2 Cor 11:1-15; Psalm 48

2 Cor 11:1-15
In this passage Paul expresses that he feels foolish having to rehearse his credentials once again, but he is still trying to rescue the Corinthian believers from false teachers. He urges them to be loyal to Christ alone and not put up with false teachers who preach "a different Jesus...or a different kind of Spirit...or a different kind of gospel" than the one they had believed. If Eve could lose her focus by listening to a distracting voice, then we certainly are not immune to divided loyalties. vv. 1-4

How can we avoid being swayed by smooth talk that seems to make sense? We must be students of God's Word; we need to be learning from it every day; and we need to consider it the final authority. As we grow in the Word, the Holy Spirit who is the Teacher within us will warn us that something is "off" or He will assure us that "yes, this is right and good."

We are to be on the lookout for "deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ." v. 13 This should not surprise us because "even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness." vv. 14-15

Key questions to ask of any teacher are these, "Does he or she believe and teach that Jesus Christ is God who came into the world to save people from their sins? Does he or she believe and teach that Jesus is the only way to heaven? Is the teaching consistent with God's written Word?"

Psalm 48
God's presence is our joy whether we are in His Temple in Jerusalem as was this psalmist or whether we are in our own homes as I am now! He is a great God, and He deserves our praise. v. 1, 10

The Jerusalem of this psalm may be a symbol of heaven, the "New Jerusalem" of Revelation 21.  "It is the city of our God; he will make it safe forever. v. 8  

V. 9 reminds us to meditate on God's unfailing love. No human loves us like He does. No one can care for us like God does. We are to think about Him and His love and strength in our lives and remember, "For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die." v. 14  We are not left to our own devices. God is our Map (guiding us by His Word) and our Companion (in the form of the Holy Spirit) along the way to help us "read the map." We might liken Him to a kind of perfect "Heavenly GPS"!