GOD's Amazing CHRISTmas GIFT of GRACE!

WHAT is "AMAZING"? THAT which is Mind-Blowing; THAT which BOGGLES man's FINITE mindset; THAT which is SOOO out of THIS world's ideologies and philosophies that it's INconceivable, INcomprehensible, INexpressible to the spiritually DEAD, the idolatrous IGNORAMUS, the wretched BLIND and LOST soul! (see 1 Corinthians 2:12-16)

WHAT is TRULY, ACTUALLY, REALLY amazing? The GRACE of GOD -- His NEW Covenant of GRACE; His UNmerited Favor and UNdeserved Mercy towards UNdeserving, UNgodly, UNrighteous SIN-natured, SIN-doers like you and me, ALL who are deserving ONLY of GOD's JUST Condemnation and RIGHTeous JUDGment INto EVERlasting HELL! (see Ephesians 2:1-9)

WHAT IS GOD's Amazing GRACE? That GOD Himself, full of GRACE and TRUTH, left His Heavenly GLORY and came into this SIN-corrupted earth. That THE INfinite OMNIpotent, OMNIscient, OMNIpresent GOD of Creation was SUPERnaturally INcarnated in a virgin's womb by the miraculous work of GOD The Holy SPIRIT. (see John 1:1-5,14)

THIS.. IS AMAZING GRACE! That THE ALL-Mighty ONE became helpless, THE ALL-Sufficient ONE became dependent, THE INfinite LORD of GLORY became FINITE flesh. That THE CHRIST, THE Anointed SON of GOD, utterly humbled Himself to become THE SON of Man JESUS to fully accomplish the REDEMPTION of sinners like you and me, from SIN, Satan, SELF -- to SAVE us from the actual, very REAL, experiential EVERlasting HELL -- by dying on Calvary's CROSS to pay IN-FULL the required BLOOD-Price for every REPENTANT SOUL. That by GOD's GRACE alone, through FAITH alone, IN CHRIST alone -- the quickened-ALIVE IMmortal SOUL may be SAVED from the EVERlasting HELL that is ETERNAL Separation from GOD; and SO THAT we 2xborn of GOD may enter freely INto GOD's heavenly Kingdom of GLORY! (see Philippians 2:6-11; 1 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 2:8-9)

CHRIST JESUS, Truly GOD and Truly Man, THE GOD-MAN, IS THE SUPERlative GIFT of CHRISTmas -- GOD's ULTIMATE, mind-blowing, mind-boggling, out-of-THIS-world (literally!) GIFT of GRACE -- The LORD of GLORY, The PRINCE of Peace, The LAMB of GOD Himself! AMAZZZING GRACE inDEED -- GOD GAVE GOD! \o/ (Isaiah 9:6, 53:1-12)

May you personally experience THE ultimate GIFT-exchange this very CHRISTmas -- JESUS' own perfect Righteousness, for your own total SINfulness. CHRIST's own Resurrection LIFE, for your own HELL-bound life. TRUE Peace WITH GOD through The PRINCE of Peace Himself, for your rebellious Enmity with GOD. EVERlasting LOVE-Relationship with The ONE TRUE Living TRIune SOVEREIGN Creator Who created you -- in exchange of JUDGMENT, Condemnation, and the WRATH of GOD. TOday, may you humbly receive GOD's amazing CHRISTmas Gift of GRACE -- The LORD JESUS Himself! AMEN. \o/

CHRISTmas is The WORD made Flesh

CHRISTmas IS the GREATest, MOST Supreme Mystery in ALL of human history  -- 'The WORD Himself BECAME Flesh!'

The superlative uniqueness of the CHRISTmas Message of the truly staggering Reality of GOD's unfathomable INCARNATION into His own Creation boggles the rational mind. GOD The SON was that helpless baby JESUS -- EMMANUEL, "GOD with us," the Second Person of the GODhead -- Who took on Manhood to Himself without any loss of His personal Deity, Who became TRULY and FULLY Divine GOD, and yet, TRULY and FULLY Man. The INfinite ONE limited Himself into finite Flesh -- and within that finite Flesh was treasured The INfinite ONE!

'In the Beginning was The WORD, and The WORD was With GOD, and The WORD Was GOD. HE was (ALREADY) in the Beginning With GOD. ALL things were made Through HIM, and without HIM NOthing was made that was made. IN HIM was Life, and THE Life was THE Light of men. And The WORD became Flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld HIS GLORY, The GLORY as of The ONLY Begotten of The FATHER, Full of GRACE and TRUTH.' (John 1:1-4,14)

"GOD's Word in the Old Testament is His creative utterance, His POWER in action fulfilling His Purpose. The OT depicted GOD's utterance, the actual statement of His Purpose, as having POWER in itself to effect the thing purposed. 'GOD said, "LET there be... and there was..." (Genesis 1:3). 'By the Word of The LORD were the heavens made... He spoke, and it came to be' (Psalm 33:6,9). The Word of GOD is thus GOD at work." (This quote and the following exposition of the Book of John's prologue is an excerpt from "KNOWing GOD" by J.I. Packer.)

