Welcome!
Date: Thursday, November 04, 2010
Today: Speaking to and for God
Passage: Acts 1:8 NIV
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.” (emphasis added)
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 5:18-20, NIV) (emphasis added)
When the Spirit of God takes over, people will become witnesses of God
They will speak to God; they will speak to others-both believers and non-believers. They will be speaking encouragement and exhortation
But we don’t see these things happening much these days
Witnessing, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs are quite unfamiliar, except that we may sing portion of a song and share our testimony, in church when we come together
Songs and music have their rightful place in worship, if used right
Most of us want to be the free birds on Sundays, having nothing to do at church
It is the day to relax; the leaders/pastors will take the full responsibility!
But then, that is not what we read in Ephesians 5:18/1 Corinthians 14.
Everyone must get involved. We are more than just listeners
26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
Most of these things look “strange” to us. We don’t see that very much today
On the day of Pentecost, it was not on the 12 apostles on whom the spirit came, but on all the 120 people who were gathered there
Unlike in the Old Testament, we are all called to be priests and kings!
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a
people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2: 9-10, NIV)
We were called out of darkness into His marvelous light, to declare His goodness and praise to all people-within the church and without!
-Speaking to God, believers and non-believers
How much are we into that? What are the ways in which we can do that?
Praising and worshipping God is first
When worship goes up, God will fill us with His glory
We will start overflowing/proclaiming the love and goodness of God
We need to cry out-until we have that experience-that vision of His glory
A vision-a revelation can change everything in our life
God wants to bless us with all the spiritual blessings. It is a matter of our availability and willingness, for God
You can use all the modern technology to speak to others about God
It can be through e-mail or other forms of communication
But don’t forget knee-mails to God!
God bless your day, as you decide to start speaking for God
BG
Prayer: Lord, make me a worshipper and a witness of you, to others. I want to spend more time with you, and help me to do that. When I get on my knees before you, I know the enemy will get on his knees before me. Thank you. Amen
Demise: I understand that the father of Pr. P.R Baby, Faith City Church, Kochi died in India. May God comfort the grieving family