Advent Day 28: Hope was Born that First Christmas Day!

Advent Day 28 Reading: John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.  The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was his own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God-  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning Him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

Phew! Now that is not only one long passage of scripture, but it is one that is overflowing with priceless golden nuggets of truth each sparkling ever so brightly that individually they could be focused and meditated upon to receive the full magnificence of their beauty.  With that said, on this Christmas Day celebration of 2010, as I finish our Advent series, (great job to all of you that have faithfully stayed the course), in culmination of the anticipation and now arrival of Christ’s birth, I’d will be choosing just one golden nugget revealed in this passage to share about; that of Hope.

Hope was Born that First Christmas Day!  Oh, Hope was always with us as the scriptures above so clearly  say; but now He, Jesus Christ our true Hope, was incarnated into tangible Hope we could not only believe in, but see and touch. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 

As the advent season approached us this year I was reminded of the numerous challenges that so many have faced, and as I began this series, Holy Spirit encouraged me that,  Hope was Born on that First Christmas Day! As we all move forward into a New Year my prayer and heart’s desire is for each of us to receive a fresh infilling and impartation of that Hope.

A Hope that makes us both strong and courageous. A Hope that anticipates good and perfect gifts from our Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. A Hope that shimmers and shines in the face of all obstacles that come your way.  A Hope that does not disappoint, because He is The Faithful One.  O’ how He loves you and me!  O’come let us adore Him……………Christ the hope-giving Lord!

Snowflakes of Hope

Hope was born

That first Christmas night;

Then in the fullness of time

Into snowflakes it multiplied.

And multiplied and multiplied

Into all shapes and all sizes;

Each unique and diverse

Filling the entire universe! 

Endlessly descending from heaven

Every hour, 24/7;

Snowflakes all a “one of a kind”

Sent with your name in mind.

Fashioned solely and expressly

As hope-filled answers to prayer;

Meeting wants, needs, desperation

Falling Snowflakes everywhere!

So with eagerness and anticipation

Keep watch, wait and pray;

For heaven’s favor, Father’s love

To shower upon you from above.

Never-ending Snowflakes of Hope

His Presence, peace and plenty;

Manifested joy, blissful cheer

Throughout the 2011 New Year!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 Romans 15:13

Merriest of Hope-FILLED Christmases to you!

 -The Quilted Poetess

Advent Day 27: The Covenant Promise

Advent Day 27 Readings: Luke 1:67-79

His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed His people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David (as He said through His holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us- to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath He swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

 To remember His holy covenant, the oath He swore to our father Abraham. Luke 1:72b-73 Zechariah was refering to the Covenant Promise that the Lord had sworn upon Himself with Abraham and his descendents in Genesis 12:1-3, The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Have you ever made a promise to God, others, or yourself, that in time you’ve found was impossible to keep?  I am sure we all have at one time or another, but the great news is according to Numbers 23:19, God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

Thank God that He is not like us, but was, and is, and will always be a faithful. The Covenant Promise that He made with Abraham is also ours, as Abraham’s descendents. Through His Covenant Promise to us, God has blessed each and everyone of us in everyway!  We as the people of God ARE a great nation, and our name IS great, and we ARE the blessing to all peoples on earth. 

Oh, we didn’t receive this blessing because we were, or are, or will ever be deserving of it, but by GRACE. Grace is on of most amazing gifts ever given to us.  It is never-ending and always available just for the asking; and sometimes surprisingly, without.

It is not thy hold on Christ that saves thee; it is Christ. It is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee; it is Christ.  It is not even they faith in Christ, though that be the instrument; it is Christ’s blood and merit.  C.H. Spurgeon

 God is so good; far exceeding our wildest imaginations!  He’s created us, redeemed us, and blessed us beyond compare with all the riches in Christ.  He’s made a gazillion great and precious promises to us, and the best part of the deal, is He KEEPS everyone of them.  He is our God on whom we can depend to be faithful to the end……as Zechariah and Mary found out.

On the eve of Christmas, and in preparation for that most incredible advent; why not write your own song of thanksgiving and celebration as Mary and Zechariah did, expressing your awestruck adoration to Him, while also declaring His faithfulness in your life? O’come let us adore Him………..the Giver of life and life abundantly!

Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,

so faithfully set the stage;

to receive the Covenant Promise,

passed on through every age.

