed logical but was not consistent with God's Word. What happened? Did the false prophets start off being false? Did they intend to serve Satan instead of God? Surely, not all of them started their journey to deliberately mislead people. More likely, they were excited about the word of God, began to preach about it, and eventually became so confident in their knowledge that they "crossed the line," became arrogant, and stopped seeking the guidance of God.
APPLICATION
In the Children's Ministry, we are being trusted to teach children the Word of God. As a curriculum team and as teachers, we need to make sure that we are checking our teachings so that they are consistent with the Bible and that we are listening to God for the messages he wants us to teach. Prayer and discussion with God-seeking individuals about our teaching plans is so important to keep us from crossing the fine line between teaching God's message and teaching our message.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for cautioning us today about the great trust that we have been given to teach your young children. Please keep us humble, always seeking your message for the children, and always checking ourselves as we plan and teach. Keep us on your path, never crossing the line where we start believing our path of righteousness instead of yours. Thank you for allowing us to teach your children. We realize how much trust has been placed with us and ask you to help us steward that responsibility well, with love and always under your guidance. In your precious name, amen.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
EXAMINING RELATIONSHIPS. By Pastor Fernando
Scripture:
...You should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. for if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are drinking and eating God’s judgment upon yourself. 1 Corinthians 11:28-29
Observation:
The purpose of breaking bread and drinking the cup was to maintain a strong bond of unity within the body of Christ. That’s why the word “communion” was used as the people of God get together to remember the price Christ paid. The sacrifice of Jesus at the cross brings people together in a common union of harmony, sincere love, and respect. Every time that such communion is broken, intentionally or unintentionally, the members of the body become defiled and unworthy. Neither Jesus nor Paul intended to make the breaking of bread and the drinking of the cup a religious practice. They wanted it to be an opportunity to examine our relationships, to strengthen the bond of unity that our flesh makes so fragile, to restore severed relationships, and to bring honor to God in such a way.
Application:
I often find disturbing how many people take communion lightly. Many of us come to celebrate communion offended, or right after offending others. We eat the bread, we drink the cup, and we never stop to examine our relationships, just like Paul instructed us. Sometimes we celebrate communion when there is no common union with others in the body. Healthy and loving relationships is what makes the body of Christ, the church, completely unique. The bond of unity that the cross provides shouldn’t be taken for granted. Our flesh will always come along to sabotage our unity as brothers and sisters. Our fears, our insecurities, our bad habits, our poor people skills, and our sinful nature in general will continue attacking the unity that Christ paid for at the cross with His precious life. That’s why as we examine ourselves and our relationships, we honor Christ and His sacrifice as we receive and give forgiveness, as we restore relationships, and as we commit once again to be ONE harmonious body before the Lord.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the many times I have come to the Lord’s Table unprepared, unworthy, and with grudges towards a brother or sister in your body. Please make me aware of the dynamic purpose of coming together to examine our relationships and to restore anything our sinful nature has destroyed. Let us honor your sacrifice by the way we love each other. Amen!
...You should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. for if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are drinking and eating God’s judgment upon yourself. 1 Corinthians 11:28-29
Observation:
The purpose of breaking bread and drinking the cup was to maintain a strong bond of unity within the body of Christ. That’s why the word “communion” was used as the people of God get together to remember the price Christ paid. The sacrifice of Jesus at the cross brings people together in a common union of harmony, sincere love, and respect. Every time that such communion is broken, intentionally or unintentionally, the members of the body become defiled and unworthy. Neither Jesus nor Paul intended to make the breaking of bread and the drinking of the cup a religious practice. They wanted it to be an opportunity to examine our relationships, to strengthen the bond of unity that our flesh makes so fragile, to restore severed relationships, and to bring honor to God in such a way.
