The Holy Spirit

Have you ever thought about what the Disciples thought the Holy Spirit would be like?

With the whole of Scripture we can begin to get an idea about who the Holy Spirit is but for them it must have been a some what difficult concept to handle. Yet in Matthew 28 Jesus tells them to go and baptize people in the name of the Holy Spirit. Later on in Acts we see how He essentially tells them to wait around and pray for soon the Holy Spirit will come with great power. Here again you can almost imagine the wheels in the heads turning as they try to understand what in the world Jesus is talking about.

Despite this lack of understanding they do not question what Jesus has to say to them at this point and they simply accept His words as truth. I think there are many things that we need to have this same kind of attitude with. There are many things we do not understand about God yet we know they are true because it is evident in Scripture. For example we know for a fact that Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. In all reality this does not make any kind of logical sense.

So are there things and/or issues about God that do not make sense to you? If so you are not alone. I hope that these issues do not prevent you from having a relationship with God.

What are some those issues that are difficult for you to understand?

Jesus Did Not Want To Go To The Cross

To say that Jesus wanted to be beaten, mocked, cursed and killed for my sins is a bit of a misnomer. The fact of the matter is that Jesus did not want to go through these things. Matthew 26:39-46 clearly shows us this. Jesus goes off three times to seek the Father and see if the cup could pass from Him. Yet Jesus is willing to fully submit Himself to the Father's will. He is willing to do anything the Father ask. He is willing to do those things which He does not want to do simply because the Father desires Him to do it.

How true this should also be for us. So often we think that as we get closer to God that my wants and His will become closer and closer to one and that I will always want to do the things He wants me to do. The truth is that what happens is that as we grow closer to the Father we become more willing to fully submit ourselves to His will. Following His plan is not always fun and exciting but it is what He has called us to do.

The suffering Christ endured for you and me was in no way a pleasurable experience yet it was a necessary part of God's redemptive plan for mankind. As Easter morning quickly approaches take some time to consider Christ submission to the Father and your own submission to the Father.

Responding to Peer Pressure

Most of us usually think of peer pressure as an issue that is the sole domain of teenagers and college students. Somehow, we have come to believe that as we get older we become immune to the influence of our peers. The truth is that this is a lie. We are all influenced by those around us. Many of us have learned about the unacceptability of sharing Jesus with others. Someone, somewhere told us that it was not ok and we believed them. We accepted this lie despite the fact that it goes against the Biblical model and command for sharing the Good News.

Peer pressure is real and can be difficult to handle. It comes from both outside and inside the church. Peer pressure in and of itself is not good or evil, it simply is. It is our reaction to the pressure that is either sinful or not. In Matthew we read the account of two blind men who were crying out for Jesus to heal them. As they were doing this the crowd told them to be quiet. Their response was to call out even louder. Jesus then reward their response to the crowd by coming to them and having compassion for them and healing them. I suspect that Jesus heard them (being God and all) the first time but He was waiting to see their reaction to the crowd. It was their desire to keep their focus on Him that made the difference.

So how do you respond to peer pressure? What/Who are some of the are influences on your life? Do they help lead you to Godly actions? Some things to ponder!