Tag: who is Jesus?

Jesus – 25 Positive Words, Day 25

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Day 25

Today we celebrate Jesus. He is the Word made flesh. He is the Word of Life. He is my redeemer, my savior, my victor, my friend. In Colossians 1, we read a beautiful declaration of who Jesus is:

 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
 For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Colossians 1:15-20

He who knew no sin, came to this earth in human form, and gave His life for us so that we might have a relationship with God. Because of the cross we live in victory in both this life and eternity. Let us celebrate Jesus every day of the year. Merry Christmas to all!

 

His Righteousness

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God’s righteousness is like the mighty mountains.
Psalm 36:6a

The grandeur of a mighty mountain range makes us seem so small and insignificant in comparison. If we were to stand next to a mountain, we would look like a tiny little speck. This simple verse in Psalms reminds us that there is a vast difference between God’s righteousness and our own. It’s easy to think that our righteousness is good enough to please God and maybe even get us into heaven, but the Bible is clear that all have sinned and come short of God’s glory. Thankfully it’s not our righteousness that saves us – it’s God’s. The Bible says, “God made him who had no sin (Jesus) to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  2 Corinthians 5:12

God knows that our righteousness could never be perfect or “good enough,” that’s why He sent His perfect Son to offer His own life on our behalf. It’s amazing to think that the One who created the mountains – the One who is completely righteous – has given us His righteousness through Christ. The apostle Paul, who was a pretty stellar guy, wrote to the Philippians, “Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Paul went on to say, “I want to know Him.”

What about you? Do you want to know Him? No matter where you are at right now, His arms are open to you.  Seek to get to know the God of the Bible.

I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10

If you want to chat with someone about a relationship with Christ, please go to chataboutJesus.com right now.

POPM- 2015 The Power of a Positive Mom, Revised and Updated

By Karol Ladd

Photo by Adam Patterson on Unsplash

How Deep is Your Faith?

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Tree by creek

When the Robersons moved into a house not too far from ours, we were thrilled.  It’s always fun to have dear friends living close by, and especially if they give you their trees. Let me explain. You see, they didn’t like the landscaping around their house and wanted to get rid of a few Savannah holly trees. Being the kind and thoughtful friends that we are, we volunteered to take the trees off their hands and plant them in our own yard.  Wow, what a deal!  Free trees!  We found just the right spot for them.  Our house backs up to a pleasant little creek, and so we planted them near the creek to enhance the beauty of the area. Five lovely Savannah hollies lining our creek! We were so proud of ourselves.

The water in our creek tends to rise when we have a rainstorm, and boy did we have a gulley washer one night right after we planted those hollies. On the morning after the storm, we woke up and looked out our window toward the creek. Hmmm, we wondered, what were those large holes in the ground? Wait a minute, and where were our hollies? Three of them were completely gone! Yes, swept away! We had another storm soon after that, and guess what. The other two were swept downstream too. Oh well, easy come, easy go.

Now if the hollies had been given the time to take root in the ground they may have stayed around, but since they were newly planted there was nothing to hold them in the ground as the water rose and the current flowed. If you have ever watched flood waters rise, then you know the strength and power of the water’s current.  It will sweep away anything and everything that is not deeply rooted or firmly founded in the ground. In a moment, large objects can be swept away and carried for miles downstream. The same is true with the flow of life and the current of our culture.  If we are not deeply rooted in the truth of Christ and the assurance of His love, we can easily be carried away by the latest philosophies or our own whims and feelings.

There is a constant flow of ideas that “sound right,” and “seem good” in our culture today. But we must know The truth – God’s truth.  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 (John 8:31,32).” As we hold to God’s teaching and are rooted and built up in Him, then we will be free from the pull and drag of man-made rules and fine sounding philosophies. Here is Paul’s encouragement to the Colossians:

 

Colossians 2:6-8

 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.  See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

 

No more shallow Christianity! Let’s be intentional about letting our roots grow down deep into Christ as we study His word and get to know Him. We don’t want to be guided by the latest fads or our finicky feelings. When we get to know what the Bible has to say about Christ, our faith is made strong to weather the storms of life and discern the philosophies of our culture. Take some time to read God’s Word for yourself each day.

