Jesus - the Center of Christmas!

Isaiah 9:6

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.

ADVENT SONG

Verse 1:
Light the Advent Candle one
Now the waiting has begun
We have started on our way
Time to think of Christmas Day

Chorus:
Candle, candle, burning bright
Shining in the cold winter night
Candle, candle, burning bright
Fill our hearts with Christmas Light

Verse 2:
Light the Advent Candle two
Think of humble shepherds who
Filled with wonder at the sight
Of the child on Christmas night

Verse 3:
Light the Advent Candle three
Think of heavenly harmony
Angels singing "Peace on Earth"
At the Blessed Saviour's birth

Verse 4:
Light the Advent Candle four
Think of joy forever more
Christchild in a stable born
Gift of love that Chrismas morn
Hello my beloved!

Merry Christmas! I hope you are having a Christ centered Christmas. To think, Jesus came that we may be included in the family of God - how Awesome is that! I don't want to clutter this post with words, but simply include this song - "From my heart to the heaven, Jesus be the center, it's all about you, yes it's all about you."

Christmas Joy!

Luke 1:39-56

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

 

Greetings, my Beloved!

Christmas is right around the corner, and I am beaming with excitement. You must think I was a child, as excited as I am about Christmas, but I have every right to be, this is the celebration of the birth of my savior! This advent week is all about the Joy of Christmas, and there is so much joy in this season.

ADVENT SONG

Verse 1:
Light the Advent Candle one
Now the waiting has begun
We have started on our way
Time to think of Christmas Day

Chorus:
Candle, candle, burning bright
Shining in the cold winter night
Candle, candle, burning bright
Fill our hearts with Christmas Light

Verse 2: Light the Advent Candle two
Think of humble shepherds who
Filled with wonder at the sight
Of the child on Christmas night

Verse 3:
Light the Advent Candle three
Think of heavenly harmony
Angels singing "Peace on Earth"

At the Blessed Saviour's birth

 

This advent week is all about the Joy of Christmas, and there is so much joy in this season. When I think about joy this Christmas season, I can't help but think about Mary's visit with Elizabeth. Can you imagine, being visited by the woman that God found favorable enough to carry and raise His only son. Think about that for a second. Even Elizabeth found the significance of it all. It's awesome to see that already, Elizabeth knew that Mary was carrying the Son of God in her womb - "But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." And because she and the baby she was carrying recognized it, the baby leapt for joy within her womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. How awesome is that! The next sentence always encourages me, when my faith is lacking - it is the trust part of your relationship with God, knowing, believing that His promises are true, and that they will come through. We have been fighting the infertility battle for almost 6 years now. It has been a tough, uphill battle, but we believe that God's promises are true. We believe that God has promised us a child, and we pray every night for this promise to be fulfilled. Know that Mary never doubted God, is such an encouragement to me, and brings such joy to my heart. And if that isn't something to rejoice about, check out Mary's song. This woman knows God. She recognizes the joy in the pregnancy, but realizes it is nothing she did, it was about God. God chose her to carry His son, because he found favor in her. How awesome is that! God can choose each of us to perform His mighty works! We just have to have faith, and believe that His promises never fail. Doesn’t that bring you joy, unspeakable joy!

Silence

I felt sick to my stomach most of the day yesterday. Perhaps it was something I ate, or perhaps it was the massacre of innocent children. My eyes were filled with tears, as I'm sure every mother's eyes were. It was so hard to do anything, as my heart ached for the families who lost loved ones, on an unforgettable day. I am not one to be a mere spectator, and being over a thousand miles away, what could I do but pray? I prayed, and cried, and prayed some more, until this poem inspired from Inner whispers of my heart. In honor of those whose lives were lost on December 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT, please take a moment of Silence, and perhaps these words may bring an ounce of comfort.

Silence

Silence filled the world today,
Innocent lives lost, as we pray,
Laughter ceased, and time stood still.
Was this blood filled massacre real?

Darkness covered the earth today,

Smiles faded, as terror displayed.
Flames burning of future world changers,
Suddenly quenched by a violent stranger.

Blood filled the school’s halls today,

Seeping past the state’s highway.
A gunman’s violent rampage,
Left small children in the grave.

Silence comes in simple prayers,

To the Lord, the peace maker.
Little ones in a better place,
No more pain or suffering they’ll face.

