Seeing Myself as God Sees Me
Chapter 3 -- Pages 63-67
The first lie we may believe about ourselves has to do with our worth. Many of us feel inferior and worthless. The problem arises when we allow others to decide our value instead of accepting the Truth that, if we are in Christ, we are dearly loved children of God.
It's important to know that God's perspective of you and me is very different than what we may have heard on the playground when we were children, or from a coach in school, or from a parent because of anger or stress.
Instead of continuing to be negatively influenced by those lies from the past, let's learn from the Word what God's assessment is.
What does the Lord think about us?
Psalm 139:16-18 (The Message)
"Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them— any more than I could count the sand of the sea."
Romans 8:1-2 (The Message)
"With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death."
1 Peter 2:9 (The Message)
"But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted."
In Christ, we have been transformed "from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted."
We have value.
That's the Truth.
Love, Karen
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Believing the Truth About God
Continuing to Trust Him
Chapter 2 -- Pages 54-61
In a very real sense, whatever lies people believe about God will affect how they approach everything else in life.
For example, if you doubt God's ultimate goodness, then you will be prone to discouragement and bitterness. You may wander outside of God's will to look for acceptance and love, and instead find yourself surrounded by pain and disillusionment.
In contrast to the way of uncertainty, let's focus on what the Bible tells us about God. Our belief system must be grounded in what the Bible says. God's Word contains the Truth about Him and, therefore, gives us a firm foundation on which to stand.
By searching out the Scriptures, we will find the Truth that will expose the lies that we have believed or that we have been tempted to believe.
Let's look at the final three lies in Chapter 2.
4. The lie: God is not really enough.
The Truth: God is enough. If I have Him, I have all I need.
Psalm 23:1, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."
5. The lie: God's ways are too restrictive.
The Truth: God's ways are best.
Deut. 6:24-25, "And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us."
6. The lie: God should fix my problems.
The Truth: Life is hard.
Romans 6:21-22, "...because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now."
The Truth: God has an eternal purpose He is fulfilling the the midst of my problems.
James 1:2-4, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
A Final Thought
According to James 1:21-25, it is not enough to hear the Truth. We must obey the Truth and allow it to become a part of the way we think and live. If we obey the Truth of God's Word, we will be blessed in all that we do.
Love, Karen
Chapter 2 -- Pages 54-61
In a very real sense, whatever lies people believe about God will affect how they approach everything else in life.
For example, if you doubt God's ultimate goodness, then you will be prone to discouragement and bitterness. You may wander outside of God's will to look for acceptance and love, and instead find yourself surrounded by pain and disillusionment.
In contrast to the way of uncertainty, let's focus on what the Bible tells us about God. Our belief system must be grounded in what the Bible says. God's Word contains the Truth about Him and, therefore, gives us a firm foundation on which to stand.
By searching out the Scriptures, we will find the Truth that will expose the lies that we have believed or that we have been tempted to believe.
Let's look at the final three lies in Chapter 2.
4. The lie: God is not really enough.
The Truth: God is enough. If I have Him, I have all I need.
Psalm 23:1, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."
5. The lie: God's ways are too restrictive.
The Truth: God's ways are best.
Deut. 6:24-25, "And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us."
6. The lie: God should fix my problems.
The Truth: Life is hard.
Romans 6:21-22, "...because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now."
The Truth: God has an eternal purpose He is fulfilling the the midst of my problems.
James 1:2-4, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
A Final Thought
According to James 1:21-25, it is not enough to hear the Truth. We must obey the Truth and allow it to become a part of the way we think and live. If we obey the Truth of God's Word, we will be blessed in all that we do.
Love, Karen
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Trusting God
What We Believe About God
Chapter 2 -- Pages 46-53
What we believe about God is foundational to our whole belief system. If we have wrong thinking about God, we will have wrong thinking about everything else. What we believe about God determines the way we live. If we believe things about Him that aren't true, we will eventually act on those lies and end up in bondage.
Many times, we do not even realize that we're believing a particular lie. I'm asking you to think about these carefully, pray to the Lord and ask Him to show you, and then prayerfully reflect. After that, if you recognize one that has deceived you:
Name it,
Confess it,
Repent of it,
Take in the Bible Verse that is the Truth.
Remember, the Truth exposes the lie for what it is and loosens the grip that the lie has had on you. Read the verse that reveals the falsehood you have believed, even memorize it, and keep it in front of you.
Start with this one:
1. The Lie: God is not really good.
The Truth: God is good, and everything He does is good.
Psalm 106:1, "Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
2. The Lie: God doesn't love me.
The Truth: God's love for me is infinite and unconditional.
Romans 8: 38-39, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
3. The Lie: God is just like my father.
The Truth: God is exactly what He has revealed Himself to be in His Word.
John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God."
The Washing of The Word
The rest of Chapter Two includes three more lies that women believe about God, and we'll get to those in the next post. Meanwhile, ladies, continue reading daily in your Bibles. As we get to know the Word intimately, we'll recognize the "counterfeit" for what it is.
Ephesians 5:25-27, "...Just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."
