Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
He is the Image of the invisible God, the Firstborn over all creation. 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. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 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. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, 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.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 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 — if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.
Colossians 1:15-23a
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Christmas is here once again…the day we celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And that should be our main purpose today. Not gifts and trees and lavish dinners and hosting family and friends. Only Jesus.
Why?
Because everything else comes a result of Him. We know this because we have a wonderful passage in the Epistle to the Colossians that spells it out clearly to us…a passage that shows all that there would be no Christmas…no anything else for that matter if it weren’t for Jesus. For we read where Jesus…and only Jesus…is “before all things and in Him all things hold together”. “He is the Beginning and has supremacy over everything…everything including Christmas.
Scripture also tells us this Jesus is the “Image of the invisible God”. In other words, God couldn’t be seen but His Son Jesus walked among man in the flesh. He was fully God and fully man at the same time…Emmanuel…God with us. Indeed, God, Jesus’ Father, “was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, 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”. Because of this truth, we not only celebrate Christ’s coming but also what is yet to come with Him…His future crucifixion and resurrection where He willingly sacrificed Himself to pay the price for our sins and then defeated death to join His Father in Heaven and provide us the opportunity to do so too…if we just believe and trust in Jesus as our Savior.
Truly, Jesus saved us. For before Him, we were “alienated from God and were enemies…because of…evil behavior”. But with the coming of the Savior, we were “reconciled…by (His) physical body through death” as He presented us “holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation”. In other words, through Jesus…those who “continue in…faith, established and firm…not moved from the hope held out in the gospel”…will be justified by Christ. It will be just as if they had never sinned…for there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)
Friends, Christmas is a celebration of Jesus…the greatest gift ever given because it was an eternal, heavenly, holy Gift of hope from God…a Son who was the “Firstborn over all creation”. No other one has been born to rule over man since and there will never be another to come.
Jesus was no ordinary child. Not by a long shot. He was born the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…the Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace… the Head of the body, the church. There was no child ever born like Him and there hasn’t been one since. And this is why we should do nothing short of worship, praise, honor and love Him.
Yes, Jesus…our gift from God…is the reason for this wonderful Christmas day. Let’s keep him at the center of it…and every other day we’re blessed with…now and forever. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
No comments:
Post a Comment