Comfort comes in the form of a song,

Drying tears from all night long.
Simple words from a Child’s poem,
Welcome the flames to their new home.

“Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask thee stay,
Close by me forever, and love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children, in thy tender care,
And take us to Heaven to live with thee there.”

Preparing for CHRISTmas

Matthew 2:1-12

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 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, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
 

Greetings, my Beloved,

I trust you are having a wonderful week. Aren't you enjoying this nice crisp, cool weather? I think winter, may just be approaching. I have been enthralled in my personal devotion time with the Lord - researching the ins and outs of the Old Testament. I find the Bible quite fascinating, don't you? And to think, that it was God inspired - the Word of God, continually living. It is amazing to think, at the beginning of time, God's plan was already at work. Any questions I have today - in our time, I can find it in the Bible. Anyways, we are on week 2 of our Advent Candle, the candle of preparation.

Verse 1:
Light the Advent Candle one
Now the waiting has begun
We have started on our way
Time to think of Christmas Day

Chorus:
Candle, candle, burning bright
Shining in the cold winter night
Candle, candle, burning bright
Fill our hearts with Christmas Light

Verse 2:
Light the Advent Candle two
Think of humble shepherds who
Filled with wonder at the sight
Of the child on Christmas night

 With the candle of preparation, it made me think of the Magi, and their gifts to Jesus. What do you think they signify? I've heard many a sermon on this very topic, and very different views on it. I'm not sure we really know exactly the significance of it, but the only source, I truly trust, is the word of God. Let's look at each of the gifts:

Gold

Now one of the common threads in all of the different perspectives of the significance of the gifts is the reason behind the gift of gold. Gold is one of the substances that has retained its value throughout the centuries. So, why gold? Good question. I believe the magi gave gold to show they truly believed Jesus was King. What better gift to give a King, than gold? And after all, Jesus is the King of all kings! (Revelation 1:5)

Frankincense

What I find fascinating are the gifts of Frankincense and Myrrh, mainly because these aren't objects of my everyday use. Apparently, they were pretty significant in the Bible. Frankincense was used in the holy incense in Exodus - the incense that could not be used for anything else, but to burn for God. (Exodus 30:34-38). In Revelations, our prayers are described as incense (Revelations 5:8; Revelations 8:3-5). Could maybe, the frankincense be a gift signifying that Jesus is God?

Myrrh

Did you know that Myrrh was used in the anointing oil for Priests? (Exodus 30:23). Also, it was used in Esther, as she was prepared to meet the king. She had six months of treatments with myrrh - talk about preparation! (Esther 2:12). According to the Gospel of Mark, they offered Jesus myrrh to drink during his crucifixion, but he refused (Mark 15:23). Then in John, upon Jesus' death, they used myrrh with his burial cloths. (John 19:39). Don't you find it fascinating that myrrh was present for his birth and his death? So why did the magi choose the gift of myrrh? It could be, to signify the priesthood of Jesus, as the priests were anointed with oil containing myrrh. Or maybe, just maybe, could it signify the death of Christ.

In Doug Stringer's book, Born to Die, he brought up a very good point regarding the gifts of the magi: "Even at His birth, Jesus was recognized and honored as royalty! And from His very birth, Jesus was presented with items to prepare Him for His death." As we celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Savior, in all of the festivities, the joys that new life brings us every day, let us not forget the sobering reason for the birth of Christ - He was born to die. His death is not one to take lightly, for it is with His death that we might live. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice that we can be forgiven of our sins, and have the hope of everlasting life. Yet how often do we go throughout our day, not even giving Christ a portion of it, when He deserves all of it. I know I'm guilty. Jesus was being prepared for His death at His birth; likewise, at our new birth through Jesus, we are to die that we may be free from the sin in our lives. Romans 6:6-7 tells us, For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. So, what is our preparation? That we may continue to be made pure, holy, and blameless until the day of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23, May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is our preparation; we are to continually prepare ourselves to the coming of the Lord. What better way to remember this than the season in which we honor the birth of our savior. So, while we rejoice, let us be watchful and ready for the return of our Savior! Let us prepare for Christ during this CHRISTmas season!