"'In the Beginning WAS The WORD' (John 1:1). Here is The WORD's Eternity. HE had NO Beginning of His own; when other things began, HE--Was (ALREADY). 'And The WORD was WITH GOD' (1:1). Here is The WORD's Personality. The POWER that fulfills GOD's Purposes is the POWER of a distinct personal Being, ONE Who stands in an ETERNAL Relation to GOD of active Fellowship.

"'And The WORD WAS GOD' (1:1). Here is The WORD's Deity. Though personally distinct from The FATHER, HE is NOT a creature; HE is Divine IN Himself, AS The FATHER IS... this is the mystery of personal distinctions within the Unity of The GODhead. 'THROUGH HIM -- ALL things were made' (1:3). Here is The WORD Creating. HE was The FATHER's Agent in EVERY act of making that The FATHER has EVER performed. ALL that was made was made THROUGH HIM.

"'IN HIM was Life' (1:4). Here is The WORD Animating. There is NO physical life in the realm of created things EXCEPT IN and THROUGH HIM. Here is the Bible answer to the problem of the origin and continuance of Life, in ALL its forms -- Life is GIVEN and MAINTAINED by The WORD. Created things do NOT have Life IN themselves, but Life IN The WORD, the Second Person of The GODhead.

"'And THAT Life was The LIGHT of men' (1:4). Here is The WORD Revealing. In giving Life, HE gives Light too... ALL people receive intimations of GOD from the very FACT that they are alive, is due to the Work of The WORD.

"'The WORD BECAME Flesh' (1:14). Here is The WORD Incarnate. The Baby in the manger at Bethlehem was none other than The Eternal WORD of GOD... a Divine Person, Author of ALL things. The WORD was REVEALED by the INCARNATION to BE GOD's SON. 'We have SEEN HIS GLORY, The GLORY of The ONE and ONLY, Who came from The FATHER' (1:14).

"The SON of GOD IS The WORD of GOD. The CHRISTmas message rests on the staggering FACT that The CHILD in the manger was -- GOD! The Baby born at Bethlehem was GOD made Man. The WORD had become Flesh -- a REAL human Baby. HE had NOT ceased to be GOD; HE was no less GOD then than before -- but HE had begun to be Man. HE was NOT now GOD Minus some elements of His Deity -- but GOD Plus ALL that HE had made His own by taking Manhood to Himself.

CHRISTmas is the profoundest and MOST UNfathomable Revelation of CHRISTianity's HIStory -- the UNION of The GODhead and Manhood IN the very Person of CHRIST JESUS! 'The WORD BECAME Flesh' (John 1:14). "GOD BECAME Man; The Divine SON became a Jew; The ALMIGHTY appeared on earth as a helpless human Baby, unable to do no more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, NEEDING to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child -- the Babyhood of The SON of GOD was a REALITY! The MORE you THINK about it, the MORE STAGGERING it gets. NOthing in fiction is SO FANTASTIC as is THIS TRUTH of The INCARNATION." (J.I. Packer)

The world's traditional concept of CHRISTmas is but a meager show of goodwill that ends at midnight of the 25th of December. ALL the "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Xmas" or "Santa's Coming!" are shelved for the next shopping frenzy in 2022.

BUT the breathtaking Wonder of CHRISTmas is that GOD GAVE GOD! The AWEsome TRUTH of CHRISTmas is that The LORD of GLORY, The SON of GOD and Creator of ALL things visible and INvisible -- was treasured within the cramped confines of the Virgin Mary's womb for nine months -- like a natural human baby!

The GLORY of CHRISTmas is the INcomprehensible EXpression of The GLORY of the GRACE of GOD towards arrogant, proud, rebellious SIN-natured, SIN-doers like you... like me... like ALL of the posterity of Adam and Eve! 

Oh The GLORY of CHRISTmas -- GOD IN CHRIST reconciling us GOD-hating, UNbelieving, UNrepentant sinners back to Himself, redeeming us from the slave market of SIN with The SON's own BLOOD, so that by FAITH in His atoning DEATH for us helpless sinners, we may receive FULL Pardon, 100% Forgiveness for ALL our sins -- AND abundant LIFE forEVERmore! -- by enTRUSTing our very lives IN CHRIST JESUS as our Sovereign LORD, and as Redeeming SAVIOR of our eternal souls from GOD's Holy Wrath and Righteous JUDGMENT, from a destiny of EVERlasting HELL.

Oh The GLORY of CHRISTmas! HalleluJAH! \o/

 

FILLED with the SPIRIT

(The following are the gifts which delighted my spirit as the SPIRIT led me on a rambling GODventureZ bike ride to Coronado.)

