Paul's Christmas Card

By Timothy Sathuluri | Tue, 21 Dec 2010

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

Please remember me in your prayers as I am sic with acute cold running nose all the time and cough entire lost week, still i am not ok. I am leaving to Jaggayya peta on 23rd for church dedication, on 24,35,26 to Annavaram another temple town like Tirupati, this temple also on hill top, on 27,28,29 year ending thanks giving open air meetings at Chirala in two FAWBA churches. On 30th in chilakaluripet year ending thanks giving meeting, Pl continue to pray.

Hope this is my last Email for 2010, I want to take the words of Paul to Timothy and discover what are the most important things we can remember at this time of the year.  They are Paul's last words in letter form and therefore carry much weight because they are for "last days for Paul" on earth.

Paul's Christmas Card

2 Timothy 2:8-9

Most of the Christians think Christians symbol is the cross, but the cross stops at death of Christ but the empty tomb signifies the resurrected Christ.

"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead" is the foundation of our faith.  "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:17).   But thanks be to God that Jesus finished the work He came to do.  It started at His birth.  "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me." (John 6:38).  At the end of His ministry, Jesus says, "I glorified you (the Father) on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do." (John 17:4).  No wonder Paul is exhorting Timothy and us to "Remember Jesus Christ."  The fact that He is risen from the dead is a proof that everything Jesus came to do, the work He had received from God the Father, was completed to the Father's full satisfaction and glory.

This was the Jesus Paul preached wherever he went.  It was the "pure gospel" that he stood firm for, that he suffered for to the point of being imprisoned.  Let us not forget that there are brothers and sisters who are suffering and in prison because Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, is the only one they will preach and teach.  Will we "Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body." (Hebrews 13:3)?

After referring to his own prison conditions, Paul reminds us that "the word of God is not bound" (v.9).  What ever our circumstances may be, there is nothing in heaven or earth that can stop the Word of God from having it's intended effect in the lives of people where God is at work.

My deep desire for you this Christmas season is that we would remember the things that have the greatest value: Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and the living power of God's Word.  May the Lord richly bless you, your family, and the Church of Jesus Christ, His Bride.

With fervent love in Christ,
Timothy Sathuluri