 

The Hope of Christmas

Luke 2:8-15 

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Hello my Beloved,

I hope you are having a blessed week. I am busy trying to prepare for Christmas. I came down with a sinus infection, which interfered with my holiday preparations, perhaps it was just the Lord telling me to slow down and rest, nonetheless, I am feeling much better, and heading full force with my Christmas preparations. I have always loved Christmas time, the lights, the decorations, the music. It all is so delightful. When I was a child, we always had an advent candle wreath to count down to Christmas Day. I grew up in the Methodist Church, and this was a big thing in our church as well. We would sing this song:

Light the Advent Candle one
Now the waiting has begun
We have started on our way
Time to think of Christmas Day

Candle, candle, burning bright
Shining in the cold winter night
Candle, candle, burning bright
Fill our hearts with Christmas Light

Since I no longer have an advent candle wreath, the tradition has faded, but it doesn't mean that it needs to stop. I thought I would include it in my weekly devotions. What a great way to focus our attention on the true meaning of Christmas, Christ. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the lights, the decorations, the music, and the parties, but there is so much more to Christmas. The first candle represents Hope. If you think about it, Christ was sent into the world for salvation, our Hope. If you think about the time when he came, the Israelites were in the need for a savior. They were under the Roman empire, Cesar was ruling, and Herod was the local ruler over the Israelites. It was an oppressive time, and they anxiously awaited the promised savior. Who would have thought that this savior would come in the form of a babe. I love what the angels told the shepherds, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  The shepherds were anxious to meet the messiah. They understood the times, and the need for a savior. Our world is not much different. There are so many that are lost and hurting, even Christians are in need and hurting, we are all in need of a savior, the Hope of Jesus' return. Jesus will return, we need to hold on to the Hope of His return. For once He returns, we will no longer have any suffering or pain. We, as believers, can hold on to His promise:

Revelation 21: 3-4

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

This promise is only for God's children. Let us give this hope to a lost and dying world, a world full of pain, suffering, and hurt. The best part about this promise, is that God will dwell right there with us. How awesome is that! I love being in the Lord's presence, when it is so intense, you can feel it. Just think to be in that kind of presence, even stronger, daily. Seek to be in the Lord's presence, for in His presence, you don't feel the pain, only sweet peace.

Until next time, rest in His sweet, peaceful presence!

Christina

The Greatest Spiritual Gift!

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Hello, My Beloved!

I hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving. My apologies for not writing the week of Thanksgiving. I had a fabulous thanksgiving, with a getaway to my parents lake house. It was nice and peaceful, a great time with family, and time to catch up on some much needed sleep. With thanksgiving on my mind, I wanted to pray this scripture over you.

 

As I was praying this over you, verse 7 stood out to me, "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed." The word gift here was translated from the Greek word charisma, which means: a favour with which one receives without any merit of his own; the gift of divine grace; the gift of faith, knowledge, holiness, virtue; the economy of divine grace, by which the pardon of sin and eternal salvation is appointed to sinners in consideration of the merits of Christ laid hold of by faith; grace or gifts denoting extraordinary powers, distinguishing certain Christians and enabling them to serve the church of Christ, the reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating on their souls by the Holy Spirit.

 

In other words - it's about God's salvation - the special gift that God gave us, to help us as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ - a gift of grace. It's only through our salvation that we will make it to the day of the Lord, and it is only by God's grace, that we can obtain salvation. And it is through all of this, that we can remain blameless until the Day of our Lord and Savior! Isn't that awesome! Out of all of the spiritual gifts, I think that salvation is the greatest gift, without it, how can you use your other giftings for the Lord? If you have not had the opportunity to gain Christ's salvation, all you have to do is say a simple prayer, recognizing you are a sinner, and asking God to forgive you of your sins, and become Lord over your life. Once you pray that prayer, your life is forever changed!

 

 

Perhaps you have already accepted Christ in your life. Then this is the time to enter into a quiet time with the Lord, with praises and thanksgiving for saving you from the evilness of this world. When I think about how I was before the Lord became real in my life, I was so lost, hurting, and lonely. I was raised in the church, and I walked the aisle when I was 10 to ask Jesus into my heart. I even went through confirmation classes at church, read my Bible, and went to a Christian high school. However, it wasn't until I held my little boy in my arms that God became real in my life. It was at that point, that I could understand a small portion of God's unconditional love. So, go ahead, latch onto God's greatest spiritual gift, you won't have any regrets.

 

 

And with that, I must say my goodbyes.

 

 

Until next time...

 

 

Christina

Seeking Forgiveness!

