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Silence
1. Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence
2. Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace. Exhale your worries.
Praise and Thanksgiving
1. Think through your day, all the times that made you smile
2. Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people
3. Open your heart to praise the Lord
Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power. Psalm 21:1
Confession and repentance
1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in you:
“Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
“Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
2. Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:
"Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sin to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gift to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."
"Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sin to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gift to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."
The Word
Matthew 7:15-20
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly areravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"
My Listening
Reflect on these questions:
3. Where can you find the answer from this passage that those leaders are real servants and prophets of God?
Yesterday we got the first warning. Today we have the second warning. We need to have a new discernment that we know who to follow. For the people in the Old Testament time, they followed those prophets. How did they know they were real prophets sent by God? They waited until those prophecy happened. But, what if it was about a few hundred years after?
Jesus has a better method. He asks us to look at the life of a person just like to look at a tree. If you can see healthy and good fruit on that tree then they are true prophets.
Jesus has a better method. He asks us to look at the life of a person just like to look at a tree. If you can see healthy and good fruit on that tree then they are true prophets.
The warning Jesus wants to give us today is a practical one. I have seen too many leaders leading people not to the Kingdom of heaven but to some wrong places. We really need to ask for this discernment so that we won't follow the wrong guy and that we won't become the wrong guy leading people away from Jesus.
I have seen quite a number of famous Christian leaders who have lots of followers. The fact is, those people are not following Jesus but just to follow those famous leaders. And, once those leaders got into trouble or retired then the whole ministry collapsed. How can it happen if those people are following Jesus?
Yes, you need to pray and ask for this new discernment that you have those leaders who points Jesus to you and not themselves.
I have seen quite a number of famous Christian leaders who have lots of followers. The fact is, those people are not following Jesus but just to follow those famous leaders. And, once those leaders got into trouble or retired then the whole ministry collapsed. How can it happen if those people are following Jesus?
Yes, you need to pray and ask for this new discernment that you have those leaders who points Jesus to you and not themselves.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be able to have that discernment to know who are the true prophets and who are the false prophets so that we can follow you. Help us to become your servants that people can come to you through us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Reflect on these questions:
1. Do you have this new discernment that you know those you follow are from God? Is it difficult for you to know who is from God and who is not? How so?
2.