John Stott
…A change in my title. ’Coz this is what Paul really teaches in 1 Corinthians 5. This is just a continuation of my XTREMELY LOADED MEALS 1 Corinthians menu. This time, I’ll make it short but full of instructions. *no sugar-coating*
***
HOW TO DEAL WITH A BRETHREN WHO COMMITS SEXUAL IMMORALITY?
Paul, in 1 Coritnhians 5 addresses the issue in the church of Corinth wherein there is sexual immorality (incest v1).
1 Now, it is actually being said that there is sexual immorality among you so terrible that not even the heathen would be guilty of it. I am told that a man is sleeping with his stepmother!
No one is to rejoice with that because those who are of God do not delight in evel but in the truth.
1 John 2:9
If we say that we are in the light, yet hate others, we are in the darkness to this very hour.
Paul instructed that the brother who commits sexual immorality should be expelled from the church.
v.5 you are to hand this man over to Satan for his body to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.
…This means that we have to rebuke this brother with tough love. Let him go his way, and continue to do so until he is lead to repentance. It is for the destruction of his flesh.
Paul stated a metaphorical illustration of sin-yeast. Just like in the what God instructed the Israelites in the Old Testament when eating bread in Passover, the bread should be without yeast. And now, we also celebrate the Passover, with Jesus Christ as our Passover Lamb, we are also to offer ourselves to him with purity and truth.
v.8 - Let us celebrate our Passover, then, not with bread having the old yeast but with the bread that has no yeast, the bread of purity and truth
We are not of the world. We are set apart. But let us be also cautious of our fellow believer (if he professes as such) who is still dwelling in darkness and is committing immoral sin - we shouldn’t associate with such person. It is said, remove the evil person from your group.
11 What I meant was that you should not associate with a person who calls himself a believer but is immoral or greedy or worships idols or is a slanderer or a drunkard or a thief. Don’t even sit down to eat with such a person. 12-13After all, it is none of my business to judge outsiders. God will judge them. But should you not judge the members of your own fellowship? As the scripture says, Remove the evil person from your group. *** What does it tell about God? 1. Christ is the Passover Lamb and we are sanctified in Him. (vss 7-8) 2. God is the ultimate judge (vss 12-13) What does it tell about me? 1. be cautious of fellow believers (as they profess) who are still indulging themselves in sexual immorality. DO NOT associate with them (v11) 2. Present myself to God with purity and truth (v8) 3. Rebuke with tough love PRAYERS *Pray for those who profess their Christian faith but are still doing immorality *Pray for wisdom on how to rebuke those brethren *Pray for God’s grace to enable us to offer ourselves to Him everyday with purity and truth, like an unleavened bread *Pray to God to keep us from evil
is a NO NO!
Bible reading is indispensible in our Christian walk. (pls read http://moondanipog.tumblr.com/post/9327765375/christian-does-the-bible-have-anything-to-do-with-my)
Quiet Time/Devotion is a personal time with the Lord. It’s a Quality Time with Him. It’s like a romantic date with Him where you want to say something to Him (through prayer) and He also wants to reveal Himself to you (through the Bible). This is an awesome time between you and God. Just like in a relationship, QT (Quiet Time) plays the role of ‘communication’. A relationship is not healthy with inconsistent communication, so we also have to be consistent in our talk with God - on daily basis.
Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Let us discuss here some tips or guidelines on how to go about with our Quiet Time with the Lord/Devotion/Bible Reading and Prayer.
Our desire to read God’s Word comes from God himself. He places that desire in our hearts by His grace. What we need most before starting with our QT is prayer. Communicate with God. Take time to thank Him for the day (it doesn’t matter what time of the day you choose to have this special meeting with God). Let us ask Him to search our hearts and enable us to set our mind on Him. Ask him also to cleanse us from all impure thoughts and sins that we have committed. Then ask the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us as we read the Word. God reveals His wisdom to us through the Spirit.
Job 32:8
“But it is the spirit of Almighty God that comes to us and gives us wisdom. “
Now, it is a common question for starters “where/what book do I start with?”…Hmmm, I would recommend what our Pastor told us. Since it is important to read THE BIBLE (the entire bible), it is good to start from the very very beginning - the Book of Genesis. And since it is characterized as narrative, you will really enjoy it (God’s characteristics are revealed to every book of the Bible). Now, there are others who prefer to read the New Testament. That’s fine. Begin with the beginning of the New Testament - Matthew, and continue reading the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and so on. PLEASE read in context, meaning, CHAPTER by chapter. DON’T: grab a bible, hold it tight, close your eyes (as if to make a wish), open it and read where your eyes lead you—and if you feel that it doesn’t suit you, do the same steps over again. STOP IT! The BIBLE IS NOT A HOROSCOPE.
