Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Charismatic Community: September 2006

Private Worship: The Key to Joy

Jesus IS Lord!
“The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it!”
- John 3:16-18

Private Worship: The Key to Joy
Spiritual Warfare - Vital for Worship
by Nancy Missler

Spiritual warfare? What does this have to do with learning to worship the Lord on an intimate basis?

Over the past few months we've been exploring the importance of worship, and how it is the means by which we are changed into Christ's image. Why do we bring up the subject of spiritual warfare? We do so because if we are going to be true worshipers of God, more than ever before we need to be knowledgeable in the art of spiritual warfare. We need to know the enemy - his tactics and his ways - because, believe me, we are going to need this wisdom!1 If we want to survive these "end times," we really have no other option than to learn how to fight the enemy and how to do warfare for ourselves, as well as all those for whom we pray.

Therefore, part of our prayer time in the Holy Place must be concerned with asking the Father to expose the enemy, to bind him in Jesus' Name and to loose any strongholds that have been established.

The Enemy's Involvement

When we are lukewarm Christians and have only a "form of godliness" (2 Timothy 3:5), the devil doesn't really seem to bother with us. Why should he? We're no real threat to anyone, least of all him. As my Chuck often says, "Many of us are undercover Christians - i.e., no one knows we are." So the enemy leaves us alone. But let us begin to worship and love the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul. Then, watch out! We're in for a real battle!

Remember how the Israelites tried to stone Joshua and Caleb for their commitment to "go all the way" with God? (Numbers 13:30-14:10) Well, it will be the same with us. Instead of our friends rejoicing or understanding what has happened to us, they'll think we are crazy. They'll ridicule us, mock us and even call us fanatics. You watch, the enemy will find many holes in which to attack us!

Jesus warns us in John 16:2, "These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me."

Why is it that when we decide to surrender everything to the Lord, we automatically become huge targets? When we become worshipers, it's almost as if we develop a great big bull's eye on our chest that says, "I love God, shoot me!" The reason this happens is that our mortal enemy not only hates God, he also hates anyone who wants to follow Him. If we are lukewarm, he won't bother with us. But, watch out if we become "hot," we'll become immediate "pot shots." Satan will do anything he can to thwart God's plans in us and through us, even sending out "angels of light."

Thus, if you intend to learn to worship the Lord, then you must be prepared to fight the enemy, and that involves learning spiritual warfare.

How Do We Fight?

Okay. How do we fight?

We fight by surrendering more! Yes, you read that correctly. We learn to fight the enemy by surrendering ourselves more - not to him, but to the Lord.

Look at Moses. Moses endured such horrendous chiding, testing and humiliation. How did he handle this? What did he do? He withstood the enemy by not letting doubt, unbelief, fear, insecurity, bitterness, guilt, etc., consume him, but instead choosing to surrender everything to the Lord and trusting Him even more. During his difficult trials, Moses shut himself up on that mountaintop, prayed, worshiped and looked only to the Lord for His wisdom. (Exodus 5:22-6:7; 19:3-25; 33:12-22) In the end, because of Moses' complete obedience to the Lord's will, the enemy was defeated and he was able to lead a nation to freedom.

Another example is Stephen who, even as the Israelites were stoning him, looked, prayed and called upon the Lord. Acts 6:15 explains, "...all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." See also Acts 7:59. Again, how did Stephen do this? He did it by having such unshakable faith and reliance in the Lord that he was able to "see" Him in the midst of the fire. Just like Moses, he "endured, as seeing Him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27)

A further example was the miracle of Job, who in spite of his incredible difficulties continued to cry out, "Though You slay me, yet will I trust You." (Job 13:15) And finally, there was Paul who, at times, felt lost, confused and bewildered because of the rejection, mockery, malicious gossip and persecutions that he experienced. He even came to a point of "despairing of life itself." (2
Corinthians 1:8) But the way Paul handled these things was not to give in to defeat but to believe and act out 2 Corinthians 4:8-9: "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, [so] that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body."

All these renowned men not only endured huge trials in their lives, but conquered them. And they did so by surrendering themselves even further to the Lord and recognizing the enemy's involvement. As a result, they were enabled to go on, filled with an inner peace that God's will was being accomplished.

One of the reasons God allows hard times in our lives is to strengthen our faith. (See our book Faith in the Night Seasons.) He arranges difficult situations so that we can see for ourselves how very weak our faith is. Remember in Deuteronomy 8:2, God reprimanded the Israelites, telling them that He had tested them so that they might see (for themselves) their own hearts and their own unbelief. God is constantly doing the same with us - testing, proving, stretching and enlarging our faith, because our faith is the foundation of our walk. Faith is what our worship is built upon.

It's also true that if our faith is weak, we won't be able to stand against the enemy of our souls. If our faith is strong, then there's no end to what God can do through us.

If we are not being "stretched," then we're not really growing at all! Real faith is made up of a series of choices - choices to cleanse our hearts of all sin and self; choices to trust God regardless of our circumstances; and, choices to rely upon His ability to implement His will in our lives. These are the same kinds of faith choices that Moses, Stephen, Job and Paul had to face in their
situations. At the time, they certainly didn't "feel like" making these choices, but they knew that their lives depended upon it, so "by faith" they made them anyway. And these are the same kinds of faith choices that we must make in order to have peace and joy in the middle of our trials.

Then we too can be troubled, perplexed, persecuted and cast down, but not distressed, in despair, forsaken or destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

The Battle is Not Ours, But the Lord's

God tells us in 2 Chronicles 20:15 that "the battle is not ours, but the Lord's." We must continually remember this. Otherwise, we'll end up confused and afraid.

Do you recall the story of Elijah, the great Old Testament prophet of God?

