Colossians 1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. 24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness-- 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

The Perfect Savior

This was one of my Pastor's sermons recently.... I wanted to share it with you

The angel told Joseph in Matt 1:21 "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." and in Luke 2:10-11 the angel said to them, "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

What does it mean exactly, to say that He is our Savior?
1. He is the perfect Savior because He came to earth to be our substitute.
He came to take our place in terms of God's eternal punishment because we all have fallen short; we all have sinned. II Cor 5:21 "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

2. He is the perfect Savior because He came to earth to point us to the way of salvation
Heb 2:10 - "In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering." He not only shows us the way to salvation, He led the way ('author', 'founder', trailblazer')! He's the One who leads us in the way of salvation-- not only through His death and resurrection, but in our walk with God.

3. He is the perfect Savior, because He makes us holy.
Heb 2:11 -Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
If you are a Christian, you are holy - set apart, you were called by God when you put your faith in Jesus. Not only does He forgive us of our sins, but there is also a divine exchange that takes place in which rather than seeing all our sin, God now sees us in Christ, as perfect. In Christ your failures are covered over, you are clothed with Jesus' righteousness! Now God sees us in Christ as covered in His perfection. That's why Jesus isn't ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters - He says Father - they are with Me- they are part of the family! He identifies with us before the Father. John 1:12 "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" :)

4. He is the perfect Savior, because He came to conquer satan
Heb 2:14-so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil He destroyed the power of sin and satan.

5. He is the perfect Savior, because He is a sympathetic high priest.
Heb 2:17-18 "For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
because He suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. He knows what it is like to be tired, betrayed, tempted, hungry, to need to get ahold of yourself - He was tempted in every way as we are- He is touched with the feelings of our infirmities - He knows exactly where you are and how you feel. When you tell Him what is honestly on your heart, He is never going to be mad but instead you will find His mercy and grace to meet you there :)
Heb 4:16 - Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

He is the perfect Savior because: He was our substitute, He leads us in the way of salvation, He clothes us in His righteousness, He has conquered evil, and He is our sypathetic high priest!
Luke 2:10-11 "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord"

Yes this is Good News! this is Great News!
Think about God's love for you in sending Jesus to earth...
and think about Jesus' love for you in coming to earth
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Jesus, thank You for coming to earth and being our Perfect Savior
This week despite any business, help us to be centered and focused on You~


blessings all :)

The Blessed Journey

for this post...a Christmas video ecard called The Blessed Journey from the Presidential Prayer Team - written and performed by Joni Erickson Tada.


The Blessed Journey


Luke 2:14
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Don’t Miss Christmas...

- by Mary Southerland

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son" -John 3:16

The Christmas rush is on! I know many of you are still looking for the perfect gift, wrapping presents, baking your famous sugar cookies, packing the car for a long trip and wrestling with overly excited children. Ho! Ho! Ho!

Right where you are...STOP! Take a deep breath and travel back with me to a time when there was no hope...no celebration. I can’t imagine a world without Jesus and yet, many times I live my life as if He doesn’t even exist. A trial comes and I try to handle it on my own. Loneliness floods my heart and instead of reaching out to Him, I withdraw into the darkness.

Then, He interrupts my life and fills each black corner with Light. His love flows over the pain like a soothing balm and once again, I experience the manger. Once again, He steps into the smelly, unlikely and very ordinary existence that is mine to change everything – everything! He could have come to us in many ways but He chose to interrupt the very ordinary with the most extraordinary! He could have chosen to be born in a palace. After all, He was a King. Yet His life on earth began in a manger - a dirty, smelly barn. The simplicity of His birth is one of His most precious gifts to me and one of my most profound life lessons.

I often wish that I had been there that holy night when Jesus was born but then He reminds me that I have my own manger, my own holy moment when God became a reality to me, and I worship Him!