I heard a trivia from a friend that if we spend at least 15 minutes a day in reading the Bible, we can finish it in a year!
Many of us think that it’s okay to have our QT without jotting down some notes, or marking verses in the Bible. Hmmmm, I won’t underestimate that idea, but I believe that every QT experience would be more effective if we do jot down notes and/or mark our Bible. Why? For some people, things written down by their own hands are easily marked in their heads. It’s easy to remember, and if you would mark your Bible (especially the verses which struck you the most) you can easily go back to it when you open it. If you have pen and notebook for your QT, you can always go back to what God has been teaching you in the past days, weeks, months, or years. It’s also to remind you. (pen and notebook/laptop/blogs/etc. you can use these tools to keep your devotions recorded)
Now, what do I write? I would suggest an outline which I also learned from bible studies and from some leaders in our church.
The following are some suggested question which we may answer in our QT. If you can’t find a detailed answer to each question (if nothing is stated about it in the passage), you may leave that question blank. Focus on what God is telling you through the passage.
*You can mark the verse that has the greatest impact on you (you can highlight in in your Bible or write it down also)
Just as you have started with a prayer, communicate again to God to end your QT. Thank Him for the wisdom, for the learning, or for whatever the Spirit tells you to give thanks for. Then pray the things you listed down in the question “What should I pray for?”. Pray sincerely and include your personal prayer requests to God.
Philippians 4:6
Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.
Have you heard of d GRAND WEDDING? It’s going to happen soon. For those who already received&accepted the invitation (GRACE written n front),we have been tasked by the Groom’s Father to send more invitations,though He did not show us the guest list. He knows who’ll respond & who won’t. So we just have to send the invitations!
Basically, I’ll first post related topics to the Summary of the Gospel:
——————————
“God as Creator“ blogs have already been posted.
“God as King” has just started. More blogs soon to be posted.
————————————-
Summary of the gospel:
1) GOD
a) Is the Creator—Genesis 1-2
and who is a gracious, loving God who provides for all people—
Acts 14:17
b) Is King—if He made it all, then He has the right to rule it all!
Psalm 47:7-8 - Supreme
Psalm 103:19 - intro
Dan. 4:34-35 – no one can question what he does
Therefore He has the right to make laws by which He rules His kingdom !
—> the 10 commandments (Exodus 20)
and the two great commandments (Mat. 22:35-40; Luke 10:25-28)
c) Is Judge—He will judge how well you’ve done regarding his commandments!
Psalm 96:13
Hebrews 9:27
Revelation 20:11-15
2) MAN
—just a creature created by the Creator, in his image (Gen. 1:27)
—but rebellious against God the king! (Rom. 3:10-12; 23)
—therefore under judgment by God the Judge (James 2:10)
Note Matthew 12:36
—> if you have to give an account for every careless word, how much more for all your actions and deeds which you know are wrong?
—penalty: Romans 6:23
3) JESUS CHRIST
is God and Savior
a) He is God incarnate — John 1:1, 14—he is unique, God in the flesh
b) Performed miracles to demonstrate his authority over creation—Matt. 11:5; John 11, etc.
John 20:30-31
c) Was sinless—1 Pet. 2:24; Heb. 4 (did the 10 and the 2 perfectly!)
d) Suffered a substitutionary death—the CORE of the gospel message!
***2 Cor 5:21—God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him!
his suffering was what he deserved! the wrath of God!
and his righteousness is what we got!
1 Pet. 2:24
e) Rose again to life—1 Cor. 15:3-5
His resurrection guarantees ours!—John 14:19
John 11:25-26
SO:
what do we get from Jesus?
Total forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7),
Adoption into the family of God (John 1:12), and
Eternal life (Rom. 6:23; John 3:16; John 11:25-26)
4) OUR RESPONSE
A- ccept that you are a sinner and repent from your sins.
(Rom. 3:23-26)
B- elieve that only JESUS and His death can save you from eternal punishment and that His resurrection guarantees victory.
