What does God want for His people around the world in the coming year? I believe that the Spirit of God is calling for a more significant spiritual stretching for His Church in this upcoming year. Over the years, I have observed that believers in Christ are like elastic bands; they need to be stretched to be effective. When we put our faith in Christ, God seals us with the promised Holy Spirit, acting as a deposit or down payment that guarantees what will be ours in the future (Ephesians 1:4-5; 13-14). What we do with that potential and power is up to us to decide according to our faith. God honors faith. A person with faith in God sees beyond individual capabilities and looks to the power of the Holy Spirit residing within the believer in Christ. The Holy Spirit desires to stretch our faith to embrace all that God has given us.
Paul the Apostle wrote to the church in Corinth, telling them that Satan had blinded the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4) to everything God has done for us through the cross. Our spiritual eyes need to be opened to “his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19). God wants to use each of us in unique ways to step out and trust Him. His authority and power were given to us as His representatives when we believed. We re-present Him, regardless of how young or old we are in Christ. Let me illustrate this with the following story:
For 21 years, Mrs. Chang had lain in bed at her home in China, unable to move her arms and legs. Finally, the pain became unbearable, and she asked her eldest son to take her to the hospital, located 40 miles away. The doctors discovered that some of her organs were nearly dead, so they advised her son, "Take her home so she can pass away surrounded by your family." But before she left, a Christian nurse visited her bedside and slipped her a copy of the Gospel of Mark. "Read this when you get home," she whispered. When Mrs. Chang arrived home, she asked her son to read something from the booklet. Opening it to the first page, he began: "This is the good news of Jesus Christ..." Before he could read any further, Mrs. Chang's bones began to move. Within moments, she sat up, completely healed! She promptly dedicated her life to the Lord.
The next day, as she made her way to the village well to draw water, everyone asked her, "Say, aren't you Mrs. Chang? What doctor helped you? We want to see him too!" Mrs. Chang invited all the women to her modest home. Once a large group had gathered, she stood and began to speak: "This is the good news of Jesus Christ...." In just four weeks, all 600 villagers chose to follow Jesus! From there, the story becomes even more intriguing: When the news spread, a police force came to suppress this "new sect." They beat the villagers, shot their animals, burned their crops, and left, believing they would never hear about Jesus Christ again. They were mistaken: the 600 converts remained steadfast, and within four years, 70,000 turned to Christ throughout the region. Who was the hero of this story? The devoted nurse. She wasn't a renowned evangelist; she was a 'nobody' responding to a need with love in her heart.
We live in a time when God wants to stretch and use ordinary people like you and me if we believe and don't place any limits on what God can do. Roger Bannister, the record-breaking runner, accomplished what once seemed impossible: he ran a mile in under four minutes. Before that, other runners thought it was impossible for a man to run that fast. Once Bannister demonstrated that it could be done, what happened next? The following year, 37 other runners broke the four-minute mile! The year after that, three hundred more also completed the mile in under four minutes. What happened? The measurement of time remained unchanged. The only thing that changed was that other runners believed that what was possible could be achieved. We are the ones who impose limits on what God can do in us and through us. Our greatest challenge in living in step with the Spirit and moving in His power is ourselves. Come, Holy Spirit, and expand our faith! May this New Year be a transformative year for each of us! Keith Thomas.
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