“…give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

An illustration of failure to apply this.

As I went down the ramp to board the first plane on my return trip to Germany from the US, I heard the stewardess announce, “There is no more room in the overhead bins, so the rest of you passengers will have to check your carry-ons.”

I was not happy with that news! My carry-on was packed with personal things, many of which I wanted to use on the trip. Fortunately, most of these were in my backpack in my carry-on. I took it out, surrendered my carry-on case with wheels, and made my way back to my seat, all the while complaining in my heart about this injustice.

This event and my response to it colored darkly the whole rest of the trip. On my transatlantic flight I was able to have 3 seats across so I could lie down to sleep. Instead of being thankful for this, I complained about not having the fourth seat so I could stretch out fully. I was aware that I was not responding correctly, not “letting go, holding on, rising above,” and tried to do so but it was so hard because I was staggering about emotionally, wounded by the fiery darts of the enemy.

Later, in praying about the situation, the Spirit pointed out to me how, at the crucial moment, I had failed to get up the shield of faith: I had chosen to complain instead of praising God for what He was doing in allowing my carry-on to be taken away. In that split second of failing to praise, failing to get up the shield of faith, I got hit with the fiery arrow of self-pity, followed by the arrow of anger.

Part two of this story tomorrow

Picture: shot with the fiery dart of anger and complaining

So, who is this God we love and serve? The God who left Heaven to live in the corrupt and twisted world as a defenseless babe?

You, Lord Jesus  are glorious,

you are strong,

you are full of wonders,

you are pure,

and positive

and powerful.

We ascribe to you

glory and strength,

we proclaim your

greatness to the nations,

we lift up and magnify your marvelous Name.

You are supreme,

you are superb,

you are sovereign.

We come before you now

with an offering of worship,

placing ourselves and

all you have given us on the altar of praise,

for you are worthy of all honor.

This is the God we worship through obedience!

Picture: Jesus, the Light of the world, and the Light of my life.

Thinking more on God’s gifts to  us.

Further up: You yourself, Lord God are the ultimate gift to us,

in your perfection and glory,

your goodness and greatness,

your wisdom and righteousness,

your discipline and justice,

your grace and compassion,

your creativity and faithfulness,

and most of all, your great, wonderful, powerful and endless love.

“Splendor and majesty are before you, strength and glory are in your sanctuary” (Ps. 96:6). You, Lord God, are

clothed in light,

brilliantly shining in your holiness,

unapproachable in purity,

radiating glory all around you.

You, Lord God, are our Triune King, worthy of worship, for you are

awesomely powerful,

faithfully holy,

persistently just,

righteously wrathful,

immensely merciful,

eternally right.

And you have shared all of this with us , all of your revelation in the Word and in your Works. The more we know you, the more we are transformed—another gift, as it says in 2 Cor. 3:18:

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

To bow before you is good, wise and positive; to resist you is utter foolishness, for “no wisdom, no insight, no plan can succeed against the Lord” (Pro. 21:30).

Picture: God’s overwhelming glory.(freepick.com

Recently a friend talked to me about his view of the Holy Spirt, saying that, in his understanding, the Spirit was just a force that caused things to happen, not the third Person of the Godhead.
This, of course, is wrong.

And the easiest and most powerful way to refute this is to look at what Jesus had to say about the Spirit. So, I put together the following.

What does Jesus have to say about the Holy Spirit?

“….if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send HIM (not IT) unto you.
Jhn 16:8 And when HE is come, HE will REPROVE the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment….
Jhn 16:13 Howbeit when HE, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, is come, HE WILL GUIDE you into all truth: for HE SHALL NOT SPEAK OF HIMSELF; but whatsoever HE shall HEAR, that SHALL HE SPEAK: and HE WILL SHEW YOU things to come.
Jhn 16:14 HE SHALL GLORIFY me: for HE SHALL RECEIVE of mine, and SHALL SHOW it unto you.”

Jesus does not call the Spirit an “it” (a thing) but “he” (a person) and says that the Spirit does things only a person can do: reprove, guide, speak, hear, show, glorify, receive.

We should always go to the Word (word) which clarifies things nicely.

Picture: The Spirit illuminated by the Word

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us… we have now been justified by his blood….” Romans 5:8,9

The perfect balance of God’s character (mentioned in yesterday’s post) also reminds us of the positive tension that He  desires in us, the remembrance of:

where we have come from (out of the dominion of darkness where we were condemned criminals before the court of Heaven, trapped in net of the enemy,  and in our natural depravity.)

And who we now are in Jesus (the beloved children of the King, adopted and brought into the Kingdom of Light, living in your love and grace). In Jesus we are cleansed, forgiven, justified, equipped for special service, accepted, dearly loved, and delighted in.

Keeping both in mind means we are able to be truly humble—that is, seeing ourselves as you see us. This protects us from being depressed in the negative and from being proud in the positive.

Only you, Lord Jesus, could bring us to such a balance, lifting us from the level of natural thinking to heavenly seeing, from a self-centered viewpoint to a Christ-centered understanding.

This is the wonderful Christmas gift you came to give us!

Picture : we are now in the Kingdom of light with King Jesus (from internet)