Saturday, December 16, 2006

Peace, Not as the World Gives

Luke 2:10,11, "Don't be afraid, because I am bringing you some good news. It will be a joy to all the people. Today your Savior was born in David's town. He is Christ, the Lord."

Luke 2:13,14, "Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel. All the angels were praising God, saying: 'Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please God.'"

Isaiah 9:6, "A child will be born to us. God will give a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace."

John 14:27, (Jesus answered,) "I leave you peace. My peace I give to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be troubled. Don't be afraid."

Satan offers a counterfeit peace to the world, and many times Christians are deceived into accepting this idea as Truth from the Lord. However, let us not believe the lie that our cunning enemy forces upon us. The Bible tells us that there will always be wars and rumors of war (Matt. 24:6), and that we are not to be afraid. No, peace between nations is not the peace the Lord came to give.

The source of "Peace on Earth Goodwill Toward Men" that the Bible talks about is none other than Jesus Christ, Who is the Prince of Peace. God sent Jesus to us in order to reconcile the people of the world to the Father. As we are reconciled, we receive the peace that the holy angels announced on that hillside so long ago. True peace in this world only exists through Christ Jesus, the Son of God.

Be a reconciler. Take every opportunity during this Christmas season to share your peace with others. Be ready to give account of the hope that lies within you. Our hope is only through Jesus, Whose birth we are celebrating, and our expectation is eternal life.

Love, Karen

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

A Brief Reminder: We Are in a Battle

I would like to review again the central theme of this study. Eve was deceived in the Garden of Eden and as women we, too, are susceptible to the lies of Satan. The same enemy offers the same luring technics to us as He did in that garden so long ago.

As we are well aware, Satan will drop a subtle idea into the mind of even the most thriving Christian woman. Be sure to note that the idea is not from the Lord if it produces doubt and fear. You must recognize it for what it is -- a lie -- and you must deal with it the way in which we have been learning in this study. The following is a simplified version of the steps we must take every time as we do battle for the Truth:

1. Pray to the Lord.
Ask the Lord to protect you from the Lies of this world. Humble yourself before Him and acknowledge that you need God's grace in order to walk in Truth.

2. Learn to Recognize the Truth versus the Lie.
Anytime we receive input that is not consistent with the Word of God, we can be certain that Satan is trying to deceive us.

3. Go to the Word of God.
The Bible is God's Truth and as we read, meditate, and memorize, we actually are able to push out the Lies. It's vital that we go to the Word daily and continually fill ourselves with His Holy Scriptures.

4. Apply the Recently-Learned Truth.
Accept God's grace and choose to take action on the Truth you have learned.

Pray This Prayer.
Lord Jesus, as I continue to study and apply myself to wisdom, give me the strength to do what you want me to do. I don't want to make excuses, or blame others for my behavior; instead, I confess that I am to blame for my iniquities. I am asking you to fill me with your Spirit and produce in me a deep desire to walk in your ways. Forgive me, Lord, for my pride and selfishness and cleanse me of my sin. I need you, Jesus. I cannot walk in Your Truth if I don't know it, and I cannot know it if I don't read Your Word. By Your grace, help me to break loose of the lies and live in freedom, for apart for You, I can do nothing. I love You, Lord. Amen.

Love, Karen

Friday, December 8, 2006

Sufficient to Cover All of Our Sins

Christmastime seems like a very appropriate season to discuss a sinner's need for Christ. Are you ready to go hunting for treasure? Good. Let's have a look at some Scriptures:

Isaiah 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

John 1:29, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'"

Romans 6:10, "For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God."

Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

These verses should be wonderfully comforting to us, for the Truth of them makes the prince of this world cringe and cower with fear. We must understand that the devil will do all that he can to deceive us and cause us to believe that our sin is too big for God to forgive. Nothing could be more untrue.

At the right time, God sent His only son in the form of a tiny Jewish Baby. He was delivered in a small, cave-like dwelling that housed the inn-keeper's farm animals. In this humble way, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords arrived to be cared for by human parents, who were full of faith in their God. May we never forget the Truth of the Gospel.

But, why? Why did He have to come?

