RESET TO SERVE
This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. (Jeremiah 6:16a NLT)
When we newly became born again, you could almost see the fire we carried as young believers. First we wanted everyone to know that we have found something very precious - a new relationship with God by yielding our lives to Jesus Christ. People could see the change in us from the way we now carried around the bible, spent more time praying, participated in fellowship meetings and never missed attendance in church. We could hardly control our zeal to serve in God’s kingdom and wanted all we met to be the same. We felt Christ would return any moment to take the saints back with Him to heaven so we yearned to be among the number.
But now, perhaps because Christ has tarried in His coming as we expected, the fire has dimmed, and continues dimming further by the vicissitudes of life that daily encroach us body, soul and spirit. We are like a device whose battery is running out and needs recharging, updating and upgrading.
The disciples of Jesus had the same experience. The sons of Zebedee abandoned their father and his fishing boat and followed Jesus. Others saw the zeal in them and followed Him with them. The going was good while the Master was with them, teaching, mentoring and nurturing them, preparing them to take over His work on earth after Him. But they all became cold and frustrated when they sighted the indignity their Master was subjected to in the hands of the authorities of the time. They lost all hope and decided to go back to struggling fishermen and artisans. But Jesus did not give up on them. He appeared to them in His resurrected Person, refreshed and encouraged them. Then He released the Holy Spirit upon them in the upper room to equip them for the work of building His Kingdom.
In the same manner, we need a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. We need another upper room experience. We need to recharge and reset. We need revival. The bible says, _Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance_ (Acts 2:3-4). The Spirit alighted on them individually, so it is not a collective responsibility since they all received equally, so each person was set on fire afresh.
Peter preached in a day and won 3,000 souls into the kingdom, then later with John performed a miracle that won another 2000 souls (Acts 3, 4). Philip too recharged in the experience and started a revival in Samaria (Acts 8:4-8). You too can go to your upper room, recharge and reset for greater Kingdom action. The time is now!
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