Transfered from the other blogspot

Note: I am discontinuing the other blogspot to focus on this one. These lessons have been transferred there. That blogspot will cease to exists when all the contents have been transferred to this blogspot.
Counseling lesson # 2:
UNDERSTANDING AND HANDLING OUR EMOTIONS
A Series Leading To Biblical Counseling
Lesson 2

Gen 4:1-16
4:1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man." 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" 10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." 13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 15 But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. NIV

Discussion:
1. Identify the characters in the story and their relationship with each other.
2. The crime of Cain: what was it exactly?
3. Take note and find out how crime started. Can you identify the specific issues that transformed Cain from being a brother to a brother’s murderer? What conclusions do you think Cain made about his situation?
4. In a “counseling” situation, God helped Cain understand what he was going through. What, according to God, was the explanation for rejection of his offering?
5. What was Cain’s punishment? Can you explain this punishment in terms of its impact on the social image of Cain?
6. What was one thing that Cain was afraid of after he heard what the punishment was?
7. How can we prevent a Cain-like emotions in our own life?


Remember the relationship between: Mental conclusion, emotions and Action. Apply this in the case of Cain and his crime.

Heb 11:4. By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. (NIV)

Now, let’s try to “Counsel” Cain (Payuhan natin si Cain). If you were there and talking to Cain while he was clearly showing disturbed emotions, what would you have said to him or what questions would you have asked or encouragement that you have given to him?

SOME BEAUTIFUL DOCTRINES/ TEACHINGS YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS:
1. In verse 1, there is teaching about the morality and spirituality of marriage, can you find it? (clue: It is an implicit and not an explicit teaching).
2. In verses 4 and 5, we find God looked with favor upon Abel and his offering but did not look with favor upon Cain and his offering. What is the difference between these statements: “ Abel was God’s favorite” and “ God looked with favor upon Abel and his offering?”
3. In verses 6 and 7, God asked a series of questions. Since God is all-knowing, He could not have asked these questions in order to acquire information. Here is wisdom about how to use a question. Do you know what this question is called?
4. In verse 8, ask a pair of questions (as many you can make). The first question uses WHAT and the paired question uses WHY. The second question uses WHERE as its first question and the paired questions is WHY. The third pair uses WHAT for the first question and uses WHY as the other question.
4.1. First pair of questions: What- why
4.2. Second Pair of questions: Where- Why
4.3. Third Pair of Questions: What-Why

5. The “brother’s keeper” concept is found in verse 9. The core ideas of the “Brother’s Keeper” concept are:
You know where your family member is.
You know the condition of your family member.
You have done whatever was necessary to ensure the welfare of your family member.
Question: Can you say yes to all these 3 statements? (Praise God). If not, why not?
6. The word STIGMA is not mentioned in the story but it is clearly there. Can you find it?

Important lessons:
They say that anger is our response to perceived threat or pain. If you note the word PERCEIVE, you would notice that it has something to do with the thinking rather than the feeling part of our life. This is a simple truth that we all must and can learn to help us in anger management. Here is how we should understand anger: It has 3 parts of components:

INTELLECTUAL ANGER: Anger begins with our intellectual conclusion. When we conclude that we have been betrayed or taken advantaged of, we naturally judge it as wrong and we judge it REALLY wrong because it is directed at us.

EMOTIONAL ANGER: Our intellectual conclusion triggers emotional response so we FEEL our anger. Emotions can be contained but many times they are difficult to contain so we generate the third component.

BEHAVIORAL ANGER: When we make intellectual conclusion, we start feeling something in relation to our conclusions. Naturally, our emotions would want to find a release- thus there is an urge to do something about it to express it. Anger then gets expressed as behavior.

Note: Behavioral expression or acting out our emotions can either soften or harden our emotions. When what we do hardens our emotions, we become MORE GALIT and so we make more conclusions which, in turn, will cause to seek to have more expressions of our emotions.

