What a life! ...

Friday, Feb 5, 2016. What is it that makes your life full and complete? What is it that makes it joyful? What is it that makes it satisfactory? Let us look at a little passage in the letter of the apostle Paul to the Thessalonians, where he speaks about such alife, full of grace …

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Rejoice always …

12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers,

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admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. (1 Tess 5, 12ff)

The text is so dense, how could you ever put more meaning into a short passage? You have so many things here, in these few lines. You see the conflicts of normal life popping up, the difficulties, the limitations of humans, abut also the power of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, joy and healing, prayer and thanks.

We are invited to a life which is called “true” and “full” in some parts of the New Testament. And it is! The spirit of God, his holy spirit, is fantastic. He brings insight, healing, joy. He brings forgiveness and patience. He brings clarity as well! We are not invited to an empty joy, but to a full joy. We are invited to be filled by his grace, by his presence!

Life of Jesus …

Sometimes we think about the life of Jesus as something which has long passed. He lived about 2000 years ago - that is what we know. But it is only a part of his story! He has risen, and he sent his spirit. It is him, in and through his spirit, who can be in our life today. We hear of Pentecost, when his spirit came like flames to the disciples. And we hear about his spirit again and again, as God's presence in our life.

The life of Jesus can be with us today. It can be in us through his spirit. That does not mean we would suddenly be perfect as humans. But we change. We experience his presence. He will shape our decisions, our path, our deeds! With him in our life we cannot remain the same, we will grow from his grace, his truth, his patience!

It is just so different, when God is there - in comparison to a life where he is absent. It is not an abstract faith, we have. It is a concrete faith. It is a faith which is full of him! It is a faith full of his mercy and his joy. And he wants this for us every day, even every minute, in all what we do! What a life! How wonderful … (RWEP) ... more texts