Isaiah 10:1-4

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

Greetings, my beloved!

I hope you are having a fabulous week. This week has been tiring, but I am pressing onward. I was interested in all of the political talk after the elections. There is one philosophy that seems to be spreading quickly, but it bothered me a bit. I'm sure you've seen or heard people boasting that people on welfare should not get to vote, as this is a conflict of interest. Being in the filed of compliance, I know all about conflicts of interests. However, this philosophy has bothered me quite a bit. I started praying and seeking God on this, after the past couple of weeks speaking on testing everything, I knew that this new philosophy had to be tested. Then God lead me to this scripture. Do we really want to deprive the poor from their rights? As I continued reading this scripture, I was intrigued with the next part, "making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless." Does this not describe the single mother epidemic that is plaguing our nation today? When I read this, my mind immediately went to the millions of abortions performed right here in our nation - in our city even. Isn't abortion oppressing the widows and fatherless? How many girls are having a abortions, simply because the father is not around? What are we doing to stop this? Do they not deserve the right to live? But because we continue to allow this horrendous act, our country is in turmoil. It's more than that; we have turned our backs on God. As a result, there is so much evil lurking around our nation, and the culture calls it good, and intimidates those that don't call the evil good. It angers me to know that so many lives couldn't be saved, simply because we believe the lie. Why are there so many babies that do not get a chance to live, simply because they were an inconvenience? Then how many lives have our society ruin, simply because we say, "it's a woman's choice," yet no one is around to hold her hand afterward. Everyone is quick to say, have an abortion, but where are they the moment after when the woman is feeling the pain. She recognizes that she shouldn't feel this way, and tries to rationalize the act that just happened. She pushes the pain so deep down inside, and her heart callouses over. So when you ask her, "Were you affected by the abortion?" She simply says, "No," like a robot. But then you get personal, and ask, "When did it happen?" "How far along were you?" Slowly breaking down the calloused heart, until the tears start to flow, and she speaks of the pain and anguish she went through. Not a day goes by that she doesn't wonder, was it a boy or a girl? How old would the baby be today? She feel the regrets, the fears, and the pain. Where are the pro-choice boasters at this point? The day of reckoning is coming, and disaster will strike. What have we done? Where will we go? To whom do we turn to for our help? God's anger will stand firm, for He does not take lightly the shedding of innocent blood. But there is hope. Seek God, and pray. If you haven't had a chance to read what Hobby Lobby is going through right now, for taking a stand against the shedding of innocent blood, please read this article: http://www.lifenews.com/2012/11/01/obama-admin-tells-court-hobby-lobby-must-obey-hhs-mandate/

Let us turn to God, seeking His forgiveness. We must repent, if we expect revival to flood our land during this time of darkness:

2Chronicles 7:14

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

 

 

Perfection's Sin

This is actually an older poem I wrote in 2004. It is an interpretation of the fall of man, or rather woman. Yet is is not too far off from when we chose to partake in sin, but the redemption of God is so much better. Psalm 34:8a "Taste and see that the Lord is good." 

Perfection’s Sin

Darkness awaited daylight hours,
For he knew what tonight would bring.
Perfection stood in everlasting beauty,
Exploring the pleasure of her powers.

Wisdom came in the form of a tree,
Beckoning Perfection to come and eat.
Yet perfection could not accept Wisdom’s gift,
She didn’t realize the sweetness of the treat.

Seduction came in the form of a beast,
Offering Perfection a seductive delicacy.
Seducing Perfection from celibacy,
Perfection accepted Seduction’s treat.

Oh the sweetness of the serpent’s tongue,
Oh the pleasure of the satisfying juice,
Griping firmly around her crimson lips,
Perfection impregnated with love’s first sin.

She took pleasure in temptation’s first kiss,
Oh the delicacy of nature’s pure sin.
Embraced in pure gratification,
Conviction fell on the virgin’s skin.

 

Greater is He that is in You, than he That is in the World!

1 John 4:4-6

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

Greetings, my dear friends!

