The Breath of Jesus

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 10:35 am Post subject: The Breath of Jesus

The Breath of Jesus

Scripture:

And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming: and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire: and it sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit: and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Spirit gave them to speak.

Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. And when this was told abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue. And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying: Behold, are not all these that speak Galilean? And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:1-11)

Wherefore, I give you to understand that no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, can speak to denounce Jesus. And no man can say The Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Spirit. Now there are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of ministries. but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but the same God, who works all in all. And the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man unto profit.

For as the body is one and has many members; and all the members of the body, whereas they are many, yet are one body: So also is Christ. For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free: and in one Spirit we have all been made to drink. (1Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13)

Now when it was late the same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them: Peace be to you. And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. (John 20:19-23)

Reflection:

On the fiftieth day after Passover, the Jews celebrate the giving of the Torah and the Mosaic law to His chosen people at Mount Saini. And so it was on the fiftieth day after His resurection that the disciples were gathered in one place and the Holy Spirit filled them so that they may begin the task of spreading the Word to all the children of His creation.

Though the people are separated by many tongues, He granted them the gift to speak as each individual might hear; but it is often difficult for people to understand. Though some may hear all which is told, it requires time to learn that which is not known. Wisdom and understanding are difficult for people, for many seek to become wise through their own comprehension. What they see they believe they know. They believe that what they do not see does not exist. It becomes impossible, then, for them to understand that which is visible and invisible; that which was created beyond their understanding and beyond their comprehension.

What appears impossible for people is simple for God. What people cannot comprehend within the universe of the Creator may be revealed through the power of the Holy Spirit. As the Word is shared through the veil of the confounding differences of tongues, it is not through the abilities of men and women by which understanding is gained, but through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Some are granted the gift and the holy mission to share His Word, but the evil one will seek to divert them from their task. The ways of the world will tempt them to weave in deceptions, just enough so that even the faithful will find it difficult to understand that the path to which they have been led has become the quicksand for their souls. Though God has left the choice to each of His children as to the path they choose to follow, He has not left them alone without a guide. As we listen to the Word, we should ask in prayer for the Holy Spirit to guide us as He guided the Apostles and His disciples to spread to all the land the wonder and glory of the good news of the Lord.

It is the way of people that each is unique; it is the way He has made each of us. In each one is a special gift and a purpose for which the gift may be put to use. He has granted us the complexities of the world in which to live and the moments with each other to discover the wonders of His creation, but it is only through the Holy Spirit through which we may come to understand His calling for each of us.

In this existence, we have the choice to help one another, or the choice to care only for ourselves. We have the choice of selfishness or unselfishness; it is to which desire we yield which reveals what has taken root within our souls. The battle rages and the deceptions of the world seek to lure us away from what is holy, away from what is righteous, away from the truth and away from the embrace of God.

We may devote ourselves to many works, but for what we do to have everlasting purpose and meaning, we must seek to devote the use of our gifts through Him. If we do not seek to be guided by the Holy Spirit, if we do not seek to share through His love, what follows becomes the trials and tribulations of the world.

We may seek to join together for His purpose, but we often miss the mark because we succumb to the temptations of our failings. We may offer our hands to His ministries, but we allow divisions to creep in amongst ourselves so that we become diverted from even our own desires to be His hands within this world. If we seek for the Holy Spirit to be our guide, we will not be led astray.

We may look out at the trials of the world and ask, how is it that one person can stop all that is wrong? The only person upon which He placed such a burden was His Son. Through Him, we may join as part of the One body. What He he asks of the children of His creation is to use what gifts He grants for the blessings to which the gifts were granted. Many hands must come together to do the blessings of love. As we start each day, we should ask in prayer how we may use the gifts He has granted us for His purpose and for the blessings of those around us. As we start each day, we should ask in prayer that He guides us to those who need us. As we start each day, we should ask in prayer that He guides us to those those with whom we may work to spread the blessings of the Word, the truth of His love and the charity of His compassion.

Our lives cannot be sustained without breath. Though we may go days without water and weeks without food, we can only survive minutes without breath. So it is that we may find eternal life through the breath of the Holy Spirit and without it we cannot be sustained. While He was in the world, we were blessed with the light of the world in our midst, but as He rose to be seated at the right hand of the Father, He sent to us the breath which would sustain us until we join Him in His holy kingdom; the breath of the Holy Spirit.

As He appeared before His disciples, He filled them with the peace of the Holy Spirit so that they could go out into the world to spread the blessings of that peace. Those who invite the Holy Spirit into their hearts invite the breath of eternal life. As He called to the twelve, He calls to the twelve of the twelve and the hundreds of thousands of the twelve. From the few join the hundreds and from the hundreds join the thousands to become millions and billions. The blessings of the many are granted from the One and the works of the One are accomplished by the hands of the many. Blessings to those who join in the works of the Lord, for what they do will be returned many fold through the blessings of His love.

A time is at hand where we must ask of ourselves, what is it that we believe? Do we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit and how He may guide us in the use of the gifts to which we have been granted or do we only believe in the limitations imposed by the ways of the world? Do we believe that we can make a difference through the hands which join ours; or do we believe in the limitations preached through false prophets? Do we believe that we can be a source of blessings for others or that we should only seek to serve selfish desires? Do we believe that we can be part of the greater purpose of God or that we must settle for the limitations of this world?

Blessed are those who take in the breath of the Holy Spirit for whatever trials they may face in this world will build their blessings in the next. Blessed are those who take in the breath of the Holy Spirit for they will be sustained against what seeks to suffocate us this life. Blessed are those who take in the breath of the Holy Spirit for they will know the blessings of His love. Blessed are those who take in the breath of the Holy Spirit for they will be guided to the eternal life of His kingdom. Amen.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier