"Our God is greater..."

I was reading the Bible last night and I am slowly working my way through the book of Acts. Acts is a really interesting book. I made myself go back to read it as I seemingly didn't enjoy it previously. However, reading it now I don't understand why I didn't like it. It epitomises everything that I believe a follower of Jesus Christ should be like! True, radical living.

It starts of with the Ascension of Jesus into heaven leaving behind a group of disciples to continue on his ministry. How scary! Imagine being one of Jesus' disciples at this point. The man that you had been following for several years, the one who told you he was the only way to reconcile man to God, the one who the Jews turned against and crucified and the one who rose again, from the dead. It is a lot to take in. Then for this man, who fulfilled everything he said he would to ascend into heaven leaving you behind... what do you do? Well, lucky for them they learnt from the best what to do next. Throughout his ministry, Jesus warned the disciples that there would be a time when he would not be with them but a "greater helper" would come and show them what to do and how to act.

This is what we witness in Acts

God sends His Holy Spirit into the disciples and they are filled with this new, supernatural strength which totally transforms the disciples outlook and action. They were transformed from being too scared to leave the room they had gathered in to being bold to speak out the gospel of Jesus, to tell people about what he had done. And that what Acts is all about. People living out what Jesus had taught "Go and make disciples of all nations" relying on the strength of the Holy Spirit that is in all who believe.

What about us?

What happened 2000 years ago still happens today. That promise that we will not be alone and that we have a helper still rings true. The Holy Spirit is alive and is working powerful in the lives of God's children. The fact remains we live in an apathetic society. Where people are becoming less willing to do stuff and this is the same for Christians. We are happy enough to sit in a holy huddles and drink tea yet when it comes to actually evangelising or serving people we are a little less happy about getting up and going. Why is this? Have we forgotten our calling?

We have to honour of being God's workmen, being God's vessels in this world. What an absolute privilege! If that isn't motivation enough I don't know what is. Maybe we need to go back to the root of our faith, the Gospels and see what it says before we understand the urgency of sharing the gospel. I get so frustrated at Christians who want to take but aren't up for giving. Jesus gave his life for a sinful world so that we could be at one again with God. The ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate service. We need to imitators of Christ. We need to give up our selfish desires. We need to give up money, time and comfort to help people. We need to take our eyes of ourselves and put them back on God. Only then will people see Christ through our lives.

God is far more powerful than we can even fathom;

"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth does not live in temples made by man" Acts 17:24

Stop putting God in a box and let Him do mighty things through you. Stop focusing on your own desires and focuses on God's and stop being apathetic and start going in the power of the Holy Spirit, start living your life for God by actually living.

God is on the move, are you?