1 Kings 18 tells the story of a severe drought. In the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah, "Go and present yourself to King Ahab and tell him I will soon send rain." Elijah did as he was told and asked the king to bring all the people of Israel to Mt.Carmel, along with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 priests of Ashorah, who were supported by Jezebel, the king's wife. Elijah wanted to prove to them who the true God was. "If the Lord be God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him." (1 Kings 18:21) What happened next was that the pagan priests and prophets danced, wailed and cried all night long for their god to show his strength. But nothing happened. Then Elijah got up, called on the Name of the Lord and "fire immediately came down from heaven and consumed his offering." (1 Kings 18:38)

Elijah then slew the false prophets and was given supernatural strength to outrun King Ahab's chariot back to the city. As Scripture puts it, "The hand of the Lord was [mightily] upon Elijah." (1 Kings 18:46) But when King Ahab told his wife Jezebel all that Elijah had done, she was furious and sent a message back to the prophet, threatening his life. This letter made Elijah deathly afraid and he fled for his life. In the letter, Jezebel spoke just like an enemy, "You've had it; you've gone too far. The battle is now between you and me." (1 Kings 19:2)

The interesting part about this statement is that it really was the truth! The battle on Mount Carmel was not between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, but between good and evil, the Lord and the devil. It was a battle between the powers of darkness and God's body of believers ("light bearers") here on earth. Queen Jezebel represented Satan and his demonic hordes as his tool to bring disorder, confusion and turmoil. Elijah represented the Lord and His believers.

As a result of that vicious threat from Jezebel, Elijah (filled with fear) sat down outside the city gates and wailed to himself, "Only I am left. All the others have been slain and now they seek my life." (1 Kings 19:10) He accused the Lord by saying, "God, you let the devil get to me. You let him harass me. You let him take away my joy. I don't deserve such treatment. I have done
everything you told me to do."

This is the mighty prophet of God who just slew 750 prophets of Baal! Can you believe it? Is it any wonder then, that we too have our down days when the enemy's taunts consume us? As a result of Elijah's self-consumed thinking, he panicked, feared for his life, became depressed and eventually, prayed to die. (1 Kings 19:4)

Jezebel Today

I want you to really think about this story, because this is exactly what's happening to many believers today. Jezebel represents the enemy in the story of Elijah. She was his tool to bring confusion, disorder and turmoil into Elijah's life. And it almost worked. Well, in these end times, the spirit of Jezebel is back and she is trying to do the exact same thing in each of our lives. When we determine to surrender and live totally for God and learn to worship Him, she uses the same tactics she used with Elijah.

God warns us about the spirit of Jezebel in Revelation 2:19-22 when He speaks about the end-time Church of Thyatira, "...I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants..."

I believe Jezebel represents a seducing spirit that is at work among worshipers in these end times that desires to break our will and our spirit. Her goal is to rob us of our desire to serve the Lord and to quench our hope in God's faithfulness. If the spirit of Jezebel can make us think that God's Word is not true and that He is not faithful to perform what His promises, then our relationship with Him will immediately collapse. If the spirit of Jezebel can undermine our confidence in the Lord, she has us. The truth is, the Lord values His Word even above His Name. Thus, if He promises something in His Word, He will perform it no matter what.

Psalm 138:2 validates this: "I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy Name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy Name."

Jezebel wants to sidetrack us: from worshiping to worrying; from being on fire for the Lord to being lukewarm; and, from loving Him to doubting Him. She wants us caught up in the "Oh, poor me" syndrome, filled with self-pity and spiraling straight down into the pit.

When we begin to truly worship - entering His presence daily, vocally sharing our faith and acting as Christ would have us - then watch out! The spirit of Jezebel will use our loved ones, our friends and any situations she can create (any lies, fears, depression or confusion she can prompt) to take control of our lives.

Now when I say "take control," I don't mean "possession." If we are born again, then our heart and our spirit already belong to the Lord. But if we give the enemy "entrances" into our soul by doubt, unbelief or confusion, she will use them to her full advantage. The spirit of Jezebel did it with Elijah. She will do it with us.

It's one thing to stand up for Christ with our friends, our family and our co-workers, it's quite another to stand up against the forces of darkness. Let's see what we can glean from Elijah's experience.

Lessons From the Story of Elijah

There are many lessons that we can learn from the story of Elijah. Here are just a few:

Even if we run, God is still with us. (1 Kings 19:5-8)

In order for us to really battle Satan, we must know he is alive and very real.

In order to regain control, we must unmask the enemy's game plan. Only when we begin to truly understand what Jezebel is up to can we begin our walk back to freedom. Fear is what keeps us captive. It did Elijah and it will us also. (1 Kings 19:12-18)

Satan wants to use our emotions, our circumstances and our relationships to destroy us; God wants to use them to strengthen our faith. (Psalm 71)

We must listen to God's voice (1 King's 19:12) and take back control of our lives. When the Lord says: Why are you hiding, we must heed His call. When He says, Get up, don't run from Jezebel, we must obey.

Once Elijah realized what Jezebel was doing, he never again allowed her to capture his mind.

Whether we admit it or not, we are in an intense battle. God knows that if we are not "battle-ready," He can't commission us into the heavy artillery. (Jeremiah 12:5) He knows that if we are wearied in any way by the enemy, we'll never make it through the really tough times ahead. Thus, we have no other choice. Either we learn to fight as God desires or we'll end up like Elijah,
cowering in a corner.

Knowing our authority in Christ and how to fight the demonic in the spiritual realm is of utmost importance and must go alongside our learning to privately worship the Lord on a deeper and more intimate basis.

Labels: Teachings

Private Worship: The Key to Joy

Jesus IS Lord!
“The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it!”
- John 3:16-18

Private Worship: The Key to Joy
Spiritual Warfare - Vital for Worship
by Nancy Missler

Spiritual warfare? What does this have to do with learning to worship the Lord on an intimate basis?