I hope you are having an excellent week! The elections were quite a doozy, huh? I think now is more important than ever to press into God. When the world is collapsing all around us, filled with hurt, pain, and suffering - the best thing to do is to press into God. He is right there waiting for you, and as this verse says - "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." So, what do we have to fear? It is so hard for me to understand why people, media, etc... believe the lies of this day and age. We do not watch a lot of television, yet there are times that I do, only to be disheartened in how they make it appear that if you do not believe the same way they do, you are an idiot. However, their belief system is off, way off. We are seeing an age where they call good evil and evil good. How did we get so far from the truth of God? With schools more focused on teaching kids to take a test than to critically think for themselves, we are raising a generation who cannot think for themselves. Perhaps the damage has already been made, as it seems that media sways people to believe in their tainted ways. Is it wrong to believe in biblical values? Is it wrong to believe in truth? The first part of 1 John 4 says to test every spirit:

1 John 4:1-5

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

It is so important to test everything you hear, whether it be in church, on the television, on the radio, your best friend, or even my devotions. It is so important to test these things against the word of God. As the day of the Lord grows nearer, it is so important to stay diligent. Let us not be the 10 virgins that run out of oil, but be the 10 virgins that carry the extra oil. I'm not sure what the next four years have in store for us. I'm not even sure if the next president is going to be any better, but I know that as long as the Lord is on our side - greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world.

 

Have faith my friends!

Christina

 

Thankful for Christ's Love!

Revelation 1:12-16

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

Greetings, my beloved!

I hope you are having a fabulous November morning! I cannot believe it is November already - Thanksgiving, here I come! I just love the fall, the brilliant hues of oranges, reds, golds, and yellows. It is so beautiful. I love the pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies, and Wendy makes a delicious pumpkin cake. And I absolutely love Thanksgiving! There is so much to be thankful for. For one, Christ's never ending love: I love that no matter where I came from, where I'm at, or where I will be - nothing, absolutely nothing can separate me from the love of Christ.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord

This past Sunday, my husband taught during our connect group on the depth of insight on Christ. We say that we know Jesus, and that he knows us. We say that we love Him, and we do. But what is it about Jesus that you know and love? Is it that He is always by our side:

Hebrews 13:5b

because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Is it because He chose us?

1 Thessalonians 1:4

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you.

I believe it is all of these things, and so much more. We know and love Jesus, because of who He is: the son of the Most High God, the alpha and omega, the first and last, our redeemer, our friend. Can you see Jesus standing before you? Look into His eyes of fire, can you see the love in His blazing eyes? What about his hair, white as wool, showing purity and love, forgiveness and grace. Can you hear his voice, the sounds of mighty rushing waters like the waves crashing in the ocean? Or perhaps it's the still quiet voice, like the babbling brook? Jesus is so beautiful! No wonder we cannot keep our eyes off of Him. And not only that, He has the name that is above every name - that at the name of Jesus the enemy has to flee, at the name of Jesus, the name that is above every name! Let us seek to know God on a deeper level today.

In Christ's Love!

Christina

Clothed in Christ!

Romans 13:11-14

And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Greetings, My Beloved!

I can't believe October is almost over. November will be here before you know it, and you know what that means... Election Time. Have you decided on a candidate yet. I have to be honest with you, this has been a difficult choice, I have spent much time in prayer as I contemplated my choice. We are going to go this weekend to early vote. I encourage you to vote, even if you lack confidence in any of the leaders. Remember, only God can change a nation, so vote for the candidate that will come the closest to standing for godly values. Sorry, I didn't mean to get all political on you.

Yesterday, we went to the Houston Photography Center, where they had a few photography exhibits. I love photography! I saw a couple of the exhibits to be political pieces, although I am quite sure that was not the artists' intent. One of them told the story of how they were affected by the economic downfall of Argentina. I have heard stories from various friends from Argentina of the economy in Argentina. How one day you have everything you need, and the next nothing. That was the story of this girl, remembering the day her television was taken away. Her father was a business man, and lost his company. Her mother was in tears as they sat in an empty house - everything taken out from them, except the clothes on their backs and a shoebox of pictures - memories of their lives before this day. Slowly the family one by one immigrated to Europe, leaving the shoebox of pictures behind, in the safe keeping of the grandmother. Upon this girl's return, a flood had occurred and destroyed the pictures. As she was going through them, she was amazed by the beauty of the colors left behind. Some pictures remained in tact, while others, were only traces of colors a reminisce of the past. She framed the pictures, some you can recognize right away as a family album, others, you can take in the beauty of the mixtures of colors, all told her story. It made me think about the position our government is in, any time our economy can collapse with as much debt as we are in. We can lose everything we have in a moment. Really, nothing is guaranteed here on earth. That is why it is so important to vote for a candidate that you can entrust to reduce and eventually eliminate the national debt. If we continue to go on the path we are on now, who's to say that we won't be the ones left behind with a shoebox of pictures? Perhaps that's the fate of our nation? Who really knows. All I know is that God's judgment on our nation is justified - look at the lawlessness that is abounding. I pray that God has mercy on our nation. Abraham pleaded with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah, for Lot's sake. He thought surely there are enough righteous there to keep God from destroying the city, but alas, as he kept pleading, going down in numbers the end result - only Lot and his family was saved. However, Lot's wife turned back, and was turned into a pillar of salt. Let us clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, let us not look back to gratify the desires of our flesh, as Lot's wife did. I pray that we are continually cleansed in His Righteousness, that will be be found Holy and Acceptable for the Day of the Lord.

