The power of movements are threatening. When you can get any group of people moving in the same direction there is an effect that becomes a threat to establishments and political agendas causing social reform, challenging educational systems and changing religious traditions. Even God said at the building of the Tower of Babel, there is nothing man cannot accomplish when they work together.
The early church as I’ve said before was and is still the greatest movement humanity has ever seen. The primary reason is that we have the most powerful message that every human being needs to hear. That message is as clear today as it was in the book Acts. God created us, our sins separated us from Him, then Jesus came to pay the price so that everyone who calls on His name, will be saved and have everlasting life. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians explains that I have not come with the greatest communication skills, but I have come with the testimony of God infused by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:1-5). The early church preached this message with fervor and conviction. John Stott says ““Christianity is a rescue religion. It declares that God has taken the initiative in Jesus Christ to rescue us from our sins. This is the main theme of the Bible. They did not shy away from sharing the Gospel, the life and ministry of Jesus, and the necessary saving impact of His death and resurrection. They called people to repent, believe in His name, be baptized in water and then there was the demonstration of this message through the power of the Holy Spirit. Signs, wonders and miracles took place. People were healed and raised from the dead, these early apostles were walking and continuing in the ministry of Jesus.
Signs and wonders demonstrate the power and divinity of Jesus Christ. Oftentimes these demonstrations meet a real human need, and build a testimony of the evidence of God’s supernatural power working through a natural observation. Peter and John heal this lame man, he gets up and starts running around praising God. Power producing Praise.
It is clear that people were being attracted to the moving and testimony of God’s spirit through the early apostles and steadfastly they continued daily gathering together and their numbers increased rapidly. Responsive hungry hearts was the result of this outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
It is a critical element in our journey with God to be hungry and responsive to His leadings. Whether you have clocked in over 6000 hours of Bible study, devotion, prayer or ministry in the church, if you’ve lost the hunger for your need of God, you’ve lost your faith. When a person loses their hunger for food, they die, and so it is with our faith in Christ.
Are you hungry and responsive to God and His word, and the leading of His Spirit? Do you find yourself apprehensive or even critical of the signs and wonders that demonstrate God’s power? Have you grown content or complacent with yesterday’s feeding? Let your soul be awakened today to its need for a daily feeding on God’s word and a moment by moment desperation for the grace of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.