The Power in the Church

Acts 2:42-43 - They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

The early church was on fire. There was such unity and oneness. They were meeting together for Bible Study and prayer and the Lord performed signs and wonder through the apostles.

What was the secret behind such a revival? Why did they have such hunger and thirst for the Word of God and payer?

I believe the answer if found in the beginning of the chapter.

Acts 2:4 - All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit 

The secret to the power of the early church is the Holy Spirit. And that's what the Lord promised before He ascended to heaven:

Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The Holy Spirit is not just given to us to scream, shout and speak in tongues but to live a life of power that enables us to be His witnesses. We are witnesses to His love, His glory, His resurrection and the unity of the Spirit. 

And if every believer comes to the house of the Lord filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, one can imagine what will be the result. The same as in the early days. 

The church today now focuses on light music to sooth the hearts to pray, entertainment to satisfy the emotions and food to disguise as fellowship. 

Gone are the days when Bible Study was key in the church, prayer was its hallmark. Today we have to beg people to come to pray and offer easy solutions, like zoom, to spur people just to be connection. We are thinking that by these means we are seeking God. What a shame

And the Lord's indignation to such outward show of piety is seen in the words of Malachi 1:10 - “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 

These are just rituals to satisfy the conscience and not done in fear and trembling. 

No wonder the devil has taken advantage and brought in so many problems and disunity in every sector of the church. The church is in disarray and we think this spiritual warfare. 

How blind can one be. 

So blind that we can't discern the footprints of the enemy from the feet of the Master.

Instead of talking, finger pointing and fighting, the church of God needs to repent, go on its knees and pray and seek the power of the Holy Spirit. 

God is still merciful. 

Rev 3:20 -  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Unless this happens, the church will self-destruct. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"It is finished" - Jesus Christ

Image
John 19:30 - When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. It's Good Friday again. The world pauses and recollects the events that changed the course of history. For me it was a time to reflect on the finished work of our Lord on the cross. He paid the price for my redemption. But it dawned on me that Jesus, himself, had a task to do while on this earth, He was on a mission. There was a time frame. There was a script to follow. In military terms , there was an objective he had to capture. Anything short would have been a disaster. But towards the end, in spite of the agony at Gethsemane, the unfair trail, humiliating and torturous journey via Dalarosa, Jesus cried, "It is finished". What an achievement. What a fitting eulogy.  Jesus was faithful to His mission - Hebrew 3:2 Jesus was focused on His mission - Luke 9:51 Jesus finished His mission - John 19:30  Judas towards th
Read more

What a trip to Nepal

Image
I am sitting at the airport restaurant in Kathmandu, checked in and waiting for my departure to New Delhi and from there, onward to Singapore.  Just sipping and enjoying the Americano coffee and a slice of cheese cake as I reminiscent my last nine days in Nepal. It has been a incredibly tough trip but one filled with joy, great satisfaction and challenges. Tough because of the bad roads, tracks and mountain trekking that really tested my endurance and my back was sore.  Couple of knocks on the head as the vehicle danced to the tune of the undulating terrain. Days when I had terrible diarrhoea, running from one mountain toilet to another. Thank God I had Dr Mike Ong on this trip who is a medical doctor from Singapore, who attended to my condition. Times when we had to sleep on the cold floor with thin sheets of cloth, with rodents in the vicinity. Temperatures dropped to a low of 10-12 degrees centigrde in the nights. Eating the food offered by the villagers as we were up in the mounta
Read more

Devotion - Psalms 44: 6-7 - Its God who gives the victory

Image
Psalms 44:6-7 - I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. Any soldier will know that the basic weapon of warfare, in those days, were the bow and sword. Without which no soldier will not venture into the battle field. Even the famed Goliath was geared in full battle order when he faced David with the stones and the sling. Isn't it a paradox then that David, one of the finest soldiers Israel had ever produced, proclaims that its not the bow and the sword that gives the victory. Its is the Lord, Jehovah, that gives the victory. I don't think David is trying to say that we should not prepare ourselves for warfare. His concern is that we recognize that ultimately its the Lord that gives the victory. A few things we need to remember: Human efforts are necessary in the God-man partnership Human efforts alone does not guarantee God intended results Recognize that its God that always gives u
Read more