The Holy Spirit calls me today to talk about one of my favorite subjects; His miraculous intervention in our lives. I love testimonies. Testimonies are real life stories of how Jesus has moved in people's lives. I love to hear testimonies. I love to share my personal ones and I love to share other people's testimonies that I hear along the way.
I have learned to look for the miraculous in the everyday because God's hand is always there.
I remember a long time ago, when I worked in high school ministry among the teens how much I prayed that they would see miracles. I understand for faith to be faith we all need personal testimony of what Jesus has done for us. That does not undermine the definition of faith..."The substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen" but sooner or later we must experience the "things hoped for".
In fact, the very essence of evangelism is to simply tell someone else what Jesus, the Son of God, has done for me personally, and how that causes me to know the truth: That God, the Father, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save me, that I should not perish in judgement for my sins but live forever with Him. John 3:16. Testimony of the Lord's miraculous intervention in our personal lives makes our faith viable and real, not foofy and ethereal.
The testimony of the early church was not that Jesus died on a cruel cross, but rather that He came back to life. His resurrection was the real testimony, and that testimony spread like wildfire because no one had ever risen from the dead until He came on the scene. Jesus' claim that He is God was validated by His miracles. He said, "even if you do not believe my words at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." John 14:11. The most life and earth-shaking miracle was the resurrection.
The Spirit reminds me again, "If you want the next generations (my children and theirs) to see miracles they have to be put at risk, is that what you want?" He knows that the "risk" is not what I want, but the miracles are, so I say, Yes, Yes, Yes!
To me, worse than being put at "risk" and gaining a life changing miracle as a personal testimony, is living a life of status quo; apathetic, full of doubt, head knowledge without heart knowledge ending our days with no understanding of God's power and authority and personal experience of His deliverance.
When I speak of being put at risk, I don't mean living on the edge, looking for danger, throwing ourselves in front of a bus. Being at risk can mean any trial in life bigger than our human capacity to resolve it. But in that trial, looking for the hand of the Lord to provide a vibrant testimony of deliverance. A way out that speaks of His intervention. Trials are and always will be a part of life, so the risk is there any way, but it's who we look to when we are at risk. How does the Lord want to use our risk to Glorify His Name?
Most humans stick to the highway when given a choice. The path of least resistance is the one we choose. The one with all the comfort inns along the way. We gravitate toward what we know we can control and defend our "comfort zones" unto the death of a life of adventure and risk.
Yet we know from Biblical history that Israel always seems to be at risk, as were the Disciples. From the exodus of Israel out of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea, to Paul's missionary journeys where he found himself shipwrecked and bitten by a poisonous viper, God's greatest interaction with His people has been dramatic, life and death situations that He alone brought them through unscathed and over flowing with testimony.
Testimonies are the best way to communicate the Gospel. I have witnessed: sight restored to one hopelessly blind, an international child placed in the loving arms of a childless couple, a young man, at the brink of death due to meningitis, while Dr's were convinced death was eminent, miraculously healed and restored to life. Testimony after testimony of the Life and message that Jesus brought to earth: God is real; His love is real, His power is real. When a personal testimony of that Truth rocks your world it's hard to keep silent.
So what in your life with Jesus do you have to share? If you come up empty, maybe you just need to be willing to be put at risk.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
I have learned to look for the miraculous in the everyday because God's hand is always there.
I remember a long time ago, when I worked in high school ministry among the teens how much I prayed that they would see miracles. I understand for faith to be faith we all need personal testimony of what Jesus has done for us. That does not undermine the definition of faith..."The substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen" but sooner or later we must experience the "things hoped for".
In fact, the very essence of evangelism is to simply tell someone else what Jesus, the Son of God, has done for me personally, and how that causes me to know the truth: That God, the Father, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save me, that I should not perish in judgement for my sins but live forever with Him. John 3:16. Testimony of the Lord's miraculous intervention in our personal lives makes our faith viable and real, not foofy and ethereal.
The testimony of the early church was not that Jesus died on a cruel cross, but rather that He came back to life. His resurrection was the real testimony, and that testimony spread like wildfire because no one had ever risen from the dead until He came on the scene. Jesus' claim that He is God was validated by His miracles. He said, "even if you do not believe my words at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." John 14:11. The most life and earth-shaking miracle was the resurrection.
The Spirit reminds me again, "If you want the next generations (my children and theirs) to see miracles they have to be put at risk, is that what you want?" He knows that the "risk" is not what I want, but the miracles are, so I say, Yes, Yes, Yes!
To me, worse than being put at "risk" and gaining a life changing miracle as a personal testimony, is living a life of status quo; apathetic, full of doubt, head knowledge without heart knowledge ending our days with no understanding of God's power and authority and personal experience of His deliverance.
When I speak of being put at risk, I don't mean living on the edge, looking for danger, throwing ourselves in front of a bus. Being at risk can mean any trial in life bigger than our human capacity to resolve it. But in that trial, looking for the hand of the Lord to provide a vibrant testimony of deliverance. A way out that speaks of His intervention. Trials are and always will be a part of life, so the risk is there any way, but it's who we look to when we are at risk. How does the Lord want to use our risk to Glorify His Name?
Most humans stick to the highway when given a choice. The path of least resistance is the one we choose. The one with all the comfort inns along the way. We gravitate toward what we know we can control and defend our "comfort zones" unto the death of a life of adventure and risk.
Yet we know from Biblical history that Israel always seems to be at risk, as were the Disciples. From the exodus of Israel out of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea, to Paul's missionary journeys where he found himself shipwrecked and bitten by a poisonous viper, God's greatest interaction with His people has been dramatic, life and death situations that He alone brought them through unscathed and over flowing with testimony.
Testimonies are the best way to communicate the Gospel. I have witnessed: sight restored to one hopelessly blind, an international child placed in the loving arms of a childless couple, a young man, at the brink of death due to meningitis, while Dr's were convinced death was eminent, miraculously healed and restored to life. Testimony after testimony of the Life and message that Jesus brought to earth: God is real; His love is real, His power is real. When a personal testimony of that Truth rocks your world it's hard to keep silent.
So what in your life with Jesus do you have to share? If you come up empty, maybe you just need to be willing to be put at risk.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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