Right now we are looking at Christian Life Church into the theme Devoted. We are taking the first four chapters from Acts and seeing how the first Christians were Responding to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. One way they responded was to Devote themselves to living in the right Atmosphere.
These people lived in an atmosphere of faith, unity, praise and worship, hope and love that created awesome community.
Atmospheres are so important, we’ve all found ourselves in stale, negative, hopeless atmospheres and the truth is none of us really wanted to go back there. The atmospheres across our lives and churches have to be fresh, life-giving and faith-filled. Everybody wants to live in that kind of atmosphere but not everyone knows how to get there. Part of the problem is that we have a philosophy within the church world that is waiting for some external event such as a move of God or a miraculous healing to create it. What we need to understand is that atmospheres are BUILT in response to the internal work of the Holy Spirit.
The first Christians lived in the atmosphere they did because they were people of prayer, worship, obedience to God, resolve, faith, fellowship, truth etc. They built this atmosphere across their lives and within the community of faith, the church. They lived out off the revival going off inside them rather than waiting for a revival to go off around them!
It’s only in the right atmosphere that things grow. A seed needs soil, water, warmth, resistance, to grow and Christians need faith, hope, love, challenge, commitment, vision etc. etc.
Living in a kingdom atmosphere is often counter culture and counter intuitive. Consider Isaiah 61:3 Beauty for Ashes, oil of gladness instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
It’s time to live in a bubble, a kingdom bubble! Build that atmosphere around you today, make some declarations about the goodness of God over your life!
Paul Benger 