Application:
I often find disturbing how many people take communion lightly. Many of us come to celebrate communion offended, or right after offending others. We eat the bread, we drink the cup, and we never stop to examine our relationships, just like Paul instructed us. Sometimes we celebrate communion when there is no common union with others in the body. Healthy and loving relationships is what makes the body of Christ, the church, completely unique. The bond of unity that the cross provides shouldn’t be taken for granted. Our flesh will always come along to sabotage our unity as brothers and sisters. Our fears, our insecurities, our bad habits, our poor people skills, and our sinful nature in general will continue attacking the unity that Christ paid for at the cross with His precious life. That’s why as we examine ourselves and our relationships, we honor Christ and His sacrifice as we receive and give forgiveness, as we restore relationships, and as we commit once again to be ONE harmonious body before the Lord.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the many times I have come to the Lord’s Table unprepared, unworthy, and with grudges towards a brother or sister in your body. Please make me aware of the dynamic purpose of coming together to examine our relationships and to restore anything our sinful nature has destroyed. Let us honor your sacrifice by the way we love each other. Amen!
CROWD PLEASER. By Pastor Fernando
Scripture:
So Pilate, anxious to please the crowd, released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to crucify him. Mark 15:15
Observation:
Pilate was an insecure leader, unwilling to do the right thing if people would give him a hard time. He wanted to please the crowds above giving justice. He knew that Jesus was innocent and that the Jews were envious of Him. However, he made his decisions according to the flawed hierarchy of his values. Crowd pleasers make the worse decisions ever.
Application:
As a leader, I know the pressure that the crowd can bring to tilt decisions according to their preference. Especially in a culture where democracy is highly valued, people feel entitled to voice their opinion and manipulate leaders to do what the crowd wants. Many leaders protect their position and please the crowds. Other leaders protect their values and please their conscience. If I become insecure or if I start second-guessing what I know is right, the noise of the crowd will become louder and more important for me. Any moment that the hierarchy of my values change and places the will of the crowd above the will of God, I will certainly make decisions that I will regret bitterly. But when I make decisions, not to please crowd, but to please God, even if the decision is not highly successful, I will not live with regrets. My conscience will be clear and free from doubts.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, please help me to be secure in your calling, not in a position. Help me to walk in the integrity of my heart following your voice above the noise of the crowd. Help me to make decisions that are according to your will and acceptable in my conscience. Show me when I’m tilting towards the crowd and move me back to where there is solid ground. Let your glory shine in everything I do as a leader and as a follower of Jesus. Amen!
So Pilate, anxious to please the crowd, released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to crucify him. Mark 15:15
Observation:
Pilate was an insecure leader, unwilling to do the right thing if people would give him a hard time. He wanted to please the crowds above giving justice. He knew that Jesus was innocent and that the Jews were envious of Him. However, he made his decisions according to the flawed hierarchy of his values. Crowd pleasers make the worse decisions ever.
Application:
As a leader, I know the pressure that the crowd can bring to tilt decisions according to their preference. Especially in a culture where democracy is highly valued, people feel entitled to voice their opinion and manipulate leaders to do what the crowd wants. Many leaders protect their position and please the crowds. Other leaders protect their values and please their conscience. If I become insecure or if I start second-guessing what I know is right, the noise of the crowd will become louder and more important for me. Any moment that the hierarchy of my values change and places the will of the crowd above the will of God, I will certainly make decisions that I will regret bitterly. But when I make decisions, not to please crowd, but to please God, even if the decision is not highly successful, I will not live with regrets. My conscience will be clear and free from doubts.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, please help me to be secure in your calling, not in a position. Help me to walk in the integrity of my heart following your voice above the noise of the crowd. Help me to make decisions that are according to your will and acceptable in my conscience. Show me when I’m tilting towards the crowd and move me back to where there is solid ground. Let your glory shine in everything I do as a leader and as a follower of Jesus. Amen!
Monday, November 3, 2008
SUSTAINED BY PRAYER. By Pastor Fernando.