It is then important to handle our emotions by dealing with the perception or intellectual conclusions that generate our emotions. That is why God asked Cain to focus on the WHY of his anger. Our behavior is generated and dependent on our emotions. Our emotions are generated and dependent on the intellectual conclusions that we make. When we positively change our intellectual conclusions, our emotions are also positively changed and finally, our behavior will also change for the better.
Posted by Pastor Doy at 1:49 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Friday, October 2, 2009
A PRAYER MEDITATION:Facing The Pain Of Ondoy’s Afflictions And The Threats Of Parma And Melor
Let us read the text for our first meditation: “Ps 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

Let us learn the lessons from the text:
A dwelling place describes the home and the comfort that such a home brings. But, the dwelling place is more than a home. The word MAOWN (translated as Dwelling place) is the habitation of God. That is the place of His special presence. We are in His special presence for He is our dwelling place.

Let us respond in prayer: “Lord, we thank You that You are not only our God but You are also our dwelling place. We thank You for the comfort that the name Dwelling Place brings. We are reminded that it means we live in your presence, inside the walls of Your love and protection and under the roof of your grace. You are our Dwelling Place. We are grateful. Help us to face these calamities and threats with courage.”

Let us read the text for our second meditation: Luke 8:24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters ; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

Let us learn the lessons from this text:
The presence of the Lord is our comfort but the presence is never intended to give a false picture of a trouble-free life. The Lord was with the disciples but they were still threatened by strong wind and raging waters. They were in danger. Note the lessons: 1: The Presence of the Lord is ours because we belong to Him. 2: The Presence of the Lord does not guarantee the absence of threats and dangers. 3: The Presence of the Lord guarantees divine intervention. He rebuked the wind and it quieted down.

Let us respond in prayer: Lord Jesus, this passage reminds us of the reality that your presence is our comfort but Your presence was never meant to guarantee a trouble-free life but a life where divine intervention is available at the right time. You are able Lord and You can rebuke the wind. We pray that You would consider rebuking the winds of Parma and Melor and please order then to quiet down, dissipate and leave us in peace. We are grateful for your presence.

Let us read the text for our third meditation: Isa 54:7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. 8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer. 9 "To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. 10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”

Let us learn the lessons: The love of God is eternal but there are brief moments when we cannot feel the love of God. This happens when we offend Him in an arrogant manner and try to live our lives our way. This generates the so-called BRIEF MOMENTS OF ABANDONMENT. There are- as there have been, momentary hiding of His face. But let us be comforted by these lessons: 1. His love for us is everlasting. That will not change. 2: His brief moments of abandonment are just that: brief moments. Repentance ends those brief moments quickly. 3: His promise is clear: His unfailing love for us will not be shaken and His covenant of peace will not be removed.

Let us respond in prayer: Our Father, we know we have offended you many times and in many ways. During times when our lives were not threatened by dangers and calamities, we dishonored you by our failure to recognize You as the source of all our blessings. We managed our lives our way. Please forgive us. We are grateful to you that we experience brief moments of abandonment and not prolonged hiding of Your face. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Father, please speak to the winds of Parma and Melor to quiet down, dissipate and leave us alone in peace and in Your presence.

FINALLY: We are in God’s hand. Let us face this threat and let us rebuild our lives with unity and peace. God will listen to us.
Posted by Pastor Doy at 6:25 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Understanding and Handling our emotions (a series)
UNDERSTANDING AND HANDLING OUR EMOTIONS
(Introduction to Biblical counseling)

Introduction:
Everything you know and are aware of is called CONSCIOUSNESS OR AWARENESS. CONSCIOUSNESS has two parts: COGNITIVE (KNOWLEDGE) and EMOTION (FEELING).

CONSCIOUSNESS OR AWARENESS
Cognitive = totality of knowledge. Emotion- Trained feeling response to stimulating experience.

Question: Where did we get the contents of our CONSCIOUSNESS or AWARENESS?
Answer: Consciousness is the sum total of our EXPERIENCES and MEMORIES.

Question: What is the distinction between Experience and Memory?
Answer: Experience is everything we go through during our conscious state. After the experience is completed, it becomes memory.

Lesson 1: A good memory is a product of a good experience. A bad memory is a product of a bad experience. When Memory becomes disruptive, the process used to overcome it is usually called INNER HEALING.

Lesson 2: Although emotion is the feeling side of our experience, it is usually a product of the cognitive part of our Awareness. In simple English, it means that our feelings trace their roots from our knowledge.