Every year I am reminded of the very heart of Christmas - Emanuel, God with us. God wants to be involved in the simple, ordinary happenings of daily life: where we go - what we do - the smile we give the harried stranger - the patience we wear in the crowd of impatient shoppers - the love that prompts the secret gift - the heart that constantly celebrates His birth through every sparkling light, every beautifully wrapped gift, each special meal, every card, phone call and visit.

Join me in this quest - to celebrate Him and His birth in everything I do. Have a birthday party for Jesus! Adopt a family in need! Reach out to the lonely! Look for Him in the crowd! Emanuel, God with us! WOW!

Father, today I celebrate the reality of Your presence in my life. I celebrate Your birth, Your life, Your death and Your resurrection. And as I celebrate, Lord, help me to be “God with skin on” to those in need around me. Open my eyes and let me see them as You see them! I love You! Happy Birthday!
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blessings girlies :)

A Cup of Christmas COCOA

~by Tracie Miles (condensed)

"On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh". Matthew 2: 11

One of the things I adore about the holiday season is hot cocoa. Who doesn’t feel warm and snuggly while sipping on a steaming cup of cocoa with marshmallows or whip cream piled on top? The word ‘COCOA’ can be used to help us remember the important aspects of Christmas, reminding us of the happiness and warmth we can enjoy being a part of God’s family.

C – CHRIST
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18
Jesus Christ is the reason for the season. Remember to spend as much time searching for God’s truth, as you do searching for that perfect gift. Christ IS Christmas – there is no Christmas without Christ. During this season, share the gift that Christ has given you with someone else.

O – ORNAMENTS
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
1 Peter 3:3
Do you spend more time fretting over whether or not your house could be featured in the holiday edition of Southern Living, than whether or not your inner spirit is adorned with God’s love and compassion for those in need? Put a stronger focus on blessing others this holiday season.

C – CHEERFULLY CELEBRATE THE SEASON
A happy heart makes a face look cheerful. But a sad heart produces a broken spirit. Proverbs 15:13
As the gift list grows, the budget drains, and the calendar fills, it is easy to get discouraged. And although Christmas is meant to be a joyous season, many people also struggle during the holidays with depression and discouragement. Despite the reasons that you might feel discouraged during this time of year, focus on how much you are loved as a dear and precious child of God. The holidays are merely a season, but God’s love and compassion for His children is permanent. Now that is something to celebrate!

O – OVERJOYED (not OVERWHELMED)
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. Matthew 2:10 –11
The shepherds saw the star, and they were overjoyed – they were overcome with delight, awe, motivation, encouragement, love for God – they were overwhelmed with the gift of life. Think of a time when you were overjoyed- the birth of a child, a graduation, a wedding, a beautiful sunrise, sparkling white beaches, a baptism. Your feeling of happiness was likely so overwhelming, that tears filled your eyes, you had a lump in your throat, or your heart was beating rapidly. For many Christmas-a-holics, we are overjoyed when we kick off the holiday season, but overwhelmed by the middle of the month! Try to find ways to remind yourself each day of December to be thankful for the birth of our Savior and overwhelmed by the blessings that have been bestowed upon you, rather than being overwhelmed with your holiday to-do lists.

A – ABUNDANCE
..mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. Jude :2
Whenever I think of Christmas morning, from my childhood to the present, the word abundance comes to mind. As soon as the sun rises on December 25th, until it sets in the evening, we are bombarded with an abundance of presents, candy, baked goods, fruit, and other delectable foods. But these things are temporary.
What we really yearn for is the abundant life promised to us in God’s word. Our true heart’s desire is for mercy, peace and love, not just on Christmas day, but every day throughout each year. ...
seasonal prayer:
Dear Lord, thank You for giving us the gift of your Son, so that we could have eternal life with You. Please help us not to get so caught up in the earthly celebrations of Christmas that we forget to celebrate Christ. Grant us joy and peace this season and into the future.

...this season, allow the warmth of God’s love to pour into your heart, and then pour that love out abundantly onto others~
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blessings :)

Do You Know This Jesus?

