Miki Hardy

We have expected great things but the Lord did far above what we could think and hope for. Since the first moment, we felt that the Holy Spirit was in control and wanted to reach out to the depth of our hearts, as we worshiped Jesus and humbled ourselves before Him. Hearts were broken and we witnessed much repentance coming from the most inner being of christians. Tears from broken hearts were shed and true repentance from humble hearts was evident. What a visitation from the Holy Spirit as all the congregation was without words in His presence. Jesus is glorified.

We all have our bad days when we miss it or fall under the pressure of temptation. It is sad to see how judgement and criticism are often used to deal with sin in the lives of our brothers and sisters. It is so easy to throw the first stone at someone who has sinned. This is a very legalistic approach. Sin must be dealt with in truth and grace, and in this way, and this way alone, can the love of God be manifested towards those who sin against God.  Grace is the platform for repentance but law will cause the sinner to fear, to hide his sin and live in condemnation. May the Lord give us the grace to encourage others to repentance. Never forget that we should do to others what we would want others to do to us.

Each one has his temptations, tests and trials to face in his every day life, and none of them is too hard for us to go through. We need to learn that God, our Father, watches over us and desires that each one of us  continues to grows so as to become a spiritual person. God will reach out to us in the most difficult times and will not allow us to be tempted above what we can take. 1 Cor. 10:13. His grace will always be manifested at the right time and in the right way. The Lord will never allow the bar to be too high that we would not be able to go over it. God will always come to the rescue of a pure and humble heart.

The church will never be able to walk in victory unless the message of the cross is continually confronting the lives of christians. Every day an opportunity will be given to us to be tested and the key is to keep a humble and broken heart. As we seek the Lord in prayer and worship, He will equip us to stand in the midst of every trial and temptation. I want to remind you that Paul states: ” The preaching of the cross is the power of God.” 1 Cor. 1:18. We constantly need to hear the message of the cross.

Jesus told his disciples that a narrow road is the one that leads to life. Matthew 7:14. The nearer we              come to the coming of the Lord to take His church, the harder, the tougher will our life be, as we follow Jesus. We will have to face temptation and the world system in a greater measure, but the Lord promises us that His grace will always be sufficient. It will be sufficient to those that will accept to take up their cross and follow Jesus. Otherwise it will not be possible to resist the fiery darts of the devil as he increases his attacks against the church in these last days. The promises of the Lord are true and rest assured that He will never fail us.