Lesson 3: Emotions may be one of 3 types: primitive, developed, and disciplined. Primitive emotion does not require much knowledge (the bonding of the mother and offspring among animals); the developed type is a product of accumulated experiences while disciplined emotion is a product of careful and intentional training. Is love in human courtship primitive, developed or disciplined emotion?

Lesson 4: The more common emotions are the following: Acceptance, Affection, Aggression, Ambivalence, Anger, Apathy, Anxiety, Compassion, Depression, Disgust, Doubt, Ecstasy, Empathy, Envy, Embarrassment, Euphoria, Fear, Forgiveness, Frustration, Guilt, Gratitude, Grief, Happiness, Hatred, Hope, Horror, Hostility, Homesickness, Hysteria, Loneliness, Love, Paranoia, Pity, Pleasure, Pride, Rage, Regret, Remorse, Sadness, Shame, Suffering, Surprise, Sympathy

THE EMOTIONS FOR TODAY’S STUDY: ANGER AND HURT
Bible Passage For Study: Luke 15:11-32.
11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. 25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31 "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"

Summary of the story:
The father had two sons. The younger son took his share of the property, went away and wasted his wealth. He became very poor. The Older brother remained with the father and continued his hard work.

When the younger son became poor, he came back and his hope was that his father would take him only as a worker so he can eat. But the father saw him coming, embraced him and restored him to his status as a son. The father was not angry. The older brother came home in the midst of the celebration and became angry. Let’s try to understand the anger of the older son and the absence of anger on the part of the father.

Question 1: Did the younger son do something really wrong? What exactly did he do?
His crime or sin is called IMPROPER INDEPENDENCE or disrespect for the father expressed in 3 ways:
A. I don’t want parental intervention over how I should spend my money. I want my money.
B. I don’t want parental intervention over where I should go. I will go where I want to go.
C. I don’t want parental intervention over what I would do. I will do what I want to do.

Question 2: Look at the list of emotions above. What emotions do you think the younger son experienced when he asked for the money? What about during his difficult times?

Question 3: What made his restoration possible?
1. Realization. 2. Repentance 3. request to be forgiven

Question 4: What made the older son angry?
A. This tells you that the most common cause of anger is resentment .
B. The other reason for anger is the sense that what is happening is unfair.
C. The other reason for anger is the sense that one’s importance has not been rejected.

Question 4: Look at the list of emotions above. Which ones do you think the father experienced when the son left with such an attitude? Read verses 31 and 32.

Question 5: Apparently the father was not angry when he saw the son coming back. How do you explain this? Clue: one emotion is often aggravated or rendered powerless by another emotion.

Conclusion for today’s lesson:
From the cognitive side of our Awareness, we have developed a fairly refined set of STANDARDS or what is acceptable and not acceptable (Pamantayan). From the Cognitive side we have developed a list of what we consider as our NEEDS in life. Often, these are types of emotions. The cognitive and emotion will usually work together to generate the appropriate behavior.

Here is an explanation of the relationship of the 3- Knowledge, Emotions and Behavior. Step one: I get to know something from what I know that is not good (KNOWLEDGE). Based on what I know, I disapprove of what had happened. Step 2: As a consequence I feel bad (EMOTIONS). Step 3: Because I feel bad, I will want to express it in action (BEHAVIOR) Clearly, you cannot change your behavior without changing your emotions but you also cannot change your emotions without changing their cognitive roots.

Note: This is lesson one in a series. It is intended to benefit those who want to be a people-helper (counselor) using biblical and cultural models. If you are interested to study the series, please post a reply here indicating your intention. If not, I will not post the second and subsequent lessons.
Posted by Pastor Doy at 5:14 AM 2 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Doing Good
DOING GOOD
Introduction:
The Greek New Testament uses two important words which are both translated as GOOD in English. One is AGATHOS which describes that which is good because it is good in its character and also beneficial in its impact. Example: A Good tree (the tree is good) produces good fruit (impact). The other word is KALOS which describes that which is good in character but also good as beautiful, honorable and able to adjust to its circumstances. The distinction is simple: Agathos- good with a good or beneficial impact. Kalos- Good with a beneficial impact but is also beautiful (as in admirable)at the same time.

One verse uses both Agathos and Kalos: Luke 8:15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble (Kalos) and good (Agathos) heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Anything that you do must be both Agathos and Kalos.