Over the past few months we've been exploring the importance of worship, and how it is the means by which we are changed into Christ's image. Why do we bring up the subject of spiritual warfare? We do so because if we are going to be true worshipers of God, more than ever before we need to be knowledgeable in the art of spiritual warfare. We need to know the enemy - his tactics and his ways - because, believe me, we are going to need this wisdom!1 If we want to survive these "end times," we really have no other option than to learn how to fight the enemy and how to do warfare for ourselves, as well as all those for whom we pray.

Therefore, part of our prayer time in the Holy Place must be concerned with asking the Father to expose the enemy, to bind him in Jesus' Name and to loose any strongholds that have been established.

The Enemy's Involvement

When we are lukewarm Christians and have only a "form of godliness" (2 Timothy 3:5), the devil doesn't really seem to bother with us. Why should he? We're no real threat to anyone, least of all him. As my Chuck often says, "Many of us are undercover Christians - i.e., no one knows we are." So the enemy leaves us alone. But let us begin to worship and love the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul. Then, watch out! We're in for a real battle!

Remember how the Israelites tried to stone Joshua and Caleb for their commitment to "go all the way" with God? (Numbers 13:30-14:10) Well, it will be the same with us. Instead of our friends rejoicing or understanding what has happened to us, they'll think we are crazy. They'll ridicule us, mock us and even call us fanatics. You watch, the enemy will find many holes in which to attack us!

Jesus warns us in John 16:2, "These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me."

Why is it that when we decide to surrender everything to the Lord, we automatically become huge targets? When we become worshipers, it's almost as if we develop a great big bull's eye on our chest that says, "I love God, shoot me!" The reason this happens is that our mortal enemy not only hates God, he also hates anyone who wants to follow Him. If we are lukewarm, he won't bother with us. But, watch out if we become "hot," we'll become immediate "pot shots." Satan will do anything he can to thwart God's plans in us and through us, even sending out "angels of light."

Thus, if you intend to learn to worship the Lord, then you must be prepared to fight the enemy, and that involves learning spiritual warfare.

How Do We Fight?

Okay. How do we fight?

We fight by surrendering more! Yes, you read that correctly. We learn to fight the enemy by surrendering ourselves more - not to him, but to the Lord.

Look at Moses. Moses endured such horrendous chiding, testing and humiliation. How did he handle this? What did he do? He withstood the enemy by not letting doubt, unbelief, fear, insecurity, bitterness, guilt, etc., consume him, but instead choosing to surrender everything to the Lord and trusting Him even more. During his difficult trials, Moses shut himself up on that mountaintop, prayed, worshiped and looked only to the Lord for His wisdom. (Exodus 5:22-6:7; 19:3-25; 33:12-22) In the end, because of Moses' complete obedience to the Lord's will, the enemy was defeated and he was able to lead a nation to freedom.

Another example is Stephen who, even as the Israelites were stoning him, looked, prayed and called upon the Lord. Acts 6:15 explains, "...all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." See also Acts 7:59. Again, how did Stephen do this? He did it by having such unshakable faith and reliance in the Lord that he was able to "see" Him in the midst of the fire. Just like Moses, he "endured, as seeing Him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27)

A further example was the miracle of Job, who in spite of his incredible difficulties continued to cry out, "Though You slay me, yet will I trust You." (Job 13:15) And finally, there was Paul who, at times, felt lost, confused and bewildered because of the rejection, mockery, malicious gossip and persecutions that he experienced. He even came to a point of "despairing of life itself." (2
Corinthians 1:8) But the way Paul handled these things was not to give in to defeat but to believe and act out 2 Corinthians 4:8-9: "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, [so] that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body."

All these renowned men not only endured huge trials in their lives, but conquered them. And they did so by surrendering themselves even further to the Lord and recognizing the enemy's involvement. As a result, they were enabled to go on, filled with an inner peace that God's will was being accomplished.

One of the reasons God allows hard times in our lives is to strengthen our faith. (See our book Faith in the Night Seasons.) He arranges difficult situations so that we can see for ourselves how very weak our faith is. Remember in Deuteronomy 8:2, God reprimanded the Israelites, telling them that He had tested them so that they might see (for themselves) their own hearts and their own unbelief. God is constantly doing the same with us - testing, proving, stretching and enlarging our faith, because our faith is the foundation of our walk. Faith is what our worship is built upon.

It's also true that if our faith is weak, we won't be able to stand against the enemy of our souls. If our faith is strong, then there's no end to what God can do through us.

If we are not being "stretched," then we're not really growing at all! Real faith is made up of a series of choices - choices to cleanse our hearts of all sin and self; choices to trust God regardless of our circumstances; and, choices to rely upon His ability to implement His will in our lives. These are the same kinds of faith choices that Moses, Stephen, Job and Paul had to face in their
situations. At the time, they certainly didn't "feel like" making these choices, but they knew that their lives depended upon it, so "by faith" they made them anyway. And these are the same kinds of faith choices that we must make in order to have peace and joy in the middle of our trials.

Then we too can be troubled, perplexed, persecuted and cast down, but not distressed, in despair, forsaken or destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

The Battle is Not Ours, But the Lord's

God tells us in 2 Chronicles 20:15 that "the battle is not ours, but the Lord's." We must continually remember this. Otherwise, we'll end up confused and afraid.

Do you recall the story of Elijah, the great Old Testament prophet of God?

