Miki Hardy

This is a request from the apostle Paul to the church. 1 Thessalonians 5:17. He knows the power of prayer. He knows the difference between facing every day with or without prayer. We cannot serve the Lord without this special time of fellowship with Him. We cannot face trials and temptations without a prayer life. We cannot have victory over our thoughts, or against the enemy without this fellowship with Christ in prayer. Paul also says to the Ephesians: Pray always with all prayers and supplications. This is an aspect of our lives that we should be concerned about if we want a successful christian life.

Jesus is our shield, our strong tower, our refuge. He has conquered the devil and all principalities and powers, and He has given us the authority in His name to stand against the enemy. This authority can only be manifested by faith but faith can only work when we walk a holy life and our hearts are pure. Faith cannot be linked with sin. One of the keys  is to deny ourselves and take our cross and follow Jesus…. to calvary. Our protection is guaranteed as we walk on the road of the cross. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. Isaiah 54:17.

We are saved by grace through faith. Ephesians 2:8. We shall also live by grace through faith. As we stand in faith, believing that nothing is impossible for God, His grace will be sufficient at all times. Grace is the supernatural strength that God gives us to face persecution, to face tests and trials, to face temptation, to respond to His call. As we keep our trust in God and keep our eyes on Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross, we will have the victory.  The grace of God is unlimited.

It is the plan of the Lord to give us His peace and the assurance of His righteousness. It is the reward for those who obey Him and trust Him. Isaiah 48:17-19. There are so many blessings for us, His people, as we are ready to surrender our lives to Jesus and serve Him with all our hearts. These verses show us that there can be no limit for God’s blessings. If we keep our lives, we will not inherit His blessings but as we are prepared to lose our lives, our ambitions, our own desires, He will pour His blessings over us. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will win our hearts so that we may surrender our lives to Jesus and walk in obedience.

One of the many ways the Lord tests us is when he allows us to face adversity. He wants to refine us, not as silver, but as gold. In Isaiah 48:10-11, God says that He will do it for His sake. Let us not be discouraged when we face these times of tests and trials but let us come closer to the Lord in fellowship. This is where we will find strength and grace to face the day. He will give us the victory.

So many parents from churches related to CTMI are thanking us for the way their children have changed for the better since they are in the church. Many are testifying how their children have been delivered from drugs and immoral lives. Others are happy that their children have settled in their families again. Jesus is changing lives and the gospel is powerful.

Church leaders in relationship with CTMI are more eager to accomplish God’s vision since we are persecuted. We cannot enumerate all the blessings that have come our way since persecution started from a small group of parents. God is opening doors for the gospel and we are ready to respond to the challenge. Christian leaders outside CTMI are contacting us to work together. Jesus is building His church and it is so exciting to have a part in it.

We know that Jesus told us to rejoice when we are persecuted. In fact in CTMI churches today, the persecution has brought a new zeal to pray and serve Jesus in a greater way. We thank the Lord for the persecution that comes our way and we are more concerned about the work of the Lord than ever before. What a blessing to discover the value of persecution. It has brought a greater unity in the hearts of christians. Thank you Jesus.

Yes, we are expecting a lot from the Lord this year after all the persecution that comes our way. We rejoice in our hearts because christians in all CTMI churches are more zealous than ever and doors are opening everywhere for the gospel more than ever before. We know that the Holy Spirit will do mighty wonders during that time of conference as we seek Jesus with all our hearts. Jesus gives us the victory.

Our conference this year will be held again in our new auditorium in Trianon. It will certainly be very exciting to know what the Lord has reserved for us all. Let us prepare ourselves as from now and expect great things from our Lord Jesus Christ. We will be expecting hundreds of visitors again. Remember the dates: 25 to 31 may 2010. See you there.