What is the believer’s belief concerning good works or good deeds? The Lord Jesus tells us how we should view Good deeds or good works: Matt 5:16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
1. It is a command (respond by obedience),
2. It is a commitment (choose to make it happen).
3. It must have social visibility (that they may see).
4. It has an ultimate goal - with the glory God as the ultimate goal (glorify God your Father in heaven)

Paul explains why this is so: Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. We were created for GOOD WORKS and God prepared beforehand these good works beforehand for us.

From Galatians, we learn very specific principles and guidelines about doing what is good:

Gal 6:9 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

I- DOING GOOD WORKS IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE; IT IS VERY MUCH A MATTER OF OPPORTUNITY. While we have opportunity. Why not always possible? Good as beautiful, honorable, helpful or beneficial is not always possible. Some people who are not believers may not even want us near them when life is okay. They do not need anything beneficial from us because they are self-sufficient. But, during a calamity, the opportunity to do good opens up. The rich and the poor, when hit by something really hard, will need friends, comfort and our presence.
II- DOING GOOD HAS A SPECIFIC RULE: BELIEVERS FIRST AND THEN EVERYONE. All men but the household of faith first.
III- DOING GOOD HAS AN ENEMY: IT IS CALLED DONOR FATIGUE OR GOOD WORKS FATIGUE. It is also known as losing heart. The answer to this:
1. Decide that this is beautiful in God’s sight.
2. Determine the act that is really beneficial to the recipient. It brings joy.
3. Develop a system of doing this as a group because there is strength in doing this together.
Posted by Pastor Doy at 10:19 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Let me tell you about the birds and the brook
Title : LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE BROOK
Text : Read the entire 1 Kings 17
Summary : Sometimes we find ourselves in an I DON’T LIKE This SITUATION. We ask the question why.

Introduction:
This is a story that involves the birds and a brook. Elijah was one of the settlers of Gilead. Did you notice what it says? He was one of the settlers. What is a settler? Someone who has settled (in contrast with someone who live a nomadic or palipatlipat lifestyle). Elijah had, in other words, a fairly stable community life. What was Gilead like?

Gilead was a land blessed with sufficient rainfall (cooler than Tagaytay at 3,000 feet) and so vegetation grew quite well. It was thickly wooded that it served a hiding place for someone people. It also had a rich gracing land. It was also exporting the Balm of Gilead, a medicine that we do not much about but was a popular medical product in those days..

The point is that you wont’ want to leave Gilead. But, Elijah was called to leave Gilead to carry out a work of God. This is a true sacrifice on Elijah’s part but obedience is always sacrificial.

So Elijah went to the king. The message was not exactly encouraging. It was a judgment message: no ran. For a nation that depended on rain for its survival, it was a a rather harsh judgment. But, it was the message of God and Elijah had to deliver it. Then, after delivering the message, God told him to go and hide. GO AND HIDE! Yes, that is what told him. God and hide.

Some of the tings God does are not always logical by our standards and not always easy to understand. He was asked to go and hide alongside the Brook Cherith or as the NIV puts it,in Kerith ravine. What about his needs? the birds will bring him meat and bread and the brook supplied his water needs.
Why would a powerful God, in fact, omnipotent or all powerful, want his servant to hide from someone who is not God’s equal. That is the point of obedience; God does not have to be logical. To complicate matters, Elijah was a man of great fear and doubts. But Elijah must have done quite well for God rewarded him with an unusual reward; in fact two great rewards: He went up to heaven on a chariot of fire and he came back to earth during the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus.

What can we learn from Elijah’s BROOK CHERITH experience?

I- ELIJAH CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD WHICH WORD, SOUND, EVENT WERE CONSIDERED DIVINE REVELATIONS.
1. The word to go and hide seem impossible for God to say but Elijah understood that as words of the Lord so he obeyed. God and hide.
2. The sounds of the flapping wings was divine revelation concerning his provisions.
3. The sound of the brook and later its silence were both signs of God’s revelations.
Elijah’s skills was that he can easily identify which word, which sound and which event are God’s revelations. He was able to obey because he was able to distinguish clearly the will of God.
What about us? Can we distinguish when a newspaper report contains divine revelation or not? From the words of people around you, can you identify which one is divine revelation? From your pains, can you identify which ones are divine revelations?

