October 14th, 20

God is Still Shaking Things Up

Today’s readings are Nehemiah 13, Malachi 1- 2, and Acts 4.  We are reading from the New Living Translation.

There’s a whole lot of shaking going on. Peter and John are back after being interrogated, denounced and told to stop teaching in the name of Jesus.  They had to stand before their ‘betters’ and give an account for their words, and the miraculous sign that had been performed through them, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

When they come back to their friends we’re told that the room shook. As they were praying the room shook.

After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.  Then they preached the word of God with boldness.  (Acts 4:31 NLT)

They were praying for boldness in proclaiming Christ crucified and resurrected.  They were praying for the with-God life, here and now – that God’s kingdom would be known and experienced by many.  The room shook!  And God hasn’t stopped shaking things up.  

Wherever the Spirit of God is, things get stirred up. Hearts are rehabilitated, minds are renewed, priorities are reassessed, refocused, and redirected away from self and on to others.  Boldness, selflessness, and generosity begin to flow from God’s people.   And it’s all happening through the Spirit’s enabling.  

We are about to head into a new season, Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is a great season to retune our own hearts to seek the Spirit’s enabling in our lives.  This is a time to become bold, more selfless, and more generous – heralds of the hope of the resurrection and the promise of the with-God life now.  The message of this season is – Joy to the world, the Lord is come – Peace on earth, good will toward men –  Emmanuel, God with us.  These are such beautiful phrases that have been drained of their power, because they haven’t been embodied by God’s people through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Maybe, as we look to this season, we will find ourselves praying and asking God for boldness, selflessness and generosity.  Maybe God will shake things up in our own lives. Maybe he will shake things up in the lives of those around us, as we humble ourselves and pray and ask for the Spirit’s boldness,  like the Believers here in Acts 4 did.

Lord, give us boldness, selflessness and generosity.  Shake things up in our lives that we might experience you, your love and your power, in a whole new way.

You are loved!