Fruitfulness, blessing, favor and grace,

given freely to us, of this chosen race;

the Covenant Promise of Abraham’s seed,

is readily available to all who believe.

Righteousness, hope and justification,

come by faith, to all generations;

present and past, future indeed,

nations rise up in full Godspeed.

As the stars of the Heavens,

and sands of the seas;

their descendants are limitless,

through you and through me.

Receive the Lord’s promise,

this Covenant through Christ;

free for the asking,

through His sacrifice.

For ears have not heard,

nor have eyes seen;

all that He’s promised,

to all who believe.

-The Covenant Promise

 I will listen to what God the Lord will say; He promises peace to His people, His saints. 

Psalm 85:8

-The Quilted Poetess

Advent Day 26: Rainbow Promises

Advent Day 26 Reading: Luke 1:57-66

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Luke 1:66  Not only was the time of John’s birth, destiny, and calling preordained by the Lord, but the circumstances surrounding his grand entrance into the world were also.  God in His perfect, divine, timing planned for John to be physically born right before, the miracle of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus’ own incarnation into the world.   Both Elizabeth and Zechariah were also preordained by God to be the stewards for God’s power-house of a prophet. All God promised came to pass when it was time.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3:11 King Solomon, who is called the wisest man who ever lived wrote, He has made everything beautiful in its time. I know often times it seems like eternity as we wait for God’s divine timing in bringing to fruition those Rainbow Promises He’s spoken personally to our hearts. Today’s reading has greatly encouraged me while in my own waiting room, with a renewed spirit of anticipation.

As Luke 1:57 says, When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. When it was His time……He made everything beautiful by fulfilling His promise to Zechariah, and everyone was blessed with joy at God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promise.

As God was faithful to Zechariah, Elizabeth, as well as Mary (who believed that nothing was impossible for God), He is faithful to us.  He is never early, but also, never late.  His timing is always divine and He truly does make everything beautiful in its time!

Today, think of something He’s promised you that you’ve long awaited its arrival.  Choose with me to believe once more it, if you’ve allowed doubt to cloud the path on your walk of faith.  May a bright star shine from heaven to earth as it did that very night for the Wisemen and lead you back to Jesus, where He will make all His destined dreams for your life come true!

Rainbow promises, every color and hue,

Red, orange, yellow, green, purple and blue;

Heart’s treasured desires, precious dreams come true,

 Found high in the skies, for all the world’s view!

Rainbow promises, wishes upon a star,

Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Mars;

Soaring swiftly through galaxies, flying high to the moon,

On make-believe rocket ships, engines screaming vavoom!

Rainbow promises, from beginning to end,

Start line to finish, again and again;

  Racing bicycles, riding horses, and shouting yahoo,

Competitions and contests, winning is oh so cool!

Rainbow promises, every strange shape and size,

Small, large and bulging, thin, long and wide;

Receiving surprise Christmas packages, wrapped so beautiful,

Carefully adorned with colorful ribbons, and bows crisp and new!

Rainbow promises, imaginations gone wild,

In the thoughts and the minds, of every small growing child;

Sketches in notepads, drawn with such thoughtful care,

Magical moments, oh let’s all go there!

Rainbow promises, fairytale worlds become real,

Cinderella, King Arthur, oh what a thrill;

Living in medieval castles, filled with treasures and jewels,

Wearing crowns, dancing tenderly, or sparring a duel!

Rainbow promises, God’s powerful Word made alive,

From His heart, from His mind, from the Godhead divine;

Heart’s treasured desires, precious dreams come true,

God’s Covenant Promises, given for me and for you!

 -Rainbow Promises

 -The Quilted Poetess

Advent Day 25: Song of the Redeemed

Advent Day 24 Reading: Luke 1: 46-56

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, even as he said to our fathers.” Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Yesterday we looked at the precious gift of fullness of joy that we receive in the presence of the Lord. Today we will be looking at Mary’s heartfelt response to both the Lord’s presence and calling on her life as she expressed it so graciously through composing her very own spontaneous song or worship, praise, adoration, and thanksgiving, to the Holy One- who had blessed her with such an honor and privilege.

Before Mary’s heart was filled to overflowing and released to sing such a magnificent song, her will had actively surrendered to God’s will for her life according to in Luke 1:38, where she responded to the angel Gabriel by saying, I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.