The arrival of Jesus interrupted the sure consequence of sin. The plan of our Heavenly Father began its fulfillment the night Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The long-awaited Messiah finally came to this earth, and His mission was to die and shed His blood so that every one of our sins would be erased. He came for you; He came for me.

The blood of Christ is sufficient to cover all of our sin. There is need of nothing else. He has forgiven every sin that we have ever committed and all we have to do is receive it.

What does God's forgiveness of your sins mean to you?

It means that you can live your life with no fear. Your burdens can be lifted, and you can walk joyfully with your God. As you humbly submit yourself to be God's "slave of righteousness," you will actually experience a freedom you have never known before. "But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life."

Lord, to walk in your holiness is something I could never have attained, except through Jesus. Thank you for sending your son to die that I might walk in freedom and have eternal life. Amen.

Love, Karen

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Consider the Law of the Harvest

Lies come to us in varying degrees of subtlety. However, our enemy knows how to make even the most obvious lie into a palatable idea in our minds. We will mull over a thought and eventually be convinced that a blatant untruth is really an acceptable conclusion, even in the sight of God. This is deception. The source of deception is always Satan, and his goal is to ensnare Christian women into acting on the lies that we have been tricked into believing.

Let us address two similar lies that we may have faced:

1. "I can sin and get away with it."

2. "My sin isn't really that bad."

If we have believed both or either one of these lies, it reveals that, foundationally, we have built our thoughts around a mistaken understanding of God's Law. Let me show you what I mean by having us read the following passage in Galatians 6 (Phillips Translatioin) :

"Don't be under any illusion: you cannot make a fool of God! A man's harvest in life will depend entirely on what he sows. If he sows for his own lower nature his harvest will be the decay and death of his own nature. But if he sows for the Spirit he will reap the harvest of everlasting life from that Spirit. Let us not grow tired of doing good, for unless we throw in our hand, the ultimate harvest is assured."

The above verses describe for us the reality of God's Law of the Harvest, a law that was established at creation. It is as true and evident as the law of gravity, which says, "what goes up must come down."

The serpent lied to Eve in the garden by making light of God's instructions and by minimalizing the consequences of disobedience to Him. We must understand that sin has grave results and we must never be fooled into thinking otherwise. Another truth that we should prepare for is that we will reap the consequences of forgiven sin, also. It is the Law of the Harvest.

When we make a mistake, when we trip and fall, we are vindicated. The Lord Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins, and we must run to Him as just David did. We must go to Him with a sincerely contrite heart, and He will restore our fellowship with Him.

1 John 1:9, "But if we freely admit that we have sinned, we find him reliable and just -- he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil."

Lord Jesus, make me know the gravity of sin, so that I might walk away from temptation. I want to be aware of Your Truth and walk in it. Please, guard my mind and help me desire only Your righteousness. Amen.

Love, Karen

Sunday, December 3, 2006

Defining Sin

As women who desire a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father, we must understand the meaning and nature of sin. We must learn what sin really is and call it by its true name. For instance, we must recognize that at times our "concern" is actually "worry." We know that, according to the Word of God, to worry is sin, but we tell ourselves that to be concerned is only compassion! When we fail to recognize and call sin by its true name, then we will not be alarmed by the evil of it.

David knew the severity of sin, and understood that his offenses were truly against God. When He looked at His sin through God's eyes, David began to hate it and he grieved over his actions. His only relief was to beg for his Heavenly Father's cleansing and forgiveness.

Psalm 51:

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight -- that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart -- These, O God, You will not despise.

Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then they shall offer bulls on Your alter.

In our Books
For the next two weeks, we will be reading and studying chapter four, "Lies Women Believe About Sin." Therefore, it is going to be very important that we define "sin." We will find that the Scriptures, God's Word of Truth, gives us the best definitions:

1 John 3:4
"Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness."

1 John 5:17
"All unrighteousness is sin..."

James 4:17
"Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."

May the Lord guide us this week as we face the reality of the sin in our lives. May we realize the seriousness of it. May the Lord give us the wisdom to see sin the way He sees it, and may He grant us mercy.

Love, Karen