Not long ago I was ministering to some Youth leaders at their retreat. I asked the question 'what do you think is happening when the adults pray or sing in the Spirit during service?' One of them replied, 'They are connecting to God', another said, 'that is something I want.' After some teaching we prayed for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit and God moved to touch them in a fresh and new way.
Being filled in the Spirit is a constant thing. In Ephesians 5:18, the words in the original language "be filled with the Spirit" are in the continuous tense. This means it is not a one-time event but a perpetual infilling. It is like our muscle; it requires consistent use to maximize the strength it brings. When we sing in the Spirit in church, it is "personal edification" (1 Corinthians 14:4) in corporate worship. It is also the Spirit praying through us (Romans 8:26). While Paul did write about prophecy being superior over tongues in 1 Corinthians 14, his concern was about order and understanding. In our church setting when we break into moments in the Spirit, like how God has been moving these past weeks, your spiritual leaders ensure order is maintained and understanding is taught through the preaching segment. It does not descend into a disorderly meeting of many incomprehensible voices.
Pursue the fire! What God has been doing in COR is to reignite His move in our lives through the Spirit. The Spirit brings His presence and help us know our purpose in Him. Like a piece of coal separated from the heap, the embers cool down quickly, but when it is put back into the burning coal it fires up quickly. This is happening. Come Holy Spirit, come upon our church, come upon our lives.
Ps. Loke Chi Shyan
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