Candy Cane

The Prince of Peace

<sup>Scripture: Isaiah 9: 1-6

1</sup> Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-

² The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.

³ You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as men rejoice
when dividing the plunder.

⁴ For as in the day of Midian's defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.

⁵ Every warrior's boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.

⁶ For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

All About Me

Scripture Reference: Psalms 51:6-8 and Mark 8:34

Ps 51:6-8

⁶ Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

⁹ Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Mark 8:34

³⁴Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said:

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take

up his cross and follow me.”

Psalms 51 is one of the greatest passages in the entire Bible concerning confession and forgiveness. It was written after David committed adultery with Bath-sheba and subsequently had her husband Uriah killed in battle. (see ll Sam. 11:2 – 12:14) David’s repentance included: A godly sorrow for his sin (ll Cor. 7:10-11): Verbal confession; A turning away from sin; Forgiveness; Restoration to God’s favor; Rejoicing in salvation; A willingness to testify to other about the grace of God.

Pastor Collins’ sermon outlined three categories of sin which Christians fall into when self is placed first in our lives: 1) Sinful Behavior – Sins of the flesh, such as sex, alcohol and drug addition hostility, and immorality. Some Christian ministries have become callous, cold and stale in their worship of God; living as though they have some license to live any kind of way. 2) Sinful Attitude – Attributes of sinful behavior, selfishness and pride, false teachings and destructiveness. 3) Blasphemy – To fall out of love with God, wickedness, sacrilege and irreverence.

Sin is self-centeredness and pride that leads to oppression against others. One form is being very bad and breaking all of God’s laws, and the other form is being very good and keeping all the laws but becoming self-righteous.

As followers of God, it is essential that we first deny ourselves and repent. Our sinful attitudes and behavior must be removed in favor of humility and willing sacrificial love for one another.

Through Christ we have been set free from sin, made perfect forever, made holy, blameless and pure, enslaved to righteousness through obedient faith and made spiritual. We are no longer controlled by our sinful nature, if the Spirit of God lives in us. We are pleasing to God by our faith and considered “saints”, not sinners. God sent Christ in the image of sinful man to be a sin offering, so that the righteous, holy requirements of the law could be fully met in those whom the Spirit of God dwells.

Today God calls us, as disciples of Jesus Christ to love, take action and live out the life that Christ began some 2000 years ago. Jesus commanded us to proclaim the Good News. Go with the power of the spirit, with a new step and a new vision of fulfilling God's will in this unloving and uncaring world.