(Rom. 6:23; Rom. 5:6-9; John 11:25-26)
C- onfess JESUS as your personal LORD and SAVIOR.
(Rom. 10:9-10)
D- ecide to follow JESUS and live for HIM.
(2 Cor. 5:15)
Source: Ptr. Mel Cartera
originally posted from my LiveJournal account. http://lunadanipog.livejournal.com/535.html
For as there is a ruler in each country/organization/company/union, so does the whole world and the universe.
In my previous blogs, the character of God as Creator is discussed. The whole creation belongs to Him, including us as just part of His masterpiece. And it would be most reasonable that He shall rule over us all. If there would be the most appropriate being to take charge, to lead, and to rule over the world, it’s Him, not me, not you. If there would be someone who is rightful to make the laws, it is Him who rules.
I think this truth pesters every man (at least those who do not yet fully understand the truth that God is our Creator), because man usually doesn’t want someone to meddle in his life or dictate him what he should do. Man, today, wants to rule himself. He is more likely to apply the quote “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul”. But sorry, because this is not in line with the Design. Just like how I started with my “God as creator” blogs, I would repeat it, “It’s not about us”.
There is a King in this Kingdom - a King who is Supreme, Eternal, and Law Maker. We’ll share thoughts and verses on these 3 characters of God as King.
Psalm 103:19-22 
19 The Lord placed his
throne in heaven;
he
is king over all.
20 Praise the Lord, you
strong and mighty angels,
who
obey his commands,
who
listen to what he says.
21 Praise the Lord, all you
heavenly powers,
you
servants of his, who do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, all his
creatures
in
all the places he rules.
Praise
the Lord, my soul!
——————————————-
Soli Deo Gloria!!!
God bless everyone! =)
http://lunadanipog.livejournal.com/7330.htmlAlso posted in my LiveJournal
I have been dealing with the topic God as Creator in my previous posts. I started with GOD AS CREATOR: a truth often taken for granted. The article simply says that we should always go back to the truth that all we see with our naked eyes belong to God and are from from God (even we, ourselves). Next is GOD AS CREATOR: Isaiah Amused by the Creator King. Here we saw how Isaiah praised the God of Israel and how he emphasized how imporabale their God is (our God is)…how He sustains His creation. No one is like our God. I posted a song entitled “My Creator King” at the end of the article. Today, we’ll see another amazing character of God as the Creator of all. Since He created all the things in heaven and on earth, He also graciously sustains everything. Let us look at some verses which support this. Again, from the book of Isaiah, it says in chapter 51:12-13, 15-16 12 The Lord says, ”I am the one who strengthens you. Why should you fear mortals, who are no more enduring than grass? 13 Have you forgotten the Lord who made you, who stretched out the heavens and laid the earth’s foundations? Why should you live in constant fear of the fury of those who oppress you, of those who are ready to destroy you? Their fury can no longer touch you. 15 ”I am the Lord you God; I stir up the sea and make its waves roar. My name is the Lord Almighty! 16 I stretched out the heavens and laid the earth’s foundations; I say to Jerusalem, ‘You are my people! I have given you my teaching, and I protect you with my hand’” This is how God cares for His creation. As for his concern for humans (to those whom He has chosen together with the Israel), He won’t let any fury touch them. His very own hands will protect them. Let us see what the New Testament has to say with this. It is said in Acts 14:17 “But He has always given evidence of His existence by the good things he does: he gives you rain from heaven and crops at the right times; he gives you food and fills your hearts with happiness.” God purposely sustains his creation to show His glory, His existence. It’s for his glory! You can also see in this verse that He does and designs things to happen in order. He knows when to pour out rain, so the crops may be for harvest ‘at the right times’ (He knows their time). He gives us food (I believe this is not only for our physical bodies but for spiritual also). Also in Matthew 6:25-34 (the famous passage about Worrying), Jesus (himself) testifies how God sustains everything - from the flowers, to wild grasses, to the birds,..and to us humans. I would like to include here Psalm 104 because the whole chapter explains it all. How God put His creations in order, how they are interdependent with one another and how He sustains all of them. Psalm 104 “In Praise of the Creator” O Lord, my God, how great you are! You are clothed with majesty and glory; 2 you cover yourself with light. You have spread out the heavens like a tent 3 and built your home on the waters above.[a] You use the clouds as your chariot and ride on the wings of the wind. 4 You use the winds as your messengers and flashes of lightning as your servants. 