Scripture:
He went down a little farther and fell face down on the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father, ” he said, “everything id possible for you. Please tale this cup of suffering away from me. Yet, i want your will , not mine.” Mark 14:35-36
Observation:
Jesus knew his calling to go through the cross in order to fulfill God’s plan for humanity. No other human being could do this! That’s why Jesus took human form in order to get it done. However, doing the will of the Father wasn’t easy. Horror and distress filled his heart to the point of exhaustion. That’s why Jesus goes to seek God and be sustained in prayer. In the realm of prayer Jesus found focus, strength, and determination. He found a place where surrendering to the will of God was everything. And during his most difficult moments, jesus is always found talking to God, surrounded and sustained by prayer.
Application:
When hard times come we need to seek the presence of God like never before. In the realm of prayer we can find sustain that neither hard work, nor entertainment, nor hobbies bring. It’s in prayer that we find focus to deal with the storms we face in a daily basis. The key is to rely in God through meaningful and humble prayer. All of us walking with Christ will face tough times. We will be distressed, scared, and sometimes unwilling to follow God’s will. That’s why we need the strength that genuine prayer provides. Also as a minister, I signed up consciously to a lifestyle of constant self-sacrifice where people will criticize, mock, undermine, attack, and sometimes, hurt. Currently I’m facing a series of misunderstandings with someone I consider a dear friend. The more I try to make things right, the more I discover that my friend is hurt and for some reason he cannot embrace restoration. This kind of incidents drain me emotionally. I’m also dealing with a younger brother in the faith that has been receptive to a form of heresy. This false teaching is coming from another gentleman that seems to not have the fruit of the Spirit in his life. I need to confront clearly both the younger man that seems so gullible and the other man that seems so confused. In all this, I need to do this sustained by prayer.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, I have a real need to be sustained in prayer. I don’t want to deal with all these situations that come with the territory, but not my will, but your will be done in my life. Please give me wisdom and discernment to make confident decisions. Give me grace to respond to these situations with grace and with conviction. Please sustain me during this season as I seek for your strength in prayer. I love you Lord and I depend on you. Amen!
He went down a little farther and fell face down on the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father, ” he said, “everything id possible for you. Please tale this cup of suffering away from me. Yet, i want your will , not mine.” Mark 14:35-36
Observation:
Jesus knew his calling to go through the cross in order to fulfill God’s plan for humanity. No other human being could do this! That’s why Jesus took human form in order to get it done. However, doing the will of the Father wasn’t easy. Horror and distress filled his heart to the point of exhaustion. That’s why Jesus goes to seek God and be sustained in prayer. In the realm of prayer Jesus found focus, strength, and determination. He found a place where surrendering to the will of God was everything. And during his most difficult moments, jesus is always found talking to God, surrounded and sustained by prayer.
Application:
When hard times come we need to seek the presence of God like never before. In the realm of prayer we can find sustain that neither hard work, nor entertainment, nor hobbies bring. It’s in prayer that we find focus to deal with the storms we face in a daily basis. The key is to rely in God through meaningful and humble prayer. All of us walking with Christ will face tough times. We will be distressed, scared, and sometimes unwilling to follow God’s will. That’s why we need the strength that genuine prayer provides. Also as a minister, I signed up consciously to a lifestyle of constant self-sacrifice where people will criticize, mock, undermine, attack, and sometimes, hurt. Currently I’m facing a series of misunderstandings with someone I consider a dear friend. The more I try to make things right, the more I discover that my friend is hurt and for some reason he cannot embrace restoration. This kind of incidents drain me emotionally. I’m also dealing with a younger brother in the faith that has been receptive to a form of heresy. This false teaching is coming from another gentleman that seems to not have the fruit of the Spirit in his life. I need to confront clearly both the younger man that seems so gullible and the other man that seems so confused. In all this, I need to do this sustained by prayer.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, I have a real need to be sustained in prayer. I don’t want to deal with all these situations that come with the territory, but not my will, but your will be done in my life. Please give me wisdom and discernment to make confident decisions. Give me grace to respond to these situations with grace and with conviction. Please sustain me during this season as I seek for your strength in prayer. I love you Lord and I depend on you. Amen!
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