Curiosity of Nicodemus

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 4:32-37 ~~~ Psalm 93 ~~~

~~~ John 3:7B-15 ~~~

...we speak of what we know 

and we testify to what we have seen...

Nicodemus was an influential member 

and ruler of the Jews.

He came to Jesus under cover of darkness.

He did not want to be seen or identified

 as associating with Jesus.

If he was discovered to be with Jesus

he would have been ousted from his position

 in the Jewish community.

He wanted to have first hand information about Jesus.

He had questions so he went to the source.

He was not satisfied to believe what others were saying.

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher 

who has come from God, for no one 

can do these signs that you are doing 

unless God is with him.”

Nicodemus addresses Jesus with respect as 'Rabbi'.

Not just anyone would have been given the title of Rabbi.

What troubled Nicodemus most was the idea of being born again.

Jesus was speaking of being born of water and spirit.

Jesus testifies of the spirit which cannot be seen.

Just as we experience the effect of the winds

 across the oceans in our weather,

so the spirit sweeps across our soul.

The Son of Man must be lifted up,

so that everyone who believes in him

may have eternal life.

Lifting up of Jesus on the cross was very visible

while our belief in eternal life comes 

to us through the spirit.

We are being reborn in the Spirit

many times throughout our life.

Every time we have an 'aha'

moment with a Scripture verse

 it is the Spirit at work in us.

Nicodemus had one of these 'aha' moments;

he saw the light of Jesus.

He wanted to come out of the darkness.

Today we are Blessed with the Spirit

so that we can speak of the goodness of the Lord.

~~~Peace~~~

Is Seeing Really Believing?

 

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 4:32-37 ~~~ Psalm 93 ~~~ John 3:7b-15 ~~~

 

Is seeing really the same as believing? 

Can you really believe everything that you see?

I have been to magic performances where I have been deceived by my own eyes.

Relying solely on your eyesight can be an iffy proposition at times.

 

Jesus tells Nicodemus that he testifies to what has been seen and

people still do not believe.

This is Jesus speaking about not being believed.

 

If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

 

As fragile and flawed is our system for believing; we cannot stop believing.

Our brain is designed to organize the puzzle pieces until they make some kind of sense.

Our brain likes completeness...wholeness.

If there are missing parts the brain automatically fills in the gaps.

No, this is not about lying or fabricating the facts.

 

Jesus promises us eternal life if we believe in him.

In order to completely believe in Jesus

 we must accept a certain amount missing pieces.

There are many mysteries surrounding our believing in God.

We must allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the missing parts little by little;

accepting that some can never be revealed to us.

 

 

So many came to believe after the Resurrection of Jesus

that the apostles were touched by the generosity

of the community of believers.

The people had seen the signs of God

working through the words and touch of the apostles.

 

We are often led to spiritual things through physical things.

The healings were a physical sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The apostles themselves were not capable of healing;

it was only through the power of the Spirit given to them by God.

Spirit of the Living God

~~~ Acts 4: 23-31 ~~~ Psalm 2 ~~~ John 3: 1-8

Released by the authorities Peter and John returned to the people and openly prayed for God to intervene on their behalf.  Believing they were merely the instrument at the hand of the Lord. They prayed for the gift of fortitude and as they prayed the place shook with the power of God. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Those things which one cannot see are more difficult to understand. If I hear an unfamiliar sound during the night I try to listen more intently. My brain begins trying to place the sound with something I have heard before.

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, has a similar problem. He understands what it means to be born of a woman. Jesus was speaking about another kind of birth. He was referring to a birth from above; a birth of the Spirit which comes from God.
The Breath of Heaven remains here with us.

The 'wind' of the Spirit comes upon you without being seen.

Sometimes the spirit comes as a cool gentle breeze you hardly notice, but you know it is there. The ways you look at things are different. Other times the Spirit comes over you with the power of a tsunami. You are profoundly and forever changed. I have most often felt the power of the Spirit during a retreat, even if I am staffing. At times the Spirit is just a subtle brush of a rose petal across your cheek.

May the Spirit of the breath of the Lord rest upon you.

Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me.