 

A portion of this blog is an excerpt from Karol’s book A Woman’s Secret to Confident Living.

Check out this month’s $5 special, Karol’s DVD on the topic.

https://positivewomanconnection.com/books/#monthlyspecial

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Who is Jesus?

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Holy Week brings our focus in to who Jesus is and why He came to this earth. God doesn’t want us to be confused about Christ. Jesus Christ’s deity is central to our Christian foundation and beliefs. If you believe that Jesus was just a nice man or a wise prophet or a good angel, then you are missing the very essence of Christianity. Paul, in His letter to the Colossians, made it clear that Jesus was all man and all God. There is no one else who fits that description. Christ is the one and only God in human form. Immanuel, God with us, sent to this world to offer His life for us.

In Colossians 1, we see one of the strongest statements in all of scripture as to the divine nature of Christ. He is supreme over all creation and over all spiritual beings. He is the one who created us and sustains us. As this passage paints a true picture of Jesus in vibrant color, I see the power and the beauty of the One in whom I have placed my trust.  I know I can safely and confidently place my life and my future in Him. Here’s what Paul wrote about Jesus:

  • He is the visible image of the invisible God.
  • He is the firstborn (supreme) over all creation.
  • By Him all things were created.
  • He existed before everything else began.
  • He holds all creation together.
  • He is the Head of the church.
  • He is the firstborn of all who will rise from the dead.
  • In everything He has the supremacy – He is supreme over all, the first in everything.
  • All God’s fullness dwells in Him and through Him.
  • God reconciled all things through Christ, by making peace through His blood shed on the cross.

Take a moment to ponder each of these descriptions of Jesus throughout the week this week, and praise Him for who He is.

 

Praise you Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God three in One.  There is no other.  You are the God of all creation, the beginning and the end.  Loving, Merciful, all-wise God, all glory and honor belong to You. You are before all things, and by You all things exist. Thank you God for caring about me.  I am honored to be called your daughter.  Glorious God, thank you for letting me know you through your son Jesus. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, You are the One Who was and is and is to come.

 

A portion of this blog is an excerpt from Karol’s book A Woman’s Secret to Confident Living.

Check out this month’s $5 special, Karol’s DVD on the topic.

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Holy Week – Your Personal Journey

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the crown of thorns of Jesus Christ and a nail on the Holy Cross

This week is the most significant week of the Christian faith, so I want us to examine the Biblical account of what happened each day and consider what it means to us personally. I hope you will walk with me through this week and explore the profound impact of Christ’s death and resurrection on your own life.

Sunday – Palm Sunday – Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy from hundreds of years earlier by Zechariah. The crowds shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!” Each of the gospels records this significant event. Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 1:1-11, Luke 19:28 – 44, John 12:12-19

Personal Reflection: Who is Jesus to me? Will I join in praising Jesus as the Son of God, Ruler of all? Am I only willing to praise Him when things are good and my expectations are met? Do I still praise Him for who He is and trust Him for what He can do when things don’t go the way I want or expect? Pray to for eyes to see who Jesus is and the salvation and peace that He brings.

Monday – Jesus returns to Jerusalem and cleanses the temple of the money changers saying, “My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.” Read about it in Mathew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19.

Personal Reflection: What areas of my life need a little cleaning out? Am I willing to invite the Lord to reveal those areas of sin? Am I willing to repent and turn back to Him? Pray for God to gently convict you of areas of sin in your life.

Tuesday – Jesus returns to Jerusalem and is confronted by the leaders in the Temple who question Jesus’ authority. Jesus responds and then goes on to teach the people using parables. He also teaches about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and final judgement. Read about Jesus interactions, his parables and teachings in Matthew 21:23 – 25 Luke 20 – 21, Mark 11:27 – 13, John 12:20-49

Personal Reflection: Am I a student of God’s word, or do I simply listen to what others say? Am I willing to pay attention to His teachings? Pray for a heart of understanding and ears to hear what He is teaching you through His Word.