She not only believed Gabriel’s words that nothing was impossible with God, but willingly became a conduit for the Lord to fulfill such a surreal vision.  In doing so, she was blessed!  She personally experienced the pleasure of God upon her life and I believe it filled her with such thanksgiving that there was not other response, but to worship. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is His name. Luke 1:49 How else would any of us respond to being chosen to reveal such majestic mystery!

The exciting news is now that we are born–again, God has also chosen us to do the very same thing with our lives. He has called us by name and impregnated us with His Holy Spirit, then filled us to overflowing with Himself. Christ now resides IN us and IS the hope of glory!  We all as His vessels carry the glory of the Lord and the way to reconciliation and relationship with Him to others!  As with Mary, when we daily choose to surrender our will to His, our very lives literally become the Song of the Redeemed!

 My life,

 Offered to You

As an instrument;

To play the notes and sounds

That harmonize and synchronize

With the melodies of Heaven.

The sounds of Your love,

 Your truth, Your presence;

  Played by You

 The Chief Conductor

Of the Heavenly choir.

As You orchestrate

These amazing sounds;

The notes, tones,

And chords of the Spirit

In and through my daily life.

It’s a glorious, melodic

 Song of worship;

To bless others

 And  bring

 You eternal joy.

Let me be

 An instrument

In Your hands;

Resonating Your song,

 The song of the Redeemed.

-The Song of the Redeemed

Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.

Isaiah 12:5-6

-The Quilted Poetess

Advent Day 24: Tidings of Comfort and Joy!

Advent Day 24 Reading:  Luke 1:39-45

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 what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

After Mary received this glorious, surprising, world-changing revelation from the angel Gabriel, she quickly was off to visit her beloved cousin Elizabeth to, share the gloriously amazing news. When arriving, more than the news was shared between them. Now, that the Son of God was dwelling within Mary’s womb, His glorious presence manifested itself in an explosion of JOY, that even yet to be born miracle baby John responded to by leaping of joy within Elizabeth’s womb!

. According to Psalms 16:11, You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. In the presence of the Lord, there IS fullness of joy As was true with the baby John, joy is a natural spiritual byproduct we can all experience when IN His presence- and that joy can and will be transmitted through us to others.

As it says in Colossians 2:9-10a, For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ. We are now the carriers of His joy and fullness. Not only does He fill us, but His kingdom also resides within us, and according to Romans 4:17b, that kingdom is filled with righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  Joy is a fruit of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22), and thankfully, the joy of the Lord is also our strength, according to Nehemiah 2:10.

My guess is that when Mary and Elizabeth first set eyes on one another; they too were filled to overflowing with the joy of the Lord. I believe that the joy of the Lord was a major blessing given by God  to strengthen and comfort them (in the midst of  future persecution), as they continued to faithfully carry His glorious plan to fruition.

Have you noticed how easy it is for children to allow themselves to express their emotions of joy, while we adults oftentimes suppress it by holding back?  Maybe that is why Jesus says we need to come to Him as little children.  Little children have an incredible freedom to be spontaneous by expressing exactly what they are feeling. Because they don’t hold back, I think that often time they more readily experience the joyous blessing of God’s gift of joy.

Today why not let loose like a little child and jump for joy in the presence of the Lord!  Put on some Christmas praise music and engage by sing joyfully unto your Lord and King!  O’Come Let Us Joyfully Adore Him!

Jumping for joy, the best exercise ever,

 To bring restoration to soul;

Dr. Jesus advises a daily dose, 

To feel energetic, complete and whole.

For a merry heart, doeth good like a medicine,

Filling the heart with joy;

Vigor and liveliness, vitality, strength,

Just like with a wind up toy.

As it spins, it bounces from side to side,

Reeling and spiraling around;

With enthusiasm, fervor, energy, spark,

Swirling up over, and round and round.

With oodles and heaps of jovial oomph,

Joy swells up to overflow;

Through our thoughts and our actions

 Our attitudes, deeds;

To all that we meet, to partake and receive!

-Jump for Joy

-The Quilted Poetess

Advent Day 23: Greetings, Highly Favored One

Advent Day 23 Reading:  Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

After 400 hundred years of being silent, God in His preordained time and way sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to gloriously speak forth His incredible plan! A plan that would rend the veil separating heaven from earth, by reuniting Him through His Son, Jesus Christ with us, the Crown of His precious chosen creation.

