Heal the basics!
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #254 I Hear Thy Welcome Voice (#186 in previous version)
How must the saved children of God pray to God? The first thing that Jesus taught the disciples is prayer. Prayer is enjoying the Gospel that God has given, and enjoying the mystery of God being with me. Because we do not enjoy the strength of prayer, we get tired as we work and we get discouraged when we are faced with problems. David faced the threat of death twice, and he even ran away into the wilderness because King Saul was after his life. Even in the midst of these circumstances, David enjoyed the mystery of prayer through the confession, “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not be in want.” What must we do in order to possess the strength of prayer that allows us to survive by ourselves anywhere?
1. We must understand the word “only.”
The Early Church believers confessed “only Jesus” and gathered in Mark’s upper room to pray. In that place, they experienced the greatest working of the Holy Spirit, and they witnessed disciples being raised up in the field. After experiencing answers to prayer, they realized that holding onto the mystery of God and the word “only” was not a narrow-minded thing; rather it simply emphasized the uniqueness of God and led them to put into action only faith, only evangelism, and only prayer. In the Early Church, faith, hope, and love abounded and it was filled with God’s power and assurance. As a result, they began to consider everything other than Christ rubbish. The best way to have healing of the basics is through only Jesus.
2. When we follow after the Word, healing will take place.
When we find answers within the Word of God, we can change ourselves. Through the worship every Lord’s Day, we can hear the Word of God. It is not just a simple message; we must be able to hear the Word that God is giving to us specifically. The answers began when Abraham held on to the Word. When we hold on to the Word that God gives to us, our basics will be healed and answers will begin.
3. Basic healing
The Gospel is unique, and for this reason, those of us who have this Gospel will receive unique blessings. If we get a taste of the blessings of the Gospel, we can enjoy evangelism and start to discover the plan of God. “Only prayer” becomes a happy method by which we can recharge moment by moment with the factual strength and faith that God gives to us. When we start scheduled prayer, worship comes to life; when we do continuous prayer, our situation and circumstances will be revived; and through 24-hour prayer, we will stand as witnesses before the age.
- Deeply meditate on the word, “only” in the Gospel. Challenge to do 24-hour prayer of enjoying the Gospel.
Core Training Message / 2011. 7. 16