5 You have set the earth firmly on its foundations, and it will never be moved. 6 You placed the ocean over it like a robe, and the water covered the mountains. 7 When you rebuked the waters, they fled; they rushed away when they heard your shout of command. 8 They flowed over the mountains and into the valleys, to the place you had made for them. 9 You set a boundary they can never pass, to keep them from covering the earth again. 10 You make springs flow in the valleys, and rivers run between the hills. 11 They provide water for the wild animals; there the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 In the trees near by, the birds make their nests and sing. 13 From the sky you send rain on the hills, and the earth is filled with your blessings. 14 You make grass grow for the cattle and plants for us to use, so that we can grow our crops 15 and produce wine to make us happy, olive oil to make us cheerful, and bread to give us strength. 16 The cedars of Lebanon get plenty of rainâ the Lord’s own trees, which he planted. 17 There the birds build their nests; the storks nest in the fir trees. 18 The wild goats live in the high mountains, and the rock badgers hide in the cliffs. 19 You created the moon to mark the months; the sun knows the time to set. 20 You made the night, and in the darkness all the wild animals come out. 21 The young lions roar while they hunt, looking for the food that God provides. 22 When the sun rises, they go back and lie down in their dens. 23 Then people go out to do their work and keep working until evening. 24 Lord, you have made so many things! How wisely you made them all! The earth is filled with your creatures. 25 There is the ocean, large and wide, where countless creatures live, large and small alike. 26 The ships sail on it, and in it plays Leviathan, that sea monster which you made.[b] 27 All of them depend on you to give them food when they need it. 28 You give it to them, and they eat it; you provide food, and they are satisfied. 29 When you turn away, they are afraid; when you take away your breath, they die and go back to the dust from which they came. 30 But when you give them breath,[c] they are created; you give new life to the earth. 31 May the glory of the Lord last forever! May the Lord be happy with what he has made! 32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles; he touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke. 33 I will sing to the Lord all my life; as long as I live I will sing praises to my God. 34 May he be pleased with my song, for my gladness comes from him. 35 May sinners be destroyed from the earth; may the wicked be no more. Praise the Lord, my soul! Praise the Lord! Verses 27-31 are very powerful. The psalmist gave emphasis on the total dependence of the whole creation to the great Creator. Our lives come from HIm. If He withhold his sustaining grace, WE’RE LOST! We die! And in response to this, our sould shall forever praise His name! (verses 33-35). Let me quote again Isaiah 40:26. I really love it how Isaiah put it in astronomical language: Soli Deo Gloria! Sources: The Bible, preachings of Pastor Mel Cartera, personal insights, GOD Pasted from <http://lunadanipog.livejournal.com/4003.html> 
I’d like to share this passage from the book of Isaiah. Isaiah 40:12-31 ”Israel’s Incomparable God”. This is my devotion for this day and it’s related to my latest post GOD AS CREATOR: a truth often taken for granted. In this passage, Isaiah tells Israel how great their God is. He even gave emphasis to how God sustains His creation. It really amazes me.
Israel’s Incomparable God
12 Can anyone measure the ocean by handfuls
or measure the sky with his hands?
Can anyone hold the soil of the earth in a cup
or weigh the mountains and hills on scales?
13 Can anyone tell the Lord what to do?
Who can teach him or give him advice?
14 With whom does God consult
in order to know and understand
and to learn how things should be done?
15 To the Lord the nations are nothing,
no more than a drop of water;
the distant islands are as light as dust.
16 All the animals in the forests of Lebanon
are not enough for a sacrifice to our God,
and its trees are too few to kindle the fire.
17 The nations are nothing at all to him.
18 To whom can God be compared?
How can you describe what he is like?
19 He is not like an idol that workers make,
that metalworkers cover with gold
and set in a base of silver.
20 Anyone who cannot afford silver or gold[a]
chooses wood that will not rot.
He finds a skillful worker
to make an image that won’t fall down.
21 Do you not know?
Were you not told long ago?
Have you not heard how the world began?
22 It was made by the one who sits on his throne
above the earth and beyond the sky;
the people below look as tiny as ants.
He stretched out the sky like a curtain,
like a tent in which to live.
23 He brings down powerful rulers
and reduces them to nothing.
24 They are like young plants,
just set out and barely rooted.