Let us look into our own lives. Is there anything that you need to repent from? Let us be cleansed by the blood of the lamb that God can see us as righteous, enough righteous to not destroy our nation. Just this week during my prayer time with the Lord, He brought to my remembrance of something I did in my rebellious college days. Something I completely forgot about, but nonetheless something, I never truly asked forgiveness from. I repented right there, and realized we are continually being washed by the blood of the lamb. Let us clothes ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, that we can be purified to join in true authentic worship to our King!

In Christ's Love!

Christina

Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should...

1 Corinthians 10:23-24

"I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

Greetings my Beloved!

I trust you are having a most excellent week. My week has been filled with so much busyness. We have been preparing for our son's birthday ceremony, I've been taking my dear friend back and forth from MD Anderson for treatments, and I have been doing my daily work. You would think with all that is going on I would be exhausted, and I am. However, I can't wait for the ceremony, I love being a blessing to others, and I was able to share Christ's love with someone this week. What more can a girl ask for? However, I am exhausted, and I can't help but think, "Am I missing something?" Can you be exhausted and miss out on the greatest things in life?

This verse really stuck out to me during one of our devotion times this week. Basically it is saying anything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. In other words, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." One of the hardest things I have a problem with is saying the word, "No." Surely I can do everything that I want to at 100%. But then I get the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion, and it makes me wonder - should I be doing all of this? Did God call me to do all of this, and if not, am I missing something that He has called me to do? The last thing I want is to be too busy to do the work of the Lord. He has called each of us to serve Him, but are we serving Him with all of our heart, or are we giving God the leftovers? When I was a kid, we used to watch this Christian children's television program, where they would give little devotionals with illustrations. I will never forget the illustration they gave regarding putting God first. They had a jar, dry beans, and 3 golf balls glued together. The jar represented us, the beans all of our daily activities, the 3 golf balls represented God. When you fill your life with all of your daily activities, and then try to fit God into your life - he doesn't fit. When you put God in first, then the rest of your activities fill in nicely and everything fits.

Let us do some self examining today. Have we forgotten God in the chaos of our days? If we continually fill ourselves up with God, doesn't it make life more fulfilling? Let us enter into His presence and worship our Lord - maker of the heavens and earth! My husband and I went to Armand Bayou Nature Center last weekend, and enjoyed reading about the different birds. It is amazing to think that God just spoke them into being, but yet thought about the intricacies that make them work, like the hollow bones so they can fly, the different shapes of beaks depending on their diet, the different types of feet depending on if they are walkers, climbers, or runners. God even thought about the intricacies of creating you. He knows what works in each of us, and what doesn't. That is what makes Him the Greatest Physician. Let us worship our Creator today!

Love,

Christina

Praying for our Leaders!

1 Corinthians 3:18-23

Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

 

 

Hello my beloved,

I hope you are all well. I continue to fight this chest congestion, which is ever so annoying. We have also welcomed into our home a dear friend of mine. I am looking forward to playing the hospitality role, and be a blessing to her. I love being a blessing to others, after all isn't that what we are called to do?

