December 23, 2024

Complete In Thee

April 15, 2015 by

Many of you have gone on Spring Break or are anticipating taking a vacation this summer.  It is a time to refresh spirit, soul, and body.  Over the next couple of weeks, our faithful bloggers will be taking a ‘spring break’ from writing so that they can come back to us refreshed and freshly anointed.
However, Girlfriends’ Coffee Hour website won’t ‘go black’!  We will be revisiting some of our favorite blogs and daily devotions which have blessed us in the past.  We pray that each of you, our faithful friends and readers, will continue to start your day meditating on the devotionals and songblogs, and be encouraged and blessed.

Let’s give each of our bloggers a big round of applause, a hug,
and the rest they so deserve.  God bless you, ladies!

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Complete in Thee, no work of mine
Could take, dear Lord, the place of Thine
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me
And I shall stand complete in Thee

Yea, justified, oh blessed thought
And sanctified salvation wrought
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me
And glorified, I too, shall be

Complete in Thee, each want supplied
And no good thing to me denied
Since Thou my portion, Lord will be
I ask no more, complete in Thee

Complete in Thee, no more shall sin
Thy grace has conquered reign within
Thy blood shall bid the tempter flee
And I shall stand, complete in Thee

Dear Savior, when, before Thy bar
All tribes and tongues assembled are
Among the chosen I shall be
At Thy right hand, complete in Thee

Benjamin Everson
written by Aaron R. Wolfe and James M. Gray/Ben Nyce

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Complete!  Could that really be true?!?  Oh YES, it is!  For years I struggled, truly suffered, being tempted by the enemy of our souls to doubt the truth and veracity of this fact: I, Coleen Ann Brigit Hayden, AM complete in Him!  I am!  (And you, my friend, you are complete in Him, too!) ‘How do you know that?’ you ask?  The Bible tells me so!

For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body,
and you are complete through your union with Christ.
Colossians 2:9 and 10

The word complete communicates that the thing which is completed has no lack or deficiency.  So if we are complete through our union or relationship with Christ then there is no lack or deficiency in all that comes through that relationship.  It is enough.  We are fully, perfectly, completely equipped.  ‘With what?’ you ask?  Well, here are a few things that became when we had our spiritual new birth.  Among other things, we are:

  • Chosen – 1 Peter 1:2
  • Forgiven –  Colossians 2:13
  • Free – Galatians 5:1
  • Justified – 1 Corinthians 6:11
  • Redeemed – Ephesians 1:7
  • Righteous – Romans 5:9
  • Sanctified – 1 Corinthians 1:30
  • Sealed – Ephesians 1:13

It is ONLY through our relationship or union with Jesus that we are complete—there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that we can do by ourselves that will make us complete.  Remember who and what we were…

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

and then…

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:1-8

Doesn’t that just melt your heart AND revive your heart all at the same time!?!  Read through those verses again, and pick out your very favorite phrase and praise our Great I AM through it!  (I would LOVE to hear which phrase hits your heart the most…and why!)

  • God being rich in mercy
  • By grace you have been saved through faith
  • Because of the great love with which He loved us
  • Might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness towards us
  • It is the gift of God

This—His love, His grace, His mercy, His gift, His riches—is what gives us the opportunity for a relationship or union with Jesus!  How GREAT is our God!

For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world
to be holy and blameless in His sight.
In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with His pleasure and will—
to the praise of His glorious grace,
which He has freely given us in the One He loves.
Ephesians 1:4-6

Hold this truth in your mind and never doubt that you are completely, completely, completely  COMPLETE through your union with Jesus—He is your Lord!

  *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Let’s Pray:

…that Christ may dwell in <our> hearts through faith, as <we> are being rooted and grounded in love.  I pray that <we> may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that <we> may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.  Amen.