When the Lord sends a wind,
they dry up and blow away like straw.
25 To whom can the holy God be compared?
Is there anyone else like him?
26 Look up at the sky!
Who created the stars you see?
The one who leads them out like an army,
he knows how many there are
and calls each one by name!
His power is so greatâ
not one of them is ever missing!
27 Israel, why then do you complain
that the Lord doesn’t know your troubles
or care if you suffer injustice?
28 Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God;
he created all the world.
He never grows tired or weary.
No one understands his thoughts.
29 He strengthens those who are weak and tired.
30 Even those who are young grow weak;
young people can fall exhausted.
31 But those who trust in the Lord for help
will find their strength renewed.
They will rise on wings like eagles;
they will run and not get weary;
they will walk and not grow weak.
(Good News Translation)
Sources: The Bible, preachings of Pastor Mel Cartera, personal insights, GOD
Pasted from my LiveJournal account <http://lunadanipog.livejournal.com/2906.html>
Logically, this germinates from the one we discussed in the appetizer (Servant, not Master). Since we are slaves to Christ (meaning Christ is the only Master, no one else), we are of equal disposition therefore no one has the right to pass judgement on the other.
3 Now, I am not at all concerned about being judged by you or by any human standard; I don’t even pass judgment on myself.4 My conscience is clear, but that does not prove that I am really innocent. The Lord is the one who passes judgment on me.5 So you should not pass judgment on anyone before the right time comes. Final judgment must wait until the Lord comes; he will bring to light the dark secrets and expose the hidden purposes of people’s minds. And then all will receive from God the praise they deserve. - 1 Cor. 4
Judgement is of the Lord. We will all be judged in the end as to how we have been faithful to the task assigned to us (faithful to our Master). And what is more rattling is that every hidden purposes of our hearts will be revealed in the end (see v5). When a venerable person discovered your darkest secrets and puffed up to a scandal, that would be a great shame…what more to God?! The Ultimate Judge of all! It is also said in the book of Ecclesiastes 12:
13 After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.14 God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.
Another thing Paul highlighted here is the humility among brethren. It is foremost to acknowledge God as the One who provides all things for us. This truth is often overlooked by us, especially when we think that we are already rich, or very able to do things on our own. We should be very critical on this, because if we won’t keep an eye on our pride, we would find ourselves passing judgement on other people - which should not be.
6 For your sake, my friends, I have applied all this to Apollos and me, using the two of us as an example, so that you may learn what the saying means,
Observe the proper rules. None of you should be proud of one person and despise another.7 Who made you superior to others? Didn’t God give you everything you have? Well, then, how can you boast, as if what you have were not a gift?8 Do you already have everything you need? Are you already rich? Have you become kings, even though we are not? Well, I wish you really were kings, so that we could be kings together with you. - 1 Corinthians 4:6-8
Xtremely Loaded Meal (1 Corinthians 4)
Soli Deo Gloria!
——————-
Pray that
For the second time this year, Palmera Springs Christian Church conducted Operation Christmas Child (OCC) to its immediate community on August 29, 2011. This program is brought to us by Samaritan’s Purse International Relief and OCC Philippines National Leadership Team.
It was really a great blessing that God enabled the church (PSCC) to enjoy this opportunity of giving gifts to 180 children and to share with them the Gospel along with 40+ mothers (22 of whom asked for, and were given, free Bibles). It’s indeed an early Christmas for us all!
The program was spearheaded by PSCC pastor Ptr. Mel Cartera and wife Ms. Perry Cartera (an OCC volunteer). With the help of the church’s youth ministry (Ministry of Young Christians or MYC), the Gospel was shared in form of a human puppet play entitled “The Puzzle” (Script from “The Puzzle” of the Will Graham Celebration event in Bicol.). The children paid attention and were lead in a prayer at the end of the story.
“The Puzzle” play
Children praying after “The Puzzle” play
After which, the church volunteers (composed of deacons, elders, youth and teachers) distributed the Samaritan’s Purse shoe boxes to these children. Excitingly, each one of them open his own box. Amusement was seen in their faces and they all gave thanks for the gifts they received.
Pictures with the kids were taken after the gift giving. All glory and praises to our God forever!
Children opening their shoe boxes!
SOLI DEO GLORIA!!!
Sources:
Photos: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2377542321414.2139991.1336311964&type=1
Details: Ptr. Mel Cartera