 

 

This week, we started reading 1 Corinthians for our family devotion time. I have noticed how many of my favorite scriptures are from this book - yes I have lots of favorite scriptures, as I am sure you do as well. This particular one stood out to me today when I was soaking in the past few passages we have read this week. My mind is still weighing heavily on our leaders of this nation, especially as elections approach. I am praying that the right leaders are elected into office, and what my role in it is to play. I'm also praying for the salvation of our leaders. I believe no one is too far from God's reach. I will be honest with you, I do not agree with the stances of either of the lead presidential candidates. I do not agree with President Obama; however, I still respect him as our leader. And believe it or not, I do not agree with Romney either. I hold true to the Biblical values that once stood firm in this nation. However, the world has made Christians to look like fools, and why not - I'm sure we do look foolish compared to them, as our value system is so different. It is oftentimes overlooked, and we try our hardest not to offend anyone. Are we deceiving ourselves? We are slowly slipping into the mindset of the world, when we think success is measured by the big house, nice car, great career, high pay check, etc. While these are nice things to have, does this truly measure success? Do we see that the lie at hand during this presidential race to be wise or foolish? Is it tearing us apart from friendships because one agrees with one standpoint while the other agrees with another? Let us stay true to our heart this election - the heart of God. Let His values become our values, His wisdom - our wisdom. After all, it may seem foolish in this world, but God's world is eternal. Let us seek God as we prepare to vote. Let us continue to pray for our elected officials, and our future leaders in this nation.

 

 

Lord, I pray for our leaders in our nation. Let them no longer see your ways as foolish, but to seek godly wisdom. I pray for their salvation, if they do not already know you. Lord, I pray that our future and current leaders of our nation will find the saving knowledge of you as their lord and savior. Father, I pray that Grace and Wisdom will find them. I pray that they will not walk in the way of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the company of mockers. I pray that their delight is in the law of the Lord, and that they will meditate on this both day and night. I pray that they will be like trees planted by streams of water, and will bear much fruit in season, and the leaves will not wither and fade. I pray that whatever they do will prosper. It is in your nane that we pray, Amen.

Signs of the Times

Matthew 24: 4-14

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Greetings my Beloved!

I hope you are having a marvelous day! I continue to stand amazed with the life that God has given me. I am honored to be His servant, and constantly look to please and glorify Him. Yet I look at the world around me, and wonder - how can anyone live their life without the God Almighty? As the end times approach, I see more and more persecution of the church, more and more false prophecies of the Lord's return, and more and more deception within the church. I think it is so important to stay within God's word, knowing exactly His truths. Remember no one knows the day or the hour of the Lord's return, so we should live each day to the fullest. We need not fear the prophecies that are coming to fruition, but recognize the signs of the times, that we may be ready for the coming of our Lord and Savior. Have you stopped for a moment to reflect on your life, to see if you have done what the Lord has called you to do? Let us serve the Lord with all of our hearts, let us be ready for His coming, and know that when we endure persecution ourselves, that the Lord will be our refuge and strength. Things may look difficult in the physical realm, but in the spiritual realm we know that God has already obtained the victory. So what do we have to fear?

Let us take a moment, and pray for our nation. While we know the truth, the truth has been tainted within our culture. As the elections approach, we need to recognize that a man cannot save our nation - only God can. We need to recognize that only God places the leader in the land, so there is no need to worry about who will be elected. At the same time, we should use our God given right to vote, and vote wisely. Don't vote for a political party, or for a person. Vote for the issues at hand. Vote in accordance to God's word. I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, or who I am going to vote for (as I still do not know), but what I am telling you to do, is do what I am doing - and seek God and pray. Pray for our nation, our leaders, and what our role will be in all of this. So, I leave you with this prayer:

Oh Lord, our Father, maker of the heavens and earth. You are so majestic and worthy of all honor and glory. As the day approaches for your return, Lord, I pray that we can stay steadfast in your faith. I pray that we can hear your voice clearly, and that we can live according to your ways. I know that our nation is crumbling, and perhaps it is your judgment as we have allowed our nation to go directly against Your truth. I ask for forgiveness, forgive us for not standing up for your truth, and allowing the lies of the enemy to prevail. Forgive us for allowing those around us call good evil and evil good, and we never say a word. Forgive us, for not instilling Your values into our children, and allowing the culture to influence their lives. Forgive us for treating you common, and church as a social club. Forgive us, for not taking action in your Kingdom work, but rather allowing the chaos of our days rule our lives. Forgive us for being self-righteous and showing hate rather than your love. You did not call us to hate others, but to love others. At the same time, you have called us to hate sin, and to call our brothers and sisters out in their sin. Forgive us for not doing this in the church. Lord we want your will to be done in this nation. We want to take a stand, and be your ambassadors here in this foreign land. No longer, shall we be silent. but we shall turn from our wicked ways, and seek for you to heal our land. We love you Lord, and we want nothing more than for you to guide our steps as we prepare to vote this election season. Grant us wisdom, as we study each candidate to make sure we live a righteous life. We praise you Lord, for all of the things you have already done, and everything that you are going to do. It is in your name that we pray, Amen.