In order to accomplish His purpose, He amazingly chose to co-labor with a woman named Mary. She was chosen to become the highly favored recipient, co-creating with Holy Spirit, Father’s only begotten Son , Jesus Christ! Can you even imagine? It’s no wonder her first response was that of being greatly troubled.  Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God, said the angel Gabriel as he reveal in minute detail God’s most masterful plan. 

 After discoursing with Mary and answering her most important question, How could this be since I am a virgin?  Gabriel reassured her by declaring, For nothing is impossible with God. Those 5 words say it all.  Nothing is impossible with God. History confirmed the fulfillment of this miraculous prophetic word and promise when Mary became pregnant with child conceived by the Holy Spirit, and gave birth to the Son of God, Jesus Christ proving, Nothing is impossible with God!

Since that time God is still speaking. The question is, Are we listening?  He speaks to us  in a myriad of ways through such avenues as His Word, the Church, other people, dreams (as he did so often to Joseph), and our circumstances. As with Mary, He speaks to prompt us to join Him as living links to usher His will to earth as it is in heaven.  Sometimes He speaks to calm us of our fears, then replaces them with courage so we like as Mary, can do what seems impossible. 

Big or small, all His interventions through our lives are miracles of grace that once conceived and given birth, become blessings untold.  We just might be the answer to someone elses prayer, or nudged and given the honor to usher a new living soul into His kingdom.  Whatever He’s planned and arranged, I know He so desires to speak to you and to speak to me on a regular basis about it, while longing for us to consent to becoming those living links by believing and surrendering to His glory cascading through our lives.

Although Mary was considered highly favored when receiving this special impartation of grace to become Jesus’ birth mother, we each are also highly favored and His grace is more than sufficient for us to fulfill His wonder-filled dreams here on earth.

Will you join me today in becoming a conduit of that grace to flow by opening the ears of your heart to listen and receive all He has in store to do through your life, then act upon that word in faith and obedience?  I know others will be richly blessed as He miraculously touches the world through highly favored You!

Signals are sent through heartfelt impressions

nudges they are, from Heaven above;

to become employed by Him, utilized and engaged

as Living Links on this earth, as He sets the stage.

 For these compassionate opportunities, present themselves daily

they’re neither hidden, unseen, nor obscured from our view;

but found close beside, next to, and close by

easily accessible, often right in front of you. 

As gracious invitations, to co-partner, abide

linked together with Him, joined as one, side by side;

for His compassion to flow, stir up and move through

as a supernatural connection, of what only He can do. 

For those many who are lost, hurting, or in straights

who’ve prayed for a miracle, and who’ve patiently waited;

for God to come down, and answer their cry

while not knowing the when, the how, who or why.

 And with this virtuous goal, God’s heart and His mind

and His eyes have lovingly roamed, to and fro as to find;

Faithful Living Links He can trust in, discuss and confide

to perform the many exploits, which are heaven-sent and divine. 

-Living Links

-The Quilted Poetess

Advent Day 22: Immanuel, God With Us

Advent Day 22 Reading: Matthew 1:18-24

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. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 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.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” -which means, “God with us.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Immanuel, God With Us- the God of the universe loved us so much He sent His one and only Son into our imperfect, tainted, corruptible world so we could each experience firsthand, the With God life that was His original intention and design.  The great news is……… He is now With Us and has continued plans to be With Us for eternity!

Immanuel, God With Us-because His plans and purposes can often take so much longer than expected, while time continues to be ever so slowly ticking on; discouragement can enter in, even to the point of sometimes questioning our ability to hear God correctly by possibly thinking to ourself, Did God really say………? 

Immanuel, God With Us– in man’s economy Christ’s first coming probably not only seemed like it would NEVER happen, but to some who had both heard and believed the prophetic utterances of what they thought was to be Messiah’s soon to be arrival-  were soon to be gone from this world before He actually came.

Immanuel, God With Us– thankfully, our faithful God did have both timing  and divine purpose to His plan- that of His Son, Immanuel, the Messiah, the Anointed One to be born. Yes born; but born as a helpless infant child who needed to be cared for in every practical  and physical sense. Now does that make sense to us?  Most probably not, but again, in God’s sensical thinking, it did and it does.

