Passionate Contrast

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”

                                                   John 12:12-15 NIV

We enter Holy Week singing and shouting Hosanna; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, with such great passion! What a start contrast between the praises sung today and the fears and the passionate tears of the people who loved Jesus by Friday.

Our faith can often be like that. One day we are so passionate about our love for Jesus and would give everything for him. But, by the next morning our passions may be turned to fear as wonder where he is. Why is he not here to be with us? Has he deserted us?  He has not deserted us. He will never leave us. All too often, it is we who desert him. It is we who betray him. It is we who deny him. 

By Friday, his followers will be in tears. But; for today, let us rejoice without fear for our king has come!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Fruits Of The Spirit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,  faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Gal 5:22-25 NIV)

We all lose it once in awhile. There may come a time or times when none of the fruits of the spirit are evident in us. We are human and are liable to fall prey to human emotions like anger or fear or desperation and will react. Hopefully, it is only for a moment when it does happen. Hopefully, we will hear the reminder of the Spirit of Christ in us telling us that we belong to Jesus and that we must crucify our flesh; our ego with its negative and harmful desires must die in order to live more fully in him. We have to get a grip and let those harmful thoughts and emotions and acts die so that the Spirit of Christ might live more fully in us. 

There is so much negativity in the world that as Christians we must be careful not to promote that negative thinking and acting. As children of the heavenly Father, who have received the Holy Spirit, we might need to remind ourselves from time to time that this negativity; this futility, is not of God. Rather; love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are evidence of the Spirit of Christ that abides in us.

If we truly want to live in love, joy, and peace; then let us let us live in love, showing forbearance, kindness, and gentleness toward others.

May God help us to use the self-control that He has given us through the Spirit to live our lives more fully in Christ; to live life!

God's Peace - Pr. J