 

The Master's Call

She sings songs, joyful melodies,

Praises, like incense, fill the room,

Melodic sounds of symphonies,

Like sweetness of fragrant perfume.

 

Songs of Peace, Good tidings she brings,

Sweet worship, her praises remain.

Salvation from the King of Kings,

As we declare that, “Our God Reigns.”

 

Songs of “Alpha and Omega,”

He picked me up and “Changed My World”

Lift your voice “Days of Elijah”

Everyone sing “Holy is our Lord.”

 

Authentic prayers, and a pure heart,

The seasons slowly fade to fall.

Only through faith, a hopeful start,

She answers the true Master’s call.

 

For Tia Edwards, Pastor Grace Mass Choir & Vocal Ministry

2006-2012

Good Works

Ephesians 2:1-10

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

James 2:14-17

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Hello, My Beloved!

I hope you are having a wonderful week. I have been spending time evaluating my life. Am I where God wants me to be? Have I been living up to His expectations. You know we spend so much time worrying about what other people think of our actions and our work, and not enough time seeking God on our actions and work. I think it goes beyond that, though. Last Sunday, my husband taught the kids on "Let your yes be yes, and you no be no." Growing up my mom use to always tell us that. I have a habit of saying "yes" with good intentions. Mainly because I want to try to do everything, and I have the intentions to do everything. The problem lies, is that everything I do, I give it my all - 110%. However, how can you give 110% for the 20 million things that you are doing? You can't. Anyways, it has this vicious cycle, for me, that I go from 110% for 20 million things to nothing. I wear myself out, and end up doing nothing. Someone once said, "If you don't tell your time where to go, it will tell you where to go." I think it was also said about money, too. So, I had good intentions to get my day started right today. Since I've started working from home, homeschooling Jesse, I haven't been able to do everything that I wanted to do. I can't even do everything that I have to do. I see first hand how this time thing can take over your life if you let it. One of the things I wanted to be able to do is exercise. It is so hard to find time to exercise. So, I told Jesse, let's go walk Shadow (our dog). I figured, the dog would get walked, I would get walked (and the much needed exercise), and Jesse would get walked. So, we walked him.When we were walking him, I noticed how stinky he was, and how dull his coat looked. Yep, a bath was long overdue for our poor pup. So, when we got home, we gave him the much needed bath. It got us drenched, so we both took baths. It wasn't until 9:00 am that I turned on my computer to start doing work. Jess got a late start on his school work as well. Then my mom shows up, and wants to take us to lunch. No problem, so we went to lunch. When the day was half done, what did I have to show for it, besides a clean dog?

This scripture indicates faith with out works is dead - what about faith with empty works? Sometimes we get so caught up in everything around us, that we forget about our true purpose. Romans 12:1 tells us, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Not that long ago, the Lord taught Chris and I a very important lesson. We are so quick to serve the Lord, and the church is so hungry for anyone to serve the Lord. We got caught up in a lot of different ministries, spreading ourselves so thin that we barely had time to have our own devotion time with the Lord. When we were so worn out tired of it all, we asked God, why are we so tired doing all of these things for you. God was simple in His reply - "I didn't ask you to do all of that." It was quite a humbling moment for us. Here we thought we were doing all of these great things for the Lord, but God never called us to do it. It is so important to serve the Lord, but it is even more important to serve Him in the areas that He called you to. Before you were even born, God had a destiny for you. He knew exactly how you were going to serve Him. Ephesians 2 indicates that we are to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. So, why are we so busy trying to do good works outside of the areas in which God has called us to do? It just wears us out to the point we don't want to do any of it. However, if we don't do the works, is our faith dead? Seek God, and see where He wants you to serve. I guarantee it is most rewarding. When life seems so difficult in your own front, it is nice to serve others and have a reality check. At the same time, when life does get difficult, and you walk through it - there always seems to be someone on the other side that is walking through the same difficult path, in which you are able to encourage. Hang in there my beloved, serve God, and persevere to the end, I just know it will be worth it!

 

May you have a blessed day!

Christina