1 Kings 18 tells the story of a severe drought. In the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah, "Go and present yourself to King Ahab and tell him I will soon send rain." Elijah did as he was told and asked the king to bring all the people of Israel to Mt.Carmel, along with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 priests of Ashorah, who were supported by Jezebel, the king's wife. Elijah wanted to prove to them who the true God was. "If the Lord be God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him." (1 Kings 18:21) What happened next was that the pagan priests and prophets danced, wailed and cried all night long for their god to show his strength. But nothing happened. Then Elijah got up, called on the Name of the Lord and "fire immediately came down from heaven and consumed his offering." (1 Kings 18:38)

Elijah then slew the false prophets and was given supernatural strength to outrun King Ahab's chariot back to the city. As Scripture puts it, "The hand of the Lord was [mightily] upon Elijah." (1 Kings 18:46) But when King Ahab told his wife Jezebel all that Elijah had done, she was furious and sent a message back to the prophet, threatening his life. This letter made Elijah deathly afraid and he fled for his life. In the letter, Jezebel spoke just like an enemy, "You've had it; you've gone too far. The battle is now between you and me." (1 Kings 19:2)

The interesting part about this statement is that it really was the truth! The battle on Mount Carmel was not between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, but between good and evil, the Lord and the devil. It was a battle between the powers of darkness and God's body of believers ("light bearers") here on earth. Queen Jezebel represented Satan and his demonic hordes as his tool to bring disorder, confusion and turmoil. Elijah represented the Lord and His believers.

As a result of that vicious threat from Jezebel, Elijah (filled with fear) sat down outside the city gates and wailed to himself, "Only I am left. All the others have been slain and now they seek my life." (1 Kings 19:10) He accused the Lord by saying, "God, you let the devil get to me. You let him harass me. You let him take away my joy. I don't deserve such treatment. I have done
everything you told me to do."

This is the mighty prophet of God who just slew 750 prophets of Baal! Can you believe it? Is it any wonder then, that we too have our down days when the enemy's taunts consume us? As a result of Elijah's self-consumed thinking, he panicked, feared for his life, became depressed and eventually, prayed to die. (1 Kings 19:4)

Jezebel Today

I want you to really think about this story, because this is exactly what's happening to many believers today. Jezebel represents the enemy in the story of Elijah. She was his tool to bring confusion, disorder and turmoil into Elijah's life. And it almost worked. Well, in these end times, the spirit of Jezebel is back and she is trying to do the exact same thing in each of our lives. When we determine to surrender and live totally for God and learn to worship Him, she uses the same tactics she used with Elijah.

God warns us about the spirit of Jezebel in Revelation 2:19-22 when He speaks about the end-time Church of Thyatira, "...I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants..."

I believe Jezebel represents a seducing spirit that is at work among worshipers in these end times that desires to break our will and our spirit. Her goal is to rob us of our desire to serve the Lord and to quench our hope in God's faithfulness. If the spirit of Jezebel can make us think that God's Word is not true and that He is not faithful to perform what His promises, then our relationship with Him will immediately collapse. If the spirit of Jezebel can undermine our confidence in the Lord, she has us. The truth is, the Lord values His Word even above His Name. Thus, if He promises something in His Word, He will perform it no matter what.

Psalm 138:2 validates this: "I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy Name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy Name."

Jezebel wants to sidetrack us: from worshiping to worrying; from being on fire for the Lord to being lukewarm; and, from loving Him to doubting Him. She wants us caught up in the "Oh, poor me" syndrome, filled with self-pity and spiraling straight down into the pit.

When we begin to truly worship - entering His presence daily, vocally sharing our faith and acting as Christ would have us - then watch out! The spirit of Jezebel will use our loved ones, our friends and any situations she can create (any lies, fears, depression or confusion she can prompt) to take control of our lives.

Now when I say "take control," I don't mean "possession." If we are born again, then our heart and our spirit already belong to the Lord. But if we give the enemy "entrances" into our soul by doubt, unbelief or confusion, she will use them to her full advantage. The spirit of Jezebel did it with Elijah. She will do it with us.

It's one thing to stand up for Christ with our friends, our family and our co-workers, it's quite another to stand up against the forces of darkness. Let's see what we can glean from Elijah's experience.

Lessons From the Story of Elijah

There are many lessons that we can learn from the story of Elijah. Here are just a few:

Even if we run, God is still with us. (1 Kings 19:5-8)

In order for us to really battle Satan, we must know he is alive and very real.

In order to regain control, we must unmask the enemy's game plan. Only when we begin to truly understand what Jezebel is up to can we begin our walk back to freedom. Fear is what keeps us captive. It did Elijah and it will us also. (1 Kings 19:12-18)

Satan wants to use our emotions, our circumstances and our relationships to destroy us; God wants to use them to strengthen our faith. (Psalm 71)

We must listen to God's voice (1 King's 19:12) and take back control of our lives. When the Lord says: Why are you hiding, we must heed His call. When He says, Get up, don't run from Jezebel, we must obey.

Once Elijah realized what Jezebel was doing, he never again allowed her to capture his mind.

Whether we admit it or not, we are in an intense battle. God knows that if we are not "battle-ready," He can't commission us into the heavy artillery. (Jeremiah 12:5) He knows that if we are wearied in any way by the enemy, we'll never make it through the really tough times ahead. Thus, we have no other choice. Either we learn to fight as God desires or we'll end up like Elijah,
cowering in a corner.

Knowing our authority in Christ and how to fight the demonic in the spiritual realm is of utmost importance and must go alongside our learning to privately worship the Lord on a deeper and more intimate basis.

Labels: Teachings

Five (5) lessons to make you think about the way we treat people

1. First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed t o be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached?

It read:

"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away? God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3. Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies..

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4. Fourth Important ! Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5. Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare &serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."

NOW more than ever - Peace...Pass It On.....Pay It Forever...

Labels: Teachings

Five (5) lessons to make you think about the way we treat people

1. First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed t o be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached?

It read:

"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away? God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3. Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies..

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4. Fourth Important ! Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5. Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare &serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."

NOW more than ever - Peace...Pass It On.....Pay It Forever...

Labels: Teachings

Thanks for your time!!!

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls,
career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across
the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy
life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to
spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing
could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The
funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old
newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of
him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were
doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of
the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr Belser stepped in to make
sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," Jack said. "I wouldn't be in
this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me
things he thought were important . . . Mom, I'll be there for the
funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his
hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no
children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to
see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing
over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house
was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture,
every piece of furniture. Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," Jack said.

