Miki Hardy

We should not minimize the power of forgiveness. It is amazing how christians can stay bound with many unsolved problems in their lives, like sickness, hatred, or else, just because they have not been able to forgive someone who has hurt them. Forgiveness is powerful and releases us from so many bondages. Forgiveness heals our hurts and restores broken relationships in marriages, for example. Forgiveness needs to become a way of life. It forms part of the cross that we have to take and of the denial of ourselves. Jesus said : “If you do not forgive men, your Father in heaven will also not forgive you”. Matthew 6:15.

Repentance is an essential part of our christian life. It is one of many ways the Holy Spirit uses to perfect us in our walk with Christ. Paul describes the deep experience of true repentance to the Corinthians. He says ” For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; ….”. 2 Cor. 7:10. The severe reprimand that Paul gave them in his first letter, finally brought repentance to their hearts. In verse 11, he describes the fruits of the true repentance they experienced.  Repentance is part of the christian life, as we continue to grow in the knowledge of Christ.

It would be so sad to know we are righteous, without the desire to be sanctified in our christian life. This call from God is to be considered seriously today because there is a tendency in the church to deal with sin lightly. Paul says “For this is the will of God, your sanctification”. 1 Thess. 4:3. The message of the cross is the only solution for all of us to grow in the image of Christ. We are called to put off the old man and to put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:20-24.

We have been made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ. This righteousness delivers us from the condemnation of sin and brings reconciliation between God and us. This is the miracle of christianity. The moment we understand this truth, we will never feel condemned when we fall into temptation and sin against God. We will immediately seek the forgiveness of God with a humble and broken heart and will accept His grace to continue our walk with Him.  Nothing will ever change our status of being righteous before God except we willingly decide to live a life in sin, turn our back to God and deny our salvation. That would be a disaster.

The love of God  cannot be explained,  nor can it be measured. It is a powerful force that melts the heart of the most rebellious person. No one can stay the same when this love is manifested towards him. When Jesus loved that woman who comitted adultery, she repented of her sins and left a free person. The pharissees could not love her because they were so legalistic. We also have many opportunities to show the love of God to others. We should make sure that law does not prevail over love. Paul says that we can do so many things, we can have great faith but without love, we are nothing. 1 Cor. 13.

Very often, we have the opportunity to minister to people, pray for them, encourage them, exhort them. Do we realize, that only one word from the Holy Spirit, can create a miracle in their lives. Many often, it is worth much more than a chapter of words as we pray for them. The ministry of the Holy Spirit facilitates our service to the Lord Jesus. As we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we serve the Lord in peace, knowing that it is not us, but the Holy Spirit, who  touches the lives of the people, and we are only His vessels. Paul mentions the ministry of the new covenant as the one of the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:6.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is real for the word of God says that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in us. 1 Cor. 6:19. I believe that we should be more conscious about His presence and willingness to direct us, speak to us and do wonders in and through our lives. In the book of Acts, we see how the Holy Spirit was very present in the lives of the disciples and He was leading  them to accomplish the will of God. As we trust Him and listen to Him with greater expectations we will discover how He is alive in us and ready to act. We should never forget that we need to keep a pure heart for His ministry to be alive and real in us.

We are living under the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. The person of the Holy Spirit lives in us, guides us, and directs us, as christians, so that we may be able to serve Jesus effectively. The prophet  said ” It is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.” The church needs to depend solely on the Holy Spirit for the  building of the Kingdom of God. We cannot depend on our organization, our skill, our knowledge, our wisdom, they are of no use for the construction of a spiritual kingdom. It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit that will bring salvation, freedom, healing in the lives of people. The Holy Spirit works in us and through us and Jesus is glorified.

One of the worst things in our christian lives, is to feel the pressure of having to abide by some law or regulation. Many christians feel obliged to walk in obedience to the law, thinking that they will have the blessing of the Lord. God looks at the motivation of our hearts and certainly not only our actions. These law keepers were putting great burdens on the people, and Jesus was warning His disciples of the danger of submitting to their teachings, because He was bringing a new way of life, one of freedom. Jesus has come to set us free from the curse of the law and to give us the ability to please Him, as we submit to and obey the Holy Spirit in total freedom.

I believe that the Lord is pressing on our hearts to persevere in prayer, until we see His promise for CTMI vision, come to pass. We should not allow anything to distract us from these precious moments in His presence. Let us unite our hearts in this challenge and believe that our God is reaching out to the hearts of  people, as we continue to pray and intercede for the church. We can do many other things instead of praying and worshipping the Lord. May the Holy Spirit help us to be faithful in this task ahead of us.