by Rev. James Wong
All cars need periodical maintenance to keep them in good running condition. What is true of a motor car is also true with your spiritual life. Spiritual maintenance helps us to be useful for the Lord and prevents us from sliding into lukewarmness and complacency.
Acts 2 tells us the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the church had caused a great revival with 3,000 people added to the church. The subsequent activities of the church were fundamental in keeping the fire of revival going and by maintaining such activities we will be able to keep our spirit high and give no ground for spiritual dryness. Let us look at these essential spiritual dynamics in Act 2:42-47.
1. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. It is the word of God that can enrich our lives. We need to come with a humble attitude to learn more of God’s word. When we hear a sermon or listen to an audio sermon, always ask what is God speaking to me. That is not enough. We must devote, that is make effort, to read the Bible daily to keep our spiritual temperature up.
2. They devoted themselves to fellowship. Get to know the other brothers and sisters in the church. Don’t shut yourselves out. In a real fellowship there is always an environment of loving and caring. The way you treat people must be defined by mutual respect and acceptance. No one wants to be in a group where criticism and gossips flourish.
3. The devoted themselves to breaking of break and prayer. They spent time together having Holy Communion to remember the Lord’s death and also there were unique relationships with each other. We are united in the bond of love in Christ. Each of us is a member, a body part, of Jesus Christ. Members who spend time praying for each other’s wellbeing will stay together.
4. They met together in the temple courts. Make effort to participate in the Sunday service no matter how busy you may be. Worship reminds us of the goodness and blessing of God upon our lives. It makes the problems of our lives become so small when we compare them with our great God. Let us have this mindset when we think of worshiping God: “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere” (Ps 84:10 NIV).
5. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Having meals together helps to build a relationship of mutual understanding and trust. Do have a meal with a brother or sister during the week to keep the friendship going and meaningful. It is during meal time that we really get to know each other better.
Do not neglect any of the five activities that will keep you strong in your walk with the Lord. When you are experiencing spiritual dryness, look again at the above. Are you slack in any of the above spiritual habits? We often think about revival coming from outside in but there is nothing to stop you from a revival that comes from inside out.
All cars need periodical maintenance to keep them in good running condition. What is true of a motor car is also true with your spiritual life. Spiritual maintenance helps us to be useful for the Lord and prevents us from sliding into lukewarmness and complacency.
Acts 2 tells us the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the church had caused a great revival with 3,000 people added to the church. The subsequent activities of the church were fundamental in keeping the fire of revival going and by maintaining such activities we will be able to keep our spirit high and give no ground for spiritual dryness. Let us look at these essential spiritual dynamics in Act 2:42-47.
1. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. It is the word of God that can enrich our lives. We need to come with a humble attitude to learn more of God’s word. When we hear a sermon or listen to an audio sermon, always ask what is God speaking to me. That is not enough. We must devote, that is make effort, to read the Bible daily to keep our spiritual temperature up.
2. They devoted themselves to fellowship. Get to know the other brothers and sisters in the church. Don’t shut yourselves out. In a real fellowship there is always an environment of loving and caring. The way you treat people must be defined by mutual respect and acceptance. No one wants to be in a group where criticism and gossips flourish.
3. The devoted themselves to breaking of break and prayer. They spent time together having Holy Communion to remember the Lord’s death and also there were unique relationships with each other. We are united in the bond of love in Christ. Each of us is a member, a body part, of Jesus Christ. Members who spend time praying for each other’s wellbeing will stay together.
4. They met together in the temple courts. Make effort to participate in the Sunday service no matter how busy you may be. Worship reminds us of the goodness and blessing of God upon our lives. It makes the problems of our lives become so small when we compare them with our great God. Let us have this mindset when we think of worshiping God: “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere” (Ps 84:10 NIV).
5. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Having meals together helps to build a relationship of mutual understanding and trust. Do have a meal with a brother or sister during the week to keep the friendship going and meaningful. It is during meal time that we really get to know each other better.
Do not neglect any of the five activities that will keep you strong in your walk with the Lord. When you are experiencing spiritual dryness, look again at the above. Are you slack in any of the above spiritual habits? We often think about revival coming from outside in but there is nothing to stop you from a revival that comes from inside out.