Having read A. W. Tozer's Life in the SPIRIT -- i felt confirmation that i was indeed being "filled" by the SPIRIT. As a follower of CHRIST JESUS, i know that i am no longer under any eternal condemnation for the sins i've committed (and continue to commit in this flesh which my born-again spirit is housed -- the "flesh" is anything to do with the body: its material substance, heart/mind, thoughts, will, habits, actions, words, personality, ambitions). The LORD JESUS redeemed me (paid for all my sin-debts) with His own precious blood that was shed on the Cross at Calvary. All my sins -- past, present and future -- were cancelled out when i repented and turned to GOD for forgiveness and asked CHRIST JESUS to be LORD and Master of my life.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in CHRIST JESUS, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the SPIRIT. For the Law of the SPIRIT of life in CHRIST JESUS has made me free from the Law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

Such matchless gift is from the grace of GOD, which i received with utter gratefulness, knowing that i did not deserve GOD's merciful pardon; nor could i ever repay even one iota of the indescribable gift of salvation -- freed from the slavery of my sin nature -- born again of the Holy SPIRIT... a new creature in CHRIST, indwelt by the living SPIRIT.

In the past, i've prayed to be filled by the Holy SPIRIT -- having made a conscious and willful commitment of surrendering all to CHRIST. As Oswald Chambers has written, true surrender is "giving up my rights to my rights." To me, true surrender is acknowledging that "my" all is not really mine at all, but the all that i've been given were all from GOD. My very life...each breath i breathe... the very body in which my soul moves -- all are His gifts. For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. (Psalm 50:12b)

What does it mean to be "filled" by the Holy SPIRIT? It's like being a doulos to a kurios -- a slave to his master. Since CHRIST bought me with His own shed blood, redeeming me from a literal eternal Hell -- therefore, He owns me. i am His to do as He purposes. i am as clay to the Master Potter. i am as the brush to the Master Artist.

So to be filled by indwelling GOD the Holy SPIRIT is to be controlled, dominated, mastered in everything and all that i am. The SPIRIT has all the keys to all the rooms of my house -- He also owns the deed! i am His possession.

The SPIRIT is GOD... is CHRIST JESUS -- He is my Sovereign LORD. i am His child, obedient to the authority of the heavenly Father. i am His student, following the teachings of the Master Teacher. i am His slave, serving to please only Him. A student is not greater than the teacher. A servant is not greater than the master. (Matthew 10:24)

But to me -- being controlled and mastered by GOD the Holy SPIRIT is a privilege -- a priceless gift indeed.

To be owned by the Divine Designer who created the cosmos is "status" indeed.

To be instructed by the greatest Teacher and Counselor Who ever lived (and now sits at the right hand of GOD the Father) is blessing indeed. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty GOD, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

To be provided for and nourished by the infinitely abundant Provider and Giver of all good things is security indeed. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)

To be empowered to overcome my human frailties by the same power that raised JESUS from the grave is supernatural strength indeed. The SPIRIT of GOD, who raised JESUS from the dead, lives in you. And just as He raised CHRIST from the dead, He will give life to your mortal body by this same SPIRIT living within you. (Romans 8:11)

To be comforted by the most tenderhearted and compassionate Comforter is peace and solace indeed. But You, O LORD, are a GOD full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth. (Psalm 86:15)

To be loved by the indescribable Lover Himself, who gave up His own Son, Who gave up His very life to save such a wretch as myself (and all others who would entrust their lives to Him and follow Him wherever He leads) -- to rest in this unfathomable love is contentment indeed. For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

It is no longer difficult to surrender my all to such GOD who is Love manifest in CHRIST JESUS. This is real love. It is not that we loved GOD, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. (1 John 4:10)

On this Saturday, as blogged in GODventureZ -- i asked to be filled with the SPIRIT, who is the SPIRIT of JESUS, who is in GOD the Father... to lead me wherever He desires. Rather than attending a Zumba master-class, i was happily persuaded to spend the day with Him -- my Constant Companion -- to just be being led, one step at a time... pedaling leisurely with no clock or agenda to follow.

The SPIRIT answered my prayer with this experience of consciously and knowingly being filled with His presence during the GODventureZome bike ride to Coronado.

The pictures above documented the real gifts that the SPIRIT generously bestowed as i joyfully obeyed His gentle leading -- the vibrant flowers that He made me see not only with my physical eyes, but also with the eyes of my heart; the bird calls that He attuned for my ears to hear, but also as music for my soul; the songs that journeyed from my heart and spilled from my lips; the constant smile that was the evidence of the joy that He shed abroad in my spirit. If you can remember your lightness of being when you first fell in love, you can identify with this fullness of joy.

And the gift that made "my cup runneth over" -- the hat to replace the one i gave away in Taveuni. The LORD is my Shepherd; i shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and i will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23)