Wednesday – The religious leaders assemble in order to plot how they can arrest Jesus. Some call this “Spy Wednesday” because it is the day that Judas conspired with the religious authorities to turn Jesus over to them for 30 pieces of silver. Also, while Jesus was in Bethany, Mary anointed Jesus with the expensive perfume from her alabaster jar. Interesting to think that one takes money for turning Jesus into the authorities, while another spends her precious possession on Jesus to prepare Him for His burial. Matthew 26:1-15, Mark 14:1-11 Luke 22:1-6 John 12:1-11

Personal Reflection: How valuable is Jesus in my life? Is He someone I use, hoping to get what I want? Or is He someone I adore, willing to give my very best for Him? Pray for a deeper and more sincere love for Jesus.

Thursday – Considered “Holy Thursday,” this day marks the beginning of the sacred Triduum (three days). On this day Jesus instructs his disciples to prepare the Passover. This is night of the Last Supper in which Jesus breaks the bread and passes the cup symbolizing the new covenant, His body and blood sacrificed for our sins. This evening He takes a short walk with His disciples across the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prays in agony that this cup may be taken from Him. Yet he prays, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” The disciples are not able to stay awake in Jesus darkest hour. Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. Matthew 26:17 -56, Mark 14:12 – 52, Luke 22:7 – 53, John13:21 – 18:11

Personal Reflection: Do I recognize the love Jesus has for me to face terrible suffering on my behalf? Am I filled with gratitude and love as I take the Lord’s Supper or has it just become ritual? Take the Lord’s Supper tonight and humbly pray with a grateful heart, thanking Him for all He has done for you.

Friday – This is Good Friday. On this day Jesus faced trials before both the high priest and Pilate. In less than a week, the people changed from an adoring crowd to an angry mob shouting “Crucify Him!” He was beaten and ridiculed as the guards placed a crown of thorns on His head. He was nailed to a cross on the hillside of Galgotha, and hung in agony for 3 hours. Here He cries, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus is laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and guards are posted at the tomb. This is often a day when Christians join together for prayer and worship and fasting, recognizing the significance of what Jesus did on the cross. It is called Good Friday because on this day Jesus fulfilled His purpose – to offer His life as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Matthew 26:57 – 27:66, Mark 14:53 – 15:47, Luke 22:66 – 23:56, John 18:28 – 19:42.

Personal Reflection: Do I understand why Jesus went to the cross? Do I fully grasp the fact that He died and shed His blood as a full and complete payment for my sin? Have I put my trust in the work He did on the cross, or am I trusting my own works to save me? If you have never placed your faith in Jesus and what He did for you on the cross, I encourage you to trust Him today. Here’s an example of a prayer you may pray:

Father, thank you for your love for me. I know that I am a sinner and cannot make it to heaven based on my own works. Thank you for the work Jesus did on the cross to give me forgiveness and a new life in Him. I place my faith in Jesus, and surrender my heart to You. Thank you that I no longer bear the burden of my own sin. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me the strength to live each day.

Saturday –  Jesus was in the tomb, and the disciples were distraught, confused and heartbroken. Although Jesus told them He would be raised from the dead in three days, they forgot His promises.

Personal Reflection: What are the heartbreaks and disappointments in my life? What promises of God do I need to go back to and hold on to? When I experience dark times, am I willing to trust with hope that God can bring something good through it? Pray for His hope to permeate your mind and heart.

Sunday – Resurrection Day! Jesus rose from the dead! The tomb is empty! This is a day of celebration, a day that we rejoice in Jesus’ victory over death. We also rejoice in the fact that as believers in Christ, He has given us His Spirit to live in us (Romans 8). The resurrection not only means that as believers in Christ we will experience eternal life, but also that we live in victory because we have the Spirit of Christ living in us, giving us strength and hope and direction. Matthew 28,  Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20.

Personal Reflection: Am I walking in victory, recognizing that the very same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, lives in me? Am I looking to Him for direction and strength and triumph over sin? Am I living with a joy and peace that only His Spirit can give, as I keep my eyes on eternity? Pray for victory and joy as you reflect on all that the resurrection means in your life. Rejoice!!

Join us on Tuesday for a Special Positive Woman Connection lesson. Click here for more details