"What box?" Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I
must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell
me was, THE THING i VALUE MOST," Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered
it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had
taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better
get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from
work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required
on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within
the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day ;Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and
looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was
difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr.
Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open
the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands
shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack
Bennett. It's the thing I valued m ost in my life." A small key was taped
to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack
carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold
pocket watch.

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched
the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:

"Jack, Thanks for your time! - Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most was my time!"

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and
cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his
assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.

"Oh, by the way, Janet thanks for your time!"

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the
moments that take our breath away,"

Think about this. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

Send this letter to all the people you care about, if you do so, you
will certainly brighten someone's day and might change their perspective<>on life
- for the better.

To everyone I sent this to, "Thanks for your time!"
Remember: Time cost nothing, yet is so precious to every one, especially
people when they get old, so spend some time with your grandparents,
your folks and especially your children, they will never forget the time
you spend with them, it will mean so much to them.....and.....maybe when
you get old.....someone will spend time with you!

Life is like a coin, you can spend it anyway you wish, but you&n bsp;can only
spend it once. Do it wisely!

Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the
moments that take your breath away!

Labels: Sharing

Thanks for your time!!!

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls,
career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across
the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy
life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to
spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing
could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The
funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old
newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of
him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were
doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of
the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr Belser stepped in to make
sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," Jack said. "I wouldn't be in
this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me
things he thought were important . . . Mom, I'll be there for the
funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his
hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no
children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to
see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing
over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house
was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture,
every piece of furniture. Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," Jack said.

"What box?" Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I
must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell
me was, THE THING i VALUE MOST," Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered
it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had
taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better
get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from
work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required
on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within
the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day ;Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and
looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was
difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr.
Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open
the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands
shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack
Bennett. It's the thing I valued m ost in my life." A small key was taped
to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack
carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold
pocket watch.

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched
the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:

"Jack, Thanks for your time! - Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most was my time!"

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and
cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his
assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.

"Oh, by the way, Janet thanks for your time!"

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the
moments that take our breath away,"

Think about this. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

Send this letter to all the people you care about, if you do so, you
will certainly brighten someone's day and might change their perspective<>on life
- for the better.

To everyone I sent this to, "Thanks for your time!"
Remember: Time cost nothing, yet is so precious to every one, especially
people when they get old, so spend some time with your grandparents,
your folks and especially your children, they will never forget the time
you spend with them, it will mean so much to them.....and.....maybe when
you get old.....someone will spend time with you!

Life is like a coin, you can spend it anyway you wish, but you&n bsp;can only
spend it once. Do it wisely!

Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the
moments that take your breath away!

Labels: Sharing

Worship Leaders Training

Worship Leaders

Training

September 23, 2006 1:00PM to 10: PM

This training will be held @ Our Lady of Lourdes Parish CCRM Hall, Polomolok, South Cotabato

There is a Php 20.00 registration fee which includes snacks, dinner, and materials for the seminar.

This seminar is hosted by:

Praise & Worship Group

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Charismatic Community

For more information call /Text: 0910-241-7077

E-mail: meoloyajr@yahoo.com

Power Speakers:

Bro. Ervin Peligro - Coordinator OLLP-CCRM

Bro. Tirso Talo - A Noted Catechist & Head OLLP-CCRM Healing Ministry
Bro. Mods Oloya - Head Praise & Worship Group OLLP-CCRM
Bro. Rodel Bagarinao - A Teacher/Worship Leader
Bro. Mic Bilano - Head Singing Ministry OLLP-CCRM

Labels: Announcements

Worship Leaders Training

Worship Leaders

Training

September 23, 2006 1:00PM to 10: PM

This training will be held @ Our Lady of Lourdes Parish CCRM Hall, Polomolok, South Cotabato

There is a Php 20.00 registration fee which includes snacks, dinner, and materials for the seminar.

This seminar is hosted by:

Praise & Worship Group

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Charismatic Community

For more information call /Text: 0910-241-7077

E-mail: meoloyajr@yahoo.com

Power Speakers:

Bro. Ervin Peligro - Coordinator OLLP-CCRM

Bro. Tirso Talo - A Noted Catechist & Head OLLP-CCRM Healing Ministry
Bro. Mods Oloya - Head Praise & Worship Group OLLP-CCRM
Bro. Rodel Bagarinao - A Teacher/Worship Leader
Bro. Mic Bilano - Head Singing Ministry OLLP-CCRM

Labels: Announcements

Five (5) biblical purposes for small group setting

Connect (Fellowship)

We call this first biblical purpose "Connecting with God's Family." Also called "fellowship." Spiritual growth hinges upon a believer being connected to both God and his family. As it relates to small group ministry, we believe that members need to grow in their sense of belonging with others in the group. The small group must truly become family, authentic in relationships and support for one another.

Grow (Discipleship)

We use the phrase "Growing to Be Like Christ" to capture the essence of this purpose. Another word is good, old fashioned discipleship. For that to happen, people must grapple with the truths of Scripture. They must see how the Gospel makes a difference in their lives. It must lead to life change. Spiritual partnering is a fresh way to form accountability partners for discipleship. Small group members can cultivate a closer walk with God by simply discovering the "power of pairs."

Develop (Ministry)

"Developing Your Shape to Serve Others" is about unleashing small group members for ministry. Most want to know how God has uniquely shaped them for ministry. When the Holy Spirit transforms the heart of a seeker, he or she receives a capacity to serve others. Through the Lifetogether content is opportunities to make that desire a reality. Whether in the coaches training, the small group leader training, or the member curriculum—the Lifetogether strategy is help people identify their unique shape for ministry—and then to release it for service.