(paraphrased from Ephesians, chapter 3)

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Alive

March 20, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Who but You could breathe and leave a trail of galaxies and dream of me
What kind of Love is writing my story ‘til the end with Mercy’s pen
Only You

What kind of King would choose to wear a crown that bleeds and scars to win my heart
What kind of Love tells me I’m the reason He can’t stay inside the grave
You, is it You, standing here before my eyes, every part of my heart cries

Alive, Alive
Look what Mercy’s overcome
Death has lost and Love has won
Alive, Alive
Hallelujah, Risen Lord
The only One I fall before
I am His because He is Alive

Who could speak and send the demons back from where they came with just one name
What other heart would let itself be broken every time until He healed mine
You, only You, could turn my darkness into dawn, running right into your arms

I am His because He is…

Emmanuel, the Promised King
the baby who made angels sing
Son of Man who walked with us
Healing, breathing in our dust
The Author of all history
The Answer to all mysteries
The Lamb of God who rolled away the stone in front of every grave

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

~ Written by Vicci Martinez and Peter Anders Svensson / Performed by Natalie Grant ~

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

What a powerful thought…that God was thinking of you and me!  What kind of Love is writing my story and yours until the end?  The love of the Father is something that I will never completely understand.  The love that loved me unconditionally when I was a sinner.  The same love that loved me out of darkness into His marvelous light.  Do you know the love of the Father?  It is a love like I have never known….

God loves with agápe—the love described in 1 Corinthians 13.  He loves you so much that He sent His Son to die on the Cross for you so that you might have everlasting life. His love is not based on performance.  Christ loves you so much that while you were yet a sinner, He died for you.

God’s love for you is unconditional and undeserved.  He loves you in spite of your disobedience, your weakness, your sin, and your selfishness.  He loves you enough to provide a way to abundant, eternal life.  From the Cross, Christ cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing!”

Because of the Cross and because of Jesus I am no longer led by the old man.  I have been made new.   am a new creation because of Him!

What does it mean to be ALIVE in Christ?

Ephesians 2:1-8 NLT says this :
Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.  (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)  For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.  God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

Thank You, Father, that You have turned my darkness into light.  Thank You for Your unconditional love that won my heart.  Thank You, Jesus, that I am Yours because You are ALIVE!!!  In Your  Name, Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

“I AM” Chapter 5 – Day 5: I AM…Complete

August 9, 2013 by

GFCHmemverse3

Complete!  Could that really be true?!?  For years I struggled, truly suffered, being tempted by the enemy of our souls to doubt the truth and veracity of this fact: I, Coleen Ann Brigit Hayden, AM complete in Him!  I AM!  (And you, my friend, you are complete in Him, too!) ‘How do you  know that?’ you ask?  The Bible tells me so!

For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body,
and you are complete through your union with Christ.
Colossians 2:9 and 10

The word complete communicates that the thing which is complete has no lack or deficiency.  So if we are complete through our union or relationship with Christ then there is no lack or deficiency in all that comes through that relationship.  It is enough.  We are fully, perfectly, completely equipped.  ‘With what?’ you ask?  Well, a couple of days ago in our lesson, Teresa gave us a beautiful graphic which contains the essence of what I am saying.  It presented ‘character traits’ that became ours when we were born-again, or had our spiritual new birth.  Among other things, it said we are:

  • Chosen – 1 Peter 1:2
  • Forgiven –  Colossians 2:13
  • Free – Galatians 5:1
  • Justified – 1 Corinthians 6:11
  • Redeemed – Ephesians 1:7
  • Righteous – Romans 5:9
  • Sanctified – 1 Corinthians 1:30
  • Sealed – Ephesians 1:13

It is ONLY through our relationship or union with Jesus that we are complete—there is nothing,  absolutely nothing, that we can do by ourselves that will make us complete.  Remember who and what we were…

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:1-8

Doesn’t that just melt your heart AND revive your heart all at the same time!?!  Read through those verses again, and pick out your very favorite phrase and praise our Great I AM through it!  (I would LOVE to hear which phrase hits your heart the most…and why!)

  • God being rich in mercy
  • By grace you have been saved through faith
  • Because of the great love with which He loved us
  • Might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness towards us
  • It is the gift of God

This—His love, His grace, His mercy, His gift, His riches—is what gives us the opportunity for a relationship or union with Jesus!  How GREAT is our God!

For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.  In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.
Ephesians 1:4-6

Hold this truth in your mind and never doubt that you are completely, completely, completely  COMPLETE through your union with Jesus—He is your Lord!

 

* * * * *

Let’s Pray:

…that Christ may dwell in <our> hearts through faith, as <we> are being rooted and grounded in love.  I pray that <we> may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that <we> may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.

Amen.
(paraphrased from Ephesians, chapter 3)

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,