“For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

Every year when Christmas rolls around, we are exposed to countless retellings of the birth of Jesus. The story is told in hundreds of ways—animation and video, acted out and sung in harmony. Is there a chance that the abundance of information can make us immune to the story itself? Is it possible that we become so familiar with the story of Jesus that we lose sight of the One we are celebrating?

This year, I want to use this time to focus on Jesus. I want to be intentional about seeing the Christmas story for what it is—the gospel unfolded. The angel announced to the shepherds that the Messiah had come. He identified Jesus in three ways—as Savior, Christ, and Lord. Savior means Messiah, which is Hebrew for “Anointed One”. Christ is the Greek term for “Anointed One.” And Lord means Yahweh, or God. What do these names tell us about Jesus? They tell us that He was both God and man. He was prophecy fulfilled, to the letter, and that He came, just as God promised.

So what does that mean to us so many years after this announcement was made from the skies? How should we respond? For me it means that Christmas is the time to learn more about who Jesus is. It is our time to get in touch with what those names mean to us personally. It is an opportunity to read the account of His birth, His life, His death and resurrection with new eyes. We need to see Him anew this Christmas.

Jesus was a contradiction in terms. He was complex and went against the conventions of His times. He challenged the religious types. He was so much more than a simple Bible story. He is worth getting to know on a deep intimate level because the things He will reveal to you are so much more than you expect. I love the following poem and what it shows about Jesus. I want to dig deeply into what this poem says. I also want to dig deeply into the character of my Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

“The Paradox” - By Virginia Knowles
Come, see where He lays
Good Shepherd and Little Lamb
King of Kings and Servant of All
Prophet and Prophecy Fulfilled
Physician and Wounded One
High Priest and Atoning Sacrifice
Counselor and Rejected One
Builder and Foundation Stone
Righteous Judge and Condemned Prisoner
Ancient of Days and newly born babe
God and Man
Do you know this Jesus?

My Prayer for Today:
Dear Lord, I love You and I want to know You more. This Christmas, and into the new year, help me to explore the deep meaning of who You are. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you wish to explore this poem further in personal application:
Write down the names of Jesus that are mentioned in the poem and use these names as a springboard for a personal Bible study. Do word studies on these names and find out what the Scriptures have to say about each one.

- by Marybeth Whalen

Can God Reach Those With Closed Minds?

Acts 26:9 - 18
"I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.
Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. "On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' "Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."

Responses to the Gospel vary. Some people believe it’s true. Others resist learning what the Scriptures say about salvation. Many have closed minds and refuse to have anything to do with Jesus. These individuals respond to Christians in one of two ways. They’re polite but firm in their rejection of Christ. Or, they’re aggressive and antagonistic toward those who call Jesus, “Savior.” In their opposition, some even cross over into violence.

Can God’s message of salvation penetrate those whose minds are shut? The conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who became the apostle Paul, proves that no one is beyond the reach of God’s love. Paul was a devoutly religious man who professed faith in God the Father. But he rejected Jesus as God, the Son.

His hatred of the Lord extended to all those who followed Jesus. Paul went to great lengths to persecute believers and persuade them into blaspheming Christ. God’s Spirit convicted this violent man of his sin, gave him an awareness of his own need for a Savior, and revealed that Jesus was the only solution for him and everyone else.

Dr. Stanley believes Paul came under conviction by the Holy Spirit when he was persecuting Christians. The future apostle witnessed unwavering devotion to Jesus even as believers were being killed for their faith (Acts 7:59-60).

Today, the Holy Spirit continues working to bring men and women under conviction. He uses the lives and testimonies of believers to reveal the truth about Jesus to those with closed minds and hard hearts.
Do you know people who seem beyond God’s reach? Be encouraged. Continue to ask God for their salvation
(Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. )

-from Dr. Charles Stanley

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Do you have unsaved family members or friends that came to mind as you read this? As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, let's be steadfast to remember them in prayer, that God would soften their hearts and give them a hunger to come to know Him.