II- ELIJAH UNDERSTOOD CLEARLY THE MEANING OF DIVINE TIMING. HE HONORED IT.
1) His literal confinement in a very lonely place simply means that his public ministry had to be done at another time. The brook Cherith experience must have been lonesome and completely against the usual wishes of Elijah but he accepted it and waited. Why? He understood divine timing.
2) His provisions from the bird was a lesson in humility and patience, traits that ll servants of God must learn with all their heart. Sometimes we want a problem solved right away but God has a different timing. Sometimes, we want a family situation resolved right away or a family member changed completely ASAP but God has His own timing. We need to learn to wait for God who alone has the perfect timing.

III- ELIJAH UNDERSTOOD THAT OBEDIENCE IS HIGHER THAN EMOTIONAL INCLINATIONS.

On the way to Sidon, God promised Elijah that a widow will provide for Him. Reaching Sidon, Elijah saw a widow too poor to have another meal. She was preparing for the last mean for her and the son. But, God had told Elijah that a widow will provide for him. How can a widow who is about to have the last supper provide for him? Of course, there was only one answer: If the widow provides for Elijah first, she will continue to have enough so she can continually supply Elijah’s needs. Asking the widow to make a bread for him first must have been emotionally disturbing but Elijah overruled his emotions and acted on obedience. The word you will provide so provide me with food. To ask for food from a starving woman was not selfishness as it seems appear but a test of Elijah’s degree of trust on God’s word. God did say that a widow will provide for him and this woman is a widow. To ask for blessings to those within his reach was the favor he asked from God. It was given. This is also our role in life. Food for the widow. Life for her son. Later, blessings on the land.

Kerith Ravine was the place that fully represents the truth that without God, we are nothing and there is really nothing that we can do.

Why do we have Kerith Ravines in life? For one, we need to be trained in wisdom.Also we need to be trained in obedience in the proper sense of the word. We are to obey without questioning the wisdom of God. Kerith Ravine offers nothing attractive but God told him” go and hide” so Elijah went and hid himself. Second, God allows a Kerith Ravine because we need to be trained in patience. Later in life Elijah would show indications of being impatient. God ordered him to a place where there is nothing at all that will and can happen. The greatest test of our patience is a lack of anything to do and the seeming meaninglessness of the whole thing. But God has said, go and hide so he hid himself and waited until God told him to get out of there. That is patience. Patience cannot be separated from obedience. In fact, only obedience will develop patience. Third, we need to be trained in DEPENDENCE. We tend to be the “I can do it” independent type of persons. We worship God but we sometimes manifest an “I can manage even without God’s help” attitude. If we become so self-supporting and self-managing then where is the glory of God?

Elijah was a man of great power. But before he can use those powers from God, he had to learn wisdom and the ability to discern God’s revelations. He had to learn OBEDIENCE, PATIENCE AND DEPENDENCE AND CONTROL OF EMOTIONS. May be you are going through your own Kerith Ravine experience. Be wise enough to know that a Kerith Ravine is a temporary experience. It is a training school where we learn OBEDIENCE, PATIENCE AND DEPENDENCE. But, not to worry, even while in Kerith Ravine, the brook will provide us with water and the ravens will provide our food. Sometimes your neighbor is the brook and sometimes he is the raven. God will provide.

To the WISE, OBEDIENT, PATIENT, DEPENDENT AND EMOTIONALLY CONTROLLED PERSON, God will reveal His wonderful plan and then we understand that our Kerith Ravine is nothing but a training institute so that we become productive, effective and submissive.

1 Kings 17

17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." 2 And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3 "Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 And it shall be that you shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there." 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook. 7 And it happened after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, "Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink." 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand." 12 But she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die." 13 Then Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. 14 For thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth.'" 15 So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through Elijah.

17 Now it came about after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe, that there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to Elijah, "What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance, and to put my son to death!" 19 And he said to her, "Give me your son." Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he called to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, hast Thou also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the LORD, and said, "O LORD my God, I pray Thee, let this child's life return to him." 22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, "See, your son is alive." 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth." NASB
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Posted by Pastor Doy at 7:33 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
God accuses His People
WHEN GOD ACCUSES HIS PEOPLE
The Book of Malachi. Reading Malachi 1
Introduction:

Salvation as a removal of eternal punishment. The issue of sins today: What happens when God’s people insist on violating God’s commandments? Our eternal security does not imply that our sins on earth will not have consequence.