Immanuel, God With Us- at God’s preordained time, Immanuel did arrive, but again so surprisingly, in a unusally humble form and place- endangered and kept literally running for His life, well- for His entire life. In the midst of Mission Impossible, He ran without fear and with full protection, always knowing who He was, where He came from, and where He was going. He was so secure in His identity that not outward circumstance nor man’s opinion of Him could sway Him from His mission; and that one mission was to save us from our sins so we could be reconciled With God, at which time He breathed His breath of life into us, than fulfilled His plans to dwell within us. Now living within us in His form of the precious Holy Spirit in the midst of all our doubts, fears, and the stubborn the self-centered attributes we are all capable of. 

During this Christmas Advent season why not make it your purpose and plan to spend some quality time pondering not only the grand day of celebration of His birth, but the blessed truth that He abides within you and within me………….never to leave nor forsake us. On that first Christmas night we were given the greatest gift ever conceived; the gift of Himself, the With God life that keeps on giving and giving and giving.  Everyday is a new day to be captivated by His incredible love in sending Immanuel, to live Within Us. Now that in itself is a true miracle!

Because of His birth,

Because of His blood;

Our heart’s beat as one,

I’m captivated by His love. 

Infused, intertwined,

His heartbeat’s permeating;

I’m invaded, aligned,

Now steady, unwavering.

 Not controlled, regulated,

By event, circumstance;

But constant and stable,

Consistent, a thermostat.

 With His Presence throughout,

I’m soaked, tenderized;

Immersed, saturated,

Absorbed, mesmerized.

 With luminous joy,

Drenched, bubbling up;

Flooded, free, calm, serene,

I’m saturated in love. 

Because of His birth,

Because of His blood;

Our heart’s beat as one,

I’m captivated by His love.

 -Captivated by His Love

 -The Quilted Poetess

Advent Day 21: What Was He Thinking?

Advent Day 21 Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

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. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 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.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” -which means, “God with us.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

 Although today’s reading is impregnated with spiritual treasure, I will once more be focusing on Joseph and the role he played in the God’s grand scheme of bringing Immanuel, God with Us; to us.  As I am sure you would agree, Joseph had a highly unusual and honorable call on his life.  Before the foundations of the  world God had chosen to honor Joseph with becoming Jesus’ natural father.  Interestingly, He didn’t reveal this to Joseph until AFTER he had found out that Mary was with child. 

Due to the fact that Mary was already with child when Joseph received the dream,  I think it could have been much easier  for him to question its authenticity and validity. After awaking, He could had easily thought something like, What are I thinking? Am I just dreaming this up?  Honestly, who in their right mind would believe that such a dream would be from God?  That’s my point; in what we call our right mind, none of us would.

Joseph did not receive this revelation in his right mind, but as a witness in His mind through his Spirit.  Before receiving the visitation the story tells us that when Joseph found out Mary was pregnant with child; he had in mind to divorce her quietly. In his mind this was the only plausible answer, but that wasn’t at all what God had in mind.

In the book of Matthew when the Pharisees asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, He replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37   According to Jesus, we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind.

God has given each the incredible blessing of a mind that does amazing things.  With that said the question that would arise is, Are we loving Him with all of it?  Joseph obviously was, or I don’t believe He would have been able to both receive the visitation and instruction as word from God, nor be able to follow through and obey.

We. are also called to love the Lord with all our heart and soul. I know when I am loving Him that way, it seems much easier for my mind to follow.  The process of renewal and transformation become more of a natural byproduct, but when if my affections are more focused on ME, or other’s; I tend to question and doubt more readily those gentle nudges from His Spirit- especially if they don’t fit cozily into my comfort zone.

Spending time communing With God I believe it the best way to nurture our love relationship with Him.  Just as with a family member or friend, fondness grows as we commune together.  Why not take some time out today or this evening to sit on Daddy’s lap?  He just might have something to whisper in your ear.

 Oh, to sit in Daddy’s lap

to snuggle, to cuddle,

and be held close;

Where all is well

where all is safe,

completely enveloped

in my Daddy’s embrace.

Where there’s no fear

of harm or pain,

concern or worry

cradled oh so near;

Where anxiety flees

and loving kindness flows,

where peace streams forth

from head to toe.

Held oh so tenderly

quiet stillness is found,

in His caring arms

to completely surround;

Me each time I approach

His love draws close,

as I climb into

my Daddy’s lap.

 -Daddy’s Lap

 -The Quilted Poetess

Advent Day 20: Who’s Your Daddy?

