“Now all who believed WERE TOGETHER, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing DAILY WITH ONE ACCORD (agreement) in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, PRAISING GOD and HAVING FAVOR WITH ALL THE PEOPLE. And THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH DAILY those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:44-47) The things of God were not a part-time interest or a convenience-based commitment to those early Christians, but their highest priority. If we want to get serious about God, we must stop and reflect on what THEY TOOK SERIOUSLY.
ARE WE TAKING OUR CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE SERIOUSLY?
- Are we regularly and daily reading our Bible? “And these words which I command you today SHALL BE IN YOUR HEART. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them WHEN YOU SIT in your house, WHEN YOU WALK by the way, WHEN YOU LIE down, and WHEN YOU RISE UP.” (Deut. 6:6-7)
- Are we hit-and-miss churchgoers or today church watchers? “We MUST NOT FORSAKE the assembling of ourselves together (cover-19, virtually), as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25)
- Do we get upset if the service exceeds an hour
- or the preacher takes an extra ten minutes?
- Is once-a-week our limit?
- Are we obedient in our tithing and giving? “For I am the LORD, I do not change…Will a man rob God? Yet YOU HAVE ROBBED ME! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS…BRING ALL THE TITHES into the Church…And TRY ME now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And POUR OUT FOR YOU such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:6-10)
- Are we obedient in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ? “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were PLEADING THROUGH US…” (2 Corin. 5:20)
- Most importantly do we daily and regularly talk to God? “…WHEN YOU PRAY, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret WILL REWARD YOU OPENLY.” (Matt. 6:6)
-Bill Stockham