When the people of Israel were exiled 150 years before the time of prophet Malachi, the years of the exile were years of pain, suffering and a degradation that Israelites as God’s people need not go through but did. The longing of those years was to be given the chance to go back to the native land and build the temple, to worship God freely, to be a nation once more.

Then, finally, the thirst of their longing was quenched partially for some of them were allowed to return. In 516 BC, the returned exiles finished the temple. Then Ezra the Priest came and strengthened the people with his teachings. Then in 445 BC, Nehemiah returned and led the rebuilding of the wall. During his time, the years of the Jews were exciting and glorious. The walls were finally up and the honor of the city was once more secure. The temple was up and operational. The Jews can be Jews once more without fear. Those were good years. Those were exciting years. Something beautiful, something grand. But, the situation deteriorated and at the time of the prophet Malachi, the deteriorated situation was desperately embarrassing in its corruptness and perversion that God had to confront His people through the prophet Malachi with word that are unusually harsh and even threatening in nature.

Today, I would like to examine with you the sins of God’s people. We must guard against such sins in our life not only because they are wrong but also because of the magnitude of the disaster that they can bring into our lives. What were the sins of God’s people during those days? Do we still have the same sin today in our lives?

I THE SINS OF GOD’S PEOPLE

1. Corrupting Marriage
• Wrong choice of a marriage partner
Marrying a daughter of a foreign god. : 2:11-12. The way you go about choosing your partner is a reflection of your spiritual maturity.
• Choice of Divorce as an option in marriage 2:15-16
The only reason allowed for divorce. What is allowed need not be our option.
• Choice of Adultery as an extra marital option 3:5

2. Corrupting the Love your neighbor principle

• Oppression of the Fatherless and widows (the defense and the needy) 3:5

• Oppression of the laborers – 3:5

The Promotion of human rights is a very biblical issue. But, the promotion of human rights begins by being sensitive to the needs of the disadvantaged such as the fatherless and the widows.

• Corrupting personal dependence of God

Sorcery – 3:5. Sorcery involves spirits. This is in fact a rejection of God’s sufficiency in our lives.

• Corrupting the Tithe and the Offering:
• Tithe is the whole tithe or the full 10% of our income. 3:8-10
Anything less than the full tithe is robbery or stealing from God.
• Offering is : According to God’s status and honor. 1:6, 7, 12-14.
Anything less than the best we can do is called Contempt of the Lord’s Name or despising God’s name. 1:6

• Corrupting the faith
• By doubting God’s love. 1:2 and 1:6

But you ask – How have you loved us? God says, I have loved you. And the people answered, Talaga? If you doubt about my love for you, just see how I have treated your nation (Jacob) in contrast with what is happening in the nation of Esau. And the people responded “GANOON?”

Why did this happen? The Israelites have waited for a long time for the coming of the Messiah or of God to rescue His people from their oppressors. The temple was up. The law was once more available to the people. Yet God did not come as was promised. So, they started doubting God’s love.

Are you beginning to doubt the love of God because you were asking for something and this something seems to be far away yet?

• Departing from the Lord’s teaching 2:1-9
The Priests were not teaching properly
The people have stumbled because of the lack of good teaching 2:8

“If you confess your sins, He is faithful and just. He will forgive and cleanse you.”

II THE SENTENCE ON GOD’S PEOPLE

• Judgment: Detestable by God’s standards. Consequence. Death 2:12 (cut off from the tents of Jacob) or separation from family and blessings of companionship.

• Judgment: You don’t fear God so I will come to testify against you. 3:5. Specially, when God comes to testify against us, it will: turn our blessings into curses (2:1-2). How fearful to have the hearing judge testify against the accused. There is no place to run.

• Judgment: Thieves (3:8-10). The punishment for thieves is the affliction coming from the agricultural devourer.

III THE SALVATION OF GOD’S PEOPLE

3:7-10. Repentance (return) and Repair (of marriages) and restitution (of what we owe God). Curses will be turned into blessings.

Your option today: Your blessings turned into a curse. Or the effects of former curses in our lives, turned into blessings.