Advent Day 20 Reading: Matthew 1:1-17

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah  and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

Today’s reading is a lengthy passage of scripture denoting the genealogy of Christ. Because I know reading it can become laborious, I  have to admit I find myself playing the game, Tic Tac Toe while reading, actually only scanning the passage only catching glimpses of the  names I am personally familiar and fond of.

Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history for the purpose of obtaining information regarding their bloodline of ancestry. As we all know, although Christ was immaculately conceived He came into this world through the natural bloodline of Joseph’s descendents as was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. The book of Matthew provides written documentation to confirm His authenticity.

As mentioned in Matthew verse 1, Jesus was a descendent of Abraham whom God called and chose in Genesis 12 to be the Father of His chosen people, the Jewish nation.  According to Romans 11, we, called His remnant chosen by grace and have been engrafted into Christ’s family tree if you will, when we received Christ as our Savior.  When we made our declaration of faith we became a spiritual seed of Abraham’s lineage, thus a branch of a his bloodline.  Abraham is now our spiritual Father making Father God our Daddy. 

Through Christ, we have been blessed to become His precious daughters and son, inheriting the gift of eternal life, as well as being lavished with all the heavenly blessings of His kingdom!  The greatest gift was given for us, and to us, that first Christmas night adding our names to that great cloud of witnesses.   Does that well up as much gratitude in your heart as it does in mine? I am so thankful I was chosen to become a precious child of the King, and have received all the riches and gifts I could ever want or need.  They are all mine in Christ Jesus, but with that said I also realize that He IS The Greatest Gift.   O’ Come Let Us Adore Him!

 The  greatest gift t’was ever given,

that first Christmas morn;

the birth of Jesus, God’s own son,

our Savior, Christ the Lord.

God in His caring, thoughtful ways,

to one and all, that day He gave;

the greatest gift, we’d ever receive,

the Life, the Truth, the Way.

So we could all be reconciled,

becoming God’s daughters and sons;

this gift was given, free of charge,

to each and everyone.

To be embraced, loved in His arms,

as the babe to Mary was;

held closely, innocent, naïve and clean,

fully accepted, loved and received.

Forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ,

the greatest gift conceived;

a second chance, a new beginning,

the gift of salvation, to all who believe. 

-The Greatest Gift

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. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

Isaiah 9:6, Ephesians 1:7a 

-The Quilted Poetess

Advent Day 19: Let Your Light Shine

Advent Day 19 Reading: Luke 7:24-30

After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?  If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.  This is the one about whom it is written: ” ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

John the Baptist was given one priceless mission in life which he faithfully executed; sadly costing him his own execution. That  mission was to prepare the way of the Lord.   Now He has passed that lit torch onto us, the Church of Christ to carry on that mission.

Before Christ’s birth, the Star in the east prepared the way of the Lord by leading the Wisemen to  Jesus. This star twinkled brighter than any other star in that moonlit sky, illuminating  their steps  to the very manger where the Christ child lay. When they beheld Him, the Spirit confirmed it was He, and they worshipped Him.  Christ’s presence even it its humble infant estate, automatically evoked an awe and adoration of His majesty.

The Apostle Paul tells the Philippians, It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:13 Today God  is still working through each one of us for His good purpose and one of the most vital components of that is to lead others to Him. Paul goes on to say that we are like stars that shine in the universe as we hold out the word of life to others. We are carriers  and conduits of His glorious light that points the way to Him. By making room in the Inn or our hearts for His presence to dwell, Immanuel, God with Us, not only blesses and fills our hearts to overflowing, but then manifests through us His shimmering life and love.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.– Marianne Williamson

We, His chosen, are shining stars,

amidst the darkest skies;

Twinkling brightly, oh so brightly,

as beacons in the night.

His Word of hope, we hold out to,

the world for all to see;

It’s Christ in us, the hope of glory,

it’s Christ in us, the victory.

His Word of hope, lives inside us,

His Word of truth and life;

Our reason, purpose, revelation,

to shine amidst both sky and Heaven.

To bring His hope to hearts of those,

whose hope is lost, misplaced and gone;

And know not what is next, ahead,

to where or whom, they do belong.

So set your face upon His grace,

your heart, your mind, your life and strength;

And Christ will come and fill you there,

infuse you with His brightness where;

The world will see so brilliantly,

Christ in you, His shimmering glory.

 -Shining Stars

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, that

Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.

Psalm 67:1-2

Twinkle, twinkle, little star!

-The Quilted Poetess