Ask Him to prepare their hearts, to give you divine appointments in which they are seeking answers, and to give you the right words to say to encourage them in coming to know Jesus.
If no friends or family come to mind, then you might pray for others you know who have unsaved family members. Please feel free to mention those whom you would like us to pray for here.
blessings! :)

Lets Rest our Hearts in Him & Know Him More

Nevertheless to praise you is the desire of man
A little piece of your creation
Your stir us to take pleasure in praising You
Because you have made us for Yourself
And our heart is restless until it rests in you
-St. Augustine


ok how did Claire used to say this?
...I 'pinched this' from Chris Tomlin's new Worship Frequency site,
I loved this quote by St. Augustine and don't remember hearing it before... and wanted to share it with you
and while I'm 'pinching' for this post, below is part of 268gen's blog for day one of the prayer journey that I thought was very special and wanted to share with you as well...

We want to meet You here.
We want to know You more.
We want to feel Your embrace and know the hope of beginning again.
We want to breathe Your life.
And we want to show the world how great You are.

Father, be the beginning of something new and real in my heart today. In Jesus name, Amen.

"Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD...."1Chr. 22:19a
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Yes Lord - no matter how busy we may be right now, help us to pause and take pleasure in praising You, to rest our hearts in You, to know You more, and the feel Your embrace today
blessings~

Border Order

~by Gwen Smith

Luke 10:38-40a As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.

I spent some time the other day at a coffee shop on the second floor of a Border’s bookstore. It was wonderful. It was quiet. The smell of freshly brewed coffee delighted my senses and overhead, light jazz music softly serenaded me. No body else was there. It was just me, my Bible, my laptop and coffee. Like I said – wonderful!

This particular café is elevated and overlooks the entire bookstore, which is warehouse-like because the main floor is vast and has a very high ceiling. Café patrons have a bird’s-eye view of the goings-on downstairs. I love the set up. It’s great for people watching.
When it was time to head out for my lunch date, I packed up and began my descent down the massive staircase. About mid-way down, I stopped. My eyes caught the order of the store. Like a well-planted garden, the store boasted a beautiful pattern of rows filled with content, yet separated by space. It was so impressive that it caused me to stop and to consider the beauty of the order.

The ‘Border order’ invaded my thoughts as I gazed out over the garden of books, CDs and magazines. Each row became a line of my daily ‘to do’ list. The space between the rows became the ‘grace space’ between tasks that allows for congestion on the highway, that welcomes the unexpected phone call from a friend in need, that embraces the crying child instead of snapping at her. I viewed a beautiful balance between the rows and the space. All at once, I realized that my pursuit of accomplishment, my desire to check the boxes each day, weighed more heavily on the rows than on the space! I have a tendency to be more like Martha than Mary.

Personally, when my days are filled with countless rows of things to do, the space between those rows grows thin. No matter how many times I try, I can never seem to fit more than 24 hours into one day! (Duh!) When space diminishes, I have a tendency to get grouchy. When space diminishes, I find my self with very little time to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him. When ‘grace space’ is properly placed between the rows of my list, I am more pleasant to be around, more productive in serving others and more available to worship the day through. Note to self: Factor in ‘grace space’ to your daily ‘to do’ list!! All summed up, I guess I’m going to be shooting for my days to have more Border order. When I do, my family wins, my stress level wins, my friends win, and my God wins. Hope you will, too.

Let's Pray...
Dear Lord, You are an amazing God of order. The universe is extravagant with order and the designs of our bodies are intricate with order. Thank you for demonstrating through the order of creation that hard work is very important, but that rest is an essential element as well. Please help me to broaden the isles of ‘grace space’ in my life. Help me to recognize and embrace daily opportunities that You send my way to love, encourage and worship. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Now it's Your Turn
Are you a list-girl?
Are your rows too close together?
Is there a friend, colleague or family member who needs a call of encouragement today?
Pinpoint one row on your list that can be eliminated to create more grace space in your day.

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ok blogettes, this one cracked me up as I love a nice setting like she describes in the coffeeshop... and I love it when God uses something so normal right in front of us, as an illustration to whisper to us about a greater truth He is wanting us to see.... hee
blessings :)