Why we need the Holy Spirit! (Recipe: Mini Cheese Pizzas)

I realize that I’ve just written an entry on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and was not intending to approach this subject again so soon, but I received a word from the Lord that was so amazing to me that I felt I must share this today.

In Acts 8, we see the story of Simon the sorcerer in Samaria, he was a magician who did some very impressive magic, so much so that people thought that he possessed divine power even. But when Philip goes to Samaria and preaches the gospel, many are saved, one among them was Simon!

Acts 8: 13: Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

So we need to note here that Simon now believed in the Lord Jesus, got baptized as ratification of this and is even following Philip, God’s servant, everywhere, in other words, attending every fellowship in sight!

As we continue reading, we find something very interesting in

Acts 8: 14-17: When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into^c]"> the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Wow! Look at that…although these people in Samaria had received Jesus and got baptized, they had not yet received the Holy Spirit! For this reason, Peter and John come to make this happen. Now Simon the magician also, although accepted Jesus and was baptized, had not yet received the Holy Spirit. When he saw Peter and John laying hands to impart the Holy Spirit, Simon says something unbelievable….

Acts 8: 18-19: When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

Oh my! Didn’t this man accept Jesus? Didn’t he get baptized? Then how can he even say something like this? Peter responds to him in v.21 saying

You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.

How is this possible? Why is it that Simon, despite accepting Jesus and being baptized, still has a heart that is not right with God? The answer is really simple isn’t it? HE HAD NOT RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT! What a revelation this is!

In other words, no matter how much you confess Jesus with your mouth, or how many times you get baptized……the old will not die….the new cannot come…unless you receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the main component of the salvation equation! Without Him, nothing works!

So as children of God, who have accepted the Lord Jesus into our hearts, been baptized into His salvation and received His Holy Spirit, we must always always bear in mind that we have to remain connected to the Holy Spirit if we are to succeed in our Christian walk. If the Holy Spirit is not a prominent part of our lives, we will find it very difficult to live the life or make the changes God has called us to.

Let us invite the Lord Holy Spirit to be a continuous presence in our lives. Let us ask Him to speak to us daily, guide us always and control our actions, so we can be assured that we are indeed living as we are called to in the Lord.

I just tried out some mini cheese pizzas, so thought I could share that recipe with you today. They are really a favourite with children.

Mini Cheese Pizzas

Ingredients:

Plain flour – 2 cups

Yeast – 1 teaspoon

Sugar – 1 Tablespoon

Salt – as required

Olive oil – 2 Tablespoons

Lukewarm Water – ½ cup

Tomato paste – 4 Tablespoons

Tomato ketchup – 2 Tablespoons

Shredded Mozzarella cheese – 200gms (If you don’t have mozzarella, any cheese that can be shredded and will melt can be used)

Instructions:

1. Mix yeast, sugar, water and keep aside till it rises.

2. In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, olive oil and yeast solution (not full but as required). Knead well for at least 10 minutes till the dough is soft and smooth. Now cover this with a warm wet cloth and let it sit for at least 2 hours for the dough to rise.

3. Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a chapatti board to ½ inch thickness and use a small round frame or mould to cut out the circles.

4. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

5. In a baking plate or dish, coat the base with olive oil, then place these circles onto the dish.

6. Spread ¼ teaspoon of tomato paste on each circle, followed by some of the shredded cheese and finally sprinkle a few drops of ketchup on this.

7. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Once it’s done, allow it to cool a little and serve warm.
   

P.S.: You can also add any other ingredients you prefer, like mushrooms, olives, peppers, tomatoes, chicken….