Share (Evangelism)

This purpose, "Sharing Your Life Mission," can freak some people out. It's a little scary. It's evangelism. Many skip over this purpose. It can feel relationally awkward or simply too much work. Yet one's life or one's small group isn't fully functional without this critical component. Lifetogether helps small groups implement evangelism into their water system through small steps. Sometimes it's simply prayer for a friend. Other times it might be encouraging a group member to bring over a meal to a neighbor who is going through a divorce. God calls all of us to reach out a hand to people who don't know him. A small group can make evangelism less scary and break done the process into small, doable actions.

Surrender (Worship)

"Surrendering Your Life for God's Pleasure" is one of the most powerful ways to help every small group member to open their hearts by opening their palms to God. A surrendered heart, worship, pleases God most. Through listening to worship CDs, singing together, reading psalms—a small group can live out this core biblical purpose. Worship
focuses the group upward, in praise and thanksgiving, to the God the Creator and Sustainer of life. It's tranformational.

Labels: Small Groups

Five (5) biblical purposes for small group setting

Connect (Fellowship)

We call this first biblical purpose "Connecting with God's Family." Also called "fellowship." Spiritual growth hinges upon a believer being connected to both God and his family. As it relates to small group ministry, we believe that members need to grow in their sense of belonging with others in the group. The small group must truly become family, authentic in relationships and support for one another.

Grow (Discipleship)

We use the phrase "Growing to Be Like Christ" to capture the essence of this purpose. Another word is good, old fashioned discipleship. For that to happen, people must grapple with the truths of Scripture. They must see how the Gospel makes a difference in their lives. It must lead to life change. Spiritual partnering is a fresh way to form accountability partners for discipleship. Small group members can cultivate a closer walk with God by simply discovering the "power of pairs."

Develop (Ministry)

"Developing Your Shape to Serve Others" is about unleashing small group members for ministry. Most want to know how God has uniquely shaped them for ministry. When the Holy Spirit transforms the heart of a seeker, he or she receives a capacity to serve others. Through the Lifetogether content is opportunities to make that desire a reality. Whether in the coaches training, the small group leader training, or the member curriculum—the Lifetogether strategy is help people identify their unique shape for ministry—and then to release it for service.

Share (Evangelism)

This purpose, "Sharing Your Life Mission," can freak some people out. It's a little scary. It's evangelism. Many skip over this purpose. It can feel relationally awkward or simply too much work. Yet one's life or one's small group isn't fully functional without this critical component. Lifetogether helps small groups implement evangelism into their water system through small steps. Sometimes it's simply prayer for a friend. Other times it might be encouraging a group member to bring over a meal to a neighbor who is going through a divorce. God calls all of us to reach out a hand to people who don't know him. A small group can make evangelism less scary and break done the process into small, doable actions.

Surrender (Worship)

"Surrendering Your Life for God's Pleasure" is one of the most powerful ways to help every small group member to open their hearts by opening their palms to God. A surrendered heart, worship, pleases God most. Through listening to worship CDs, singing together, reading psalms—a small group can live out this core biblical purpose. Worship
focuses the group upward, in praise and thanksgiving, to the God the Creator and Sustainer of life. It's tranformational.

Labels: Small Groups

The Five (5) "M’s" Every Leader Should Know

1. Minister to the needs of your members.

Okay, so that may seem obvious, but one of the critical roles of a small group leader is to shepherd the people in your group. Does the word "shepherd" scare you? It shouldn't. God has provided you with the gifts and abilities to care for those in your small group.

In a healthy small group, the members, as well as the leaders, must be "healthy." In fact, I would say that the success of your small group depends on its health. A healthy small group integrates all 5 biblical purposes into its life(Click Here) but it's the leader's job to establish the biblical purpose of "fellowship" within the first few weeks of your group's existence.

As the small group leader, you need to pray for and "love on" each member of the group. That means making sure people feel connected with other members in the group, being attentive to what people say in the group - perhaps, for example, you may sense after the first several meetings that one couple in the group is struggling in their marriage. Your job as a leader is to pray for them. After you develop a deeper friendship with the couple, you may even suggest talking to a pastor or Christian counselor.

My point, simply, is that as the shepherd of the small group you need "eyes" to see the needs of your group.

2. Mentor their spiritual maturity.

An effective small group leader seeks to cultivate the spiritual habits of his or her group.

And how do you do that?

You must first know the condition of your "sheep"-those under your care. In the back of your mind, as you lead the group, you need to ask this for each person in the group, "What is the next step in his or her spiritual maturity?"

For an unmarried couple who is living together, they need to get married! That's their next logical step in obedience to Christ. For others, it may be baptism. Others may need to learn how to give or focus on their family or attend church more regularly or step up their service in the church or community.

3. Motivate the "shape" (spiritual gifts) of your members for
ministry.

You, as the leader of the group, must model this principle. It's the "trickle down" approach to spiritual maturity. What your members see in you is what they begin to emulate in their lives.

Do your members know what your spiritual gifts are? Do they know you have the gift of leadership? Have you described to them your pathway in becoming a small group leader?

Are your group members growing in their gifts? Where are they serving now? Where should they be serving in 6 months or a year?

One of the key "shepherding" functions of a small group leader is to motivate each member to harness his or her spiritual gifts for service in God's kingdom.

4. Multiply the life and mission of your members.

It's not enough for your members to stay members. Every member must become a multiplier—to multiply their life through passing on the faith to others, through starting a new small group, through training others to assist in the development of the small group.

As a small group leader, your vision must be to see your group collectively—and its members individually—to take the next logical step in development. There must always be movement—growth towards reaching the mission of God's kingdom.

That may mean training another set of leaders to launch another small group. Or it may mean making sure the "empty chair" is always filled. Or, it may mean that you challenge group members to make a difference in their daily lives or profession.

Your role is to pour your life into your group members, so that they will pour their lives into others.

5. Model a surrendered heart.

Pride and arrogance and worldly leadership have no place in a small group. Never forget that what is happening in your group is the work of God Almighty. Not you.

If your leadership is effective, if your shepherding is making a difference in the lives of your members, expect spiritual warfare. That is, expect conflict, struggles, and trials. Satan loves to strangle healthy small groups through, for example, petty conflicts among members.

That's when you, the leader, need most to model a surrendered, humble attitude.

God works best in our weakness—when things are blowing apart—that's when God is strong. What is your Isaac? That is, what do you need to lay down on the altar to be consumed by the fire of God's presence? God loves the confessions and prayers of a broken and contrite heart. Worship God no matter what your circumstances with a thankful and hopeful heart. Your soul—and the very health of your small group—is at stake.

Labels: Small Groups

The Five (5) "M’s" Every Leader Should Know

1. Minister to the needs of your members.

Okay, so that may seem obvious, but one of the critical roles of a small group leader is to shepherd the people in your group. Does the word "shepherd" scare you? It shouldn't. God has provided you with the gifts and abilities to care for those in your small group.

In a healthy small group, the members, as well as the leaders, must be "healthy." In fact, I would say that the success of your small group depends on its health. A healthy small group integrates all 5 biblical purposes into its life(Click Here) but it's the leader's job to establish the biblical purpose of "fellowship" within the first few weeks of your group's existence.

As the small group leader, you need to pray for and "love on" each member of the group. That means making sure people feel connected with other members in the group, being attentive to what people say in the group - perhaps, for example, you may sense after the first several meetings that one couple in the group is struggling in their marriage. Your job as a leader is to pray for them. After you develop a deeper friendship with the couple, you may even suggest talking to a pastor or Christian counselor.

My point, simply, is that as the shepherd of the small group you need "eyes" to see the needs of your group.

2. Mentor their spiritual maturity.

An effective small group leader seeks to cultivate the spiritual habits of his or her group.

And how do you do that?

You must first know the condition of your "sheep"-those under your care. In the back of your mind, as you lead the group, you need to ask this for each person in the group, "What is the next step in his or her spiritual maturity?"

For an unmarried couple who is living together, they need to get married! That's their next logical step in obedience to Christ. For others, it may be baptism. Others may need to learn how to give or focus on their family or attend church more regularly or step up their service in the church or community.

3. Motivate the "shape" (spiritual gifts) of your members for
ministry.

You, as the leader of the group, must model this principle. It's the "trickle down" approach to spiritual maturity. What your members see in you is what they begin to emulate in their lives.

Do your members know what your spiritual gifts are? Do they know you have the gift of leadership? Have you described to them your pathway in becoming a small group leader?

Are your group members growing in their gifts? Where are they serving now? Where should they be serving in 6 months or a year?

One of the key "shepherding" functions of a small group leader is to motivate each member to harness his or her spiritual gifts for service in God's kingdom.

4. Multiply the life and mission of your members.

It's not enough for your members to stay members. Every member must become a multiplier—to multiply their life through passing on the faith to others, through starting a new small group, through training others to assist in the development of the small group.

As a small group leader, your vision must be to see your group collectively—and its members individually—to take the next logical step in development. There must always be movement—growth towards reaching the mission of God's kingdom.

That may mean training another set of leaders to launch another small group. Or it may mean making sure the "empty chair" is always filled. Or, it may mean that you challenge group members to make a difference in their daily lives or profession.

Your role is to pour your life into your group members, so that they will pour their lives into others.

5. Model a surrendered heart.

Pride and arrogance and worldly leadership have no place in a small group. Never forget that what is happening in your group is the work of God Almighty. Not you.

If your leadership is effective, if your shepherding is making a difference in the lives of your members, expect spiritual warfare. That is, expect conflict, struggles, and trials. Satan loves to strangle healthy small groups through, for example, petty conflicts among members.

That's when you, the leader, need most to model a surrendered, humble attitude.

God works best in our weakness—when things are blowing apart—that's when God is strong. What is your Isaac? That is, what do you need to lay down on the altar to be consumed by the fire of God's presence? God loves the confessions and prayers of a broken and contrite heart. Worship God no matter what your circumstances with a thankful and hopeful heart. Your soul—and the very health of your small group—is at stake.

Labels: Small Groups

6 Steps to Enjoying Your True Wealth

How to Be More Emotionally Present to Your FamilyNo Matter How Busy You Are
6 Steps to Enjoying Your True Wealth
By Bo Sanchez

We were going to Hong Kong that day. I was going to preach for three days but had two extra days to be with my family.

Picture us at the airport: My wife carrying our baby in her arms, myeldest son bouncing about like a rabbit and announcing to the whole world, "I'm going to Hong Kong Disneyland!" And the poor skinny father? Straining to push eight massive bags on a wobbly cart with a stubborn right wheel. (I've noticed that these deranged carts supernaturally end up with me wherever I go.)

That was when we heard the crying. Correction. Not crying. But spine-chilling, lung-busting screaming.

Two kids were holding onto their mother. They were separated byfour-foot tall steel bars. But to those distraught children, those steel bars represented two years of being without their mother - the contract of a domestic helper in Hong Kong.

Four small arms clutching, grabbing, not letting go. The whole world heard their pleading scream, "Mommy, please don't go! Please don't go!" I'll never forget the mother's pained, tortured face - as though a knife was ripping through her body.

My wife cried openly. I wept inside and held onto my kids more closely.

That was two days ago.

Yesterday, the story continued...

Those Small Arms Continue to Reach OutYesterday was Sunday.And I walked around Central.If you don't know Hong Kong, Central is where thousands upon thousands of Filipina Domestic Helpers congregate. They sit on sidewalks. They sit on overpasses. They sit by storefronts.I walked passed one woman who was reading a handwritten letter.The handwriting was obviously a child's penmanship. I walked passed another listening to a little cassette player - not to listen to music - but to a voice of a kid telling stories.

But what broke my heart was the news given to me by Shirley, the head of one organization that tries to help them get financial education. I was shocked by what she said. "Brother Bo, out of our 700 members who are married, 80% are already separated from their husbands."

