Quick nudges

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” – John 14:26.

“There is a story about a boy flying a kite. The kite was so high that it had disappeared into the clouds. A man came by and asked, ‘What are you doing, son, holding onto that string?’ The boy answered, ‘I’ve got a kite up there.’ The man looked up and said, ‘I don’t see it.’ The boy replied, ‘Well, I know it’s there because I can feel the tug.’ That’s like the witness of the Holy Spirit within us. We may not see the evidence, but we feel a tug in our hearts constantly, letting us know that we are in touch with God. That is the witness of the Holy Spirit.”

“I have determined that throughout each day I will be alert to the Holy Spirit’s working in my life. For example, one Sunday afternoon when I was about to sit down and relax with the newspaper, I suddenly remembered a relative whom I knew was lonely. I silently thanked the Lord for the quiet nudge and proceeded to follow through by visiting with my relative for part of the afternoon. I have come to realize that there is an effort required of us if we are to progress in the Christian life. But we need to trust God and rest in Him so that we can be aware of His quiet nudges” (Lorraine Joy Burt).

Still God performs miracles.

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” – John 11:40.

God, who parted the Red Sea, rained manna from heaven, caused the walls of Jericho to fall, shut the lions’ mouths, healed the sick, raised the dead and calmed the sea, still performs miracles today. However, some Christians doubt that God wants to work a miracle for them today. But God wants us to know that He is still the God of miracles today.

Martha was like one of those Christians. She wondered if Jesus could perform a miracle when her brother Lazarus died. By the time Jesus arrived on the scene, Lazarus had already been dead for four days. So she thought that Jesus was four days too late. That is why she said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21) And even when Jesus said that Lazarus would rise again, she said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:24)

Martha believed that Jesus could perform miracles in the past and would do the same in the future, but she did not believe that He could give her a miracle when she needed it right then. You see, Martha was someone who lived wishing that the past could be changed and believing that the future would be better. But she did not believe that the “I Am” was there to meet her present need. Today, God stands at the point of your need. What miracle do you need from Him? Believe that He is still the same miracle-working God today. Believe that you will see the glory of God. Believe and you will see your miracle.

Living abundant Life

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance ” – John 10:10

Too many people today have a barely-get-by mentality, “Barely able to pay my bills, got an okay job, an okay marriage.” Friend, don’t settle there. Jesus came so we could live an abundant life. That means an abundance of joy, an abundance of peace, an abundance of health, abundance in our finances. God’s dream is that you not only be blessed, but that you are so blessed that you can be blessing everywhere you go. He wants you to live an abundant life so that it overflows on to the people around you. We should have so much peace, so much joy, so much victory that when other people get around us, they begin to feel it. It affects them.

You may not be seeing it right now, but don’t get complacent and just settle where you are. Begin to declare by faith today, “Jesus came to give me abundant life.” “My needs are supplied in abundance so that I can be a blessing to others.” As you stay in faith, you’ll see your circumstances begin to turn around. You’ll see God move on your behalf, and you’ll experience the abundant life He has prepared for you.

What is good about this day?

“…it is finished…” – John 19:24.

Jesus was on a mission when he came on this earth, he left heaven and came down on this earth, to fulfil the fathers will and the task assigned to Him by God the father. Jesus lived on this earth for almost 33 years giving us an example of how to live under the obedience of God the father, He was always obedient to the father when He lived on this earth.

The father loved mankind ‘His creation’ and wanted to save His creation from perishing because of sin. Sin had become a barrier between God the father and mankind, Jesus took the sins of mankind upon Him and died on the cross as a sacrifice so that mankind, the creation of God can be once again free of sin as it was created to be. By the sacrifice of Jesus, we are once again sinless and heirs to the kingdom of God. The words of Jesus from the cross “It is finished” before his last breath, signify that the task assigned by God was completed and He had done His job. Because of this day, we are able to reconcile with the father once again. Jesus died, but by His death, He has saved the entire mankind and that is the good thing about this day.

God loves you.

Day of Radical Commitment

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24,25.

To us, the Disciples of Christ, this must be therefore the day of passionate commitment. I say ‘passionate commitment’ because there are commitments and commitments. We are familiar with certain type of commitment which will bask in Christian fellowship, chorus singing and self-entertainment and stop there. But ours is a faith of Martyrs. Its symbol is the cross, and its monuments the catacombs. Let us not make it a luxury religion, a cosy haven for an escapist. Christ needs soldiers of the cross, not as someone has said, chocolate soldiers. How often our commitment and discipleship are so costless.

King David in 1 Chronicles 21:24 said “I will not take…sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing”. Deliberate commitment is costly, we are called to count the cost. In John 12:24 – 26, Jesus said “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be. My father will honor the one who serves me. ”So can our commitment be anything less? Has our prayer life, our giving, our surrender to Christ cost us anything? Do we pray and give to the Lord ‘until it hurts’? Are we willing to go in daring faith wherever he leads us? If we obey, then the Lord will open up opportunities for His glory.