Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Receive - III

What do I do with this gift?

MEMORY VERSE
Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’  And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’. John 20:21-22

REFLECTION
Have you ever received a gift and when you opened it, you had no clue what it was or what to do with it?  To many of us, the gift of the Holy Spirit is like that.  Try to imagine being in that upper room with the frightened disciples when suddenly Jesus appears through the locked doors and says those affirming, empowering words.   Even though we were not there when Jesus breathed on His disciples and they received the Holy Spirit, we know that He has also given us this gift.  So, what exactly have we received? 
  • The Holy Spirit was there when God spoke the universe into being.
  • He is the one who gave the prophets their words. 
  • The Holy Spirit raised Christ from the dead.
  • He was there at Pentecost when 3000 people repented on one day.
  • He lives in us.
  • He is the source of our joy, hope, peace and power.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
  • As a follower of Christ, are you being influenced by the Holy Spirit in your decisions and priorities?
  •  How has the Holy Spirit influenced your life this week?
  •  When you are trying to discern God's will, are you seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit?
ACTION STEPS FOR THE WEEK
If you’re not satisfied with your answers to the above questions, or you’d like to go deeper in your understanding of all Jesus gave you when you received the Holy Spirit, listen to these messages by Francis Chan: 


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