Chapter 2 -- Pages 46-53
What we believe about God is foundational to our whole belief system. If we have wrong thinking about God, we will have wrong thinking about everything else. What we believe about God determines the way we live. If we believe things about Him that aren't true, we will eventually act on those lies and end up in bondage.
Many times, we do not even realize that we're believing a particular lie. I'm asking you to think about these carefully, pray to the Lord and ask Him to show you, and then prayerfully reflect. After that, if you recognize one that has deceived you:
Name it,
Confess it,
Repent of it,
Take in the Bible Verse that is the Truth.
Remember, the Truth exposes the lie for what it is and loosens the grip that the lie has had on you. Read the verse that reveals the falsehood you have believed, even memorize it, and keep it in front of you.
Start with this one:
1. The Lie: God is not really good.
The Truth: God is good, and everything He does is good.
Psalm 106:1, "Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
2. The Lie: God doesn't love me.
The Truth: God's love for me is infinite and unconditional.
Romans 8: 38-39, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
3. The Lie: God is just like my father.
The Truth: God is exactly what He has revealed Himself to be in His Word.
John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God."
The Washing of The Word
The rest of Chapter Two includes three more lies that women believe about God, and we'll get to those in the next post. Meanwhile, ladies, continue reading daily in your Bibles. As we get to know the Word intimately, we'll recognize the "counterfeit" for what it is.
Ephesians 5:25-27, "...Just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Steps Toward Freedom
Changing Direction
Chapter 1 -- Pages 40-41
Throughout this study, we are going to be identifying and practicing three steps as we move from bondage to freedom. As a matter of fact, we'll review them so many times that you'll know them by memory!
Before we begin, however, let's remind ourselves the reason it's important to move forward in them.
2 Peter 2:19b, "for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him."
John 8:32 "Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"
Simply put, You are a servant to your sin. You must do what it tells you to do. You will stay this way for the rest of your life unless you ask Jesus to come in and take over. When you ask Jesus to be your Master, He takes you seriously.
The Lord will show you the Truth so that you can walk in freedom!
Are You Ready? Let's Go!
1. Identify the area(s) of bondage of sinful behavior.
What are the issues in your life where you are not living in freedom as a child of God? Once you pinpoint those areas, please don't just try to eliminate them. You may have already tried that, only to fail. It's because you must shovel out the root -- which leads us to the next step!
2. Identify the lie(s) at the root of that bondage or behavior.
What lies have you listened to, believed, and acted on that have put you in this state? The answer may not be immediately apparent. So, you must go to the Lord. Ask Him to help you see what you have been believing that is not true.
3. Replace the lie(s) with the Truth.
Satan is a powerful enemy. His primary weapon is deception. His lies are powerful. But there is something even more powerful than Satan's lies -- and that is the Truth.
This is why it is so important to put a name to the lie. Once you have done this and repented of believing it, you have an effective weapon to overcome deception -- the weapon of Truth.
A Victorious Turning Point
Ladies, I'm praying for all of you that the Holy Spirit will reveal exactly what He wants you to know this week. We are not approaching this study in a way that commands an over-night success rate. No, many times the lies that permeate are ones that have taken a life-time to worm in.
However, if you are diligent and sincere in your quest for freedom, then the Lord will bless you with with His presence.
Proverbs 8:17, "I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me."
Luke 4:18, "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those who are oppressed."
Love, Karen
Chapter 1 -- Pages 40-41
Throughout this study, we are going to be identifying and practicing three steps as we move from bondage to freedom. As a matter of fact, we'll review them so many times that you'll know them by memory!
Before we begin, however, let's remind ourselves the reason it's important to move forward in them.
2 Peter 2:19b, "for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him."
John 8:32 "Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"
Simply put, You are a servant to your sin. You must do what it tells you to do. You will stay this way for the rest of your life unless you ask Jesus to come in and take over. When you ask Jesus to be your Master, He takes you seriously.
The Lord will show you the Truth so that you can walk in freedom!
Are You Ready? Let's Go!
1. Identify the area(s) of bondage of sinful behavior.
What are the issues in your life where you are not living in freedom as a child of God? Once you pinpoint those areas, please don't just try to eliminate them. You may have already tried that, only to fail. It's because you must shovel out the root -- which leads us to the next step!
2. Identify the lie(s) at the root of that bondage or behavior.
What lies have you listened to, believed, and acted on that have put you in this state? The answer may not be immediately apparent. So, you must go to the Lord. Ask Him to help you see what you have been believing that is not true.
3. Replace the lie(s) with the Truth.
Satan is a powerful enemy. His primary weapon is deception. His lies are powerful. But there is something even more powerful than Satan's lies -- and that is the Truth.
This is why it is so important to put a name to the lie. Once you have done this and repented of believing it, you have an effective weapon to overcome deception -- the weapon of Truth.
A Victorious Turning Point
Ladies, I'm praying for all of you that the Holy Spirit will reveal exactly what He wants you to know this week. We are not approaching this study in a way that commands an over-night success rate. No, many times the lies that permeate are ones that have taken a life-time to worm in.
However, if you are diligent and sincere in your quest for freedom, then the Lord will bless you with with His presence.
Proverbs 8:17, "I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me."
Luke 4:18, "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those who are oppressed."
Love, Karen
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