Families aren't designed for prolonged separation.

They're not just made for that. We're supposed to spend time together.

6 Steps to Spending More Time with Your Family No Matter How Busy You Are

"Bo, why are you telling me this? I'm not in Hong Kong. I'mliving with my family under one roof."Listen. Yes, you're not in Hong Kong.But if you don't have time for your family - and your heart is notfocused on them - you might as well be in another country.You could be physically present - but are you emotionally present aswell?
Let me share with you five important steps you could take to become more emotionally present with them...

Step #1: Be Close.

I'm still in Hong Kong as I write this piece.It's five in the morning as I type this article in bed.And my little family is literally around me because we're all sleepingon one bed. Yes, we've become one mass jumble of intertwined humanity - our limbs, legs and arms crisscrossing each other.And that's when I realize - gosh, I don't know how blessed I am.Why? Here I am with my family. I feel their skin. I smell their scents. We're so close, I feel their breath.

And yet I'm surrounded by 148,000 domestic helpers here in Hong Kong that have been away from their families for months, for years, for decades. And for those who've separated - forever.
Let me say it again: We don't know how blessed we are.

We complain that our families are nutty. But we don't understanding how blessed we are to have them close enough to experience their nuttiness. We complain about our petty quarrels, our cold wars, ourdysfunctionality. But whose family isn't dysfunctional?

I've talked to some people here in Hong Kong who would give anything to be with their families again - even for just one day of nuttiness. The first step is to be more emotionally present to your family is to actually be physically present to them. Be close!You need to know how precious your family is - and treat them that way. You need to see them as your true wealth - that nothing is more precious than your relationships.

Step #2: Be Deliberate.
Because you need to protect this treasure or they get stolen from you.No matter how busy I am, I schedule a weekly romantic date with my spouse. Yes, I actually write it down in my appointment book and treat it like a meeting with the President of the Philippines. These weekly nights are blocked off for the entire year. Nothing can touch it, except some dire emergency.
Why? Because if my marriage fails, everything else stands to fail aswell: My ministry, my businesses, my soul... So it is an emergency that I bring her out every week.I also schedule a weekly date with my kids.I believe parents need to do these one-on-one dates with each of theirkids.Unless of course you've got 18 children and may need to bring them out by two's or three's.Sometimes my son and I just walk around the village and talk.It doesn't have to be big. But swapping stories and opening our heartsto one another on a consistent basis is already very big to them. Itmeans they matter to you - that you value them - and you'll see theirself-esteem grow.

Step #3: Be Expressive.

I tell my wife "I love you" seven times a day.I hug my kids countless of times a day.At night, I tell my kids, "I'm so proud you're my son. I'mso proud I'm your Daddy. You're a genius. You're a lovingboy. You're an incredibly gifted young man..."This is true. I have met 40-year olds who long to hear these words from their parents - "I'm proud of you," and feel an empty space- like a gaping wound in their souls because their parents have nevertold them this.Don't do that to your kids.And before I forget: Praise your kids seven times a day.And praise your spouse seven times a day.I'm not kidding. It will revolutionize your marriage.If I say, "Criticize your spouse seven times a day," I bet you'dsay, "Kaunti naman. I do that already." But that's the problem.We don't realize that when we criticize our spouses, we actually destroy our marriage bit by bit - not just our spouses.But when you praise and honor your spouse - you build up your marriage.

It can be very simple stuff:

Ang sarap ng luto mo ngayon, Hon. I thank God He gave you to me.You're so hardworking.I love it when I see you play with the kids.You know how to make me happy.Ganda mo ngayon.
Keep on doing this and you'll see changes in your life and your marriage you thought were not possible.

Let me say it again: Praise your spouse - and your children - seventimes a day.

Step #4: Be Deep.
Your weekly dates shouldn't just be watching movies, eating out and going home.Talk deep.Talk about your feelings.Enter into each other's worlds. Dive into each other's dreams, hurts,desires, worries, hopes and burdens.When you open yourself up to your spouse or your child, there are more chances for the other person to open up to you.

Step #5: Be Simple
Yesterday afternoon, I preached to 700 people in Hong Kong.I usually give my talks for 45 minutes. That's been my trademark.But yesterday, I gave a solid two-hour talk. Vein-popping,heart-pounding, passion-driven talk - because I had a burden in my heart.
Because I preached on Financial Literacy.

I challenged them, "Raise your financial I.Q.!"I scolded them, "When you left the Philippines, you told your kids, 'Anak, two years of separation lang 'to. After two years, Mommy will have saved enough and will go home and we'll be together again.' But after two years, you go home and you haven't saved. Because you repainted the house. Because there's a new TV set in the living room and a new gas range in the kitchen. Because the kids have new designer rubber shoes. I taught them how to live simply and ruthlessly save 20% of their income.

Because unless they do this, they will be forever trapped in Hong Kong.

Look at your life.Are you living simply?Are you saving 20% of your income?

Step #6: Be Financially Intelligent
I also taught them where to invest.I told them, "It's not enough to just save. You need to know whereto put your money. Because savings accounts at 1% and time deposits at 5% won't do. Inflation - which is at 7% - will simply eat them up."So I taught them about mutual funds and other investment vehicles,including the ability to sell something and get into business.
Here's the truth: The more you know about money, the less time you need to make money. So the more time you have for your family.Actually, a time should come when you don't need to make money. Instead, you let money make money. And that requires financial intelligence. Read. Attend seminars. Look for mentors.

Step 7 : Go Home.

After giving my talk, I took a deep breath and told my audience in Hong Kong, "When you follow these principles and have saved enough - please go home. Please go home to your children."I made a lot of people cry that day.

I'm telling you the same thing.

Oh yes, you may be living with your family in one house, but it'spossible that your heart is so far away from your spouse and kids - and they are far away from you as well.

You need to let your heart go home.

Go home my friend.

Your heart belongs there.

Labels: Family