Readings: Acts 5:27-33; John 3:31-36
There are so many influences in the world - good ones and bad. Jesus came to be our best influence. We need to ask ourselves often: “What am I influenced by more? By the Spirit of Jesus Christ? or by the spirit of the world?” “Whose tune do I dance to more often? God’s tune? Or the world’s?”
When the apostles had been arrested for preaching about Jesus and were led before the members of the Sanhedrin, they were told by the high priest, “We gave you strict orders not to teach about that name.” And Peter replied: It is “better for us to obey God than men!” And he went on preaching, even to the high priest and the Sanhedrin, about Jesus Christ and what he does for us.
I doubt that any of us here run into people who tell us not to talk about Christ. But the way of the world, the habit of life is to live as if no one has ever heard of Christ. We are tremendously influenced to ignore him and his teachings. We must stay aware of what is happening around us, we need to analyze what we see and what we hear, especially what comes to us over television. What values are being planted in our minds? We must make sure the values of Christ always hold first place with us. His Easter resurrection is to encourage us. It is the victory and reward we will share in, the pot of gold for all who listen to Jesus and do as he says. It comes only with great struggle. Please keep at it!
There are so many influences in the world - good ones and bad. Jesus came to be our best influence. We need to ask ourselves often: “What am I influenced by more? By the Spirit of Jesus Christ? or by the spirit of the world?” “Whose tune do I dance to more often? God’s tune? Or the world’s?”
When the apostles had been arrested for preaching about Jesus and were led before the members of the Sanhedrin, they were told by the high priest, “We gave you strict orders not to teach about that name.” And Peter replied: It is “better for us to obey God than men!” And he went on preaching, even to the high priest and the Sanhedrin, about Jesus Christ and what he does for us.
I doubt that any of us here run into people who tell us not to talk about Christ. But the way of the world, the habit of life is to live as if no one has ever heard of Christ. We are tremendously influenced to ignore him and his teachings. We must stay aware of what is happening around us, we need to analyze what we see and what we hear, especially what comes to us over television. What values are being planted in our minds? We must make sure the values of Christ always hold first place with us. His Easter resurrection is to encourage us. It is the victory and reward we will share in, the pot of gold for all who listen to Jesus and do as he says. It comes only with great struggle. Please keep at it!
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