Miki Hardy

Lord, give us faith, is the prayer of all of us as we wait to enter into the next step of what the Lord has for the church. God will certainly do wonders in the near future and we will be amazed because He will use all of us, as we are eager to serve Him with a humble heart. The gift of faith, when needed,will be given to us at the right place, at the right time, for the right purpose. Let us call on Him and continually ask Him for faith in our prayers.

The message of the cross, the power of God, should be continually preached in our churches. We can never preach the cross too much. Christians need to be faced with this message as often as possible because it constantly brings us to repentance, which we always need. It will show us how we are called to deny ourselves, thus reminding us that our lives are not ours anymore but the Lord’s. This message brings us to humble ourselves, which is the attitude the Lord desires to see in us all. It brings us to grow spiritually and to experience victory in our daily lives. The cross, the foundation of our faith. Jesus is risen and alive.

How to behave towards those who have not received what we have received? It is so easy to feel more spiritual and superior than them. It is so easy to criticize them or joke about them. We should never forget that who we are and whatever we have received have been an act of grace from the Lord and there is no reason to feel superior. We can only thank the Lord for His grace upon our lives and keep an humble attitude towards all. The apostle Paul received the revelation of the gospel but he was always humble about it. He says: I am who I am by God’s grace. 1 Cor. 15:10.

I believe that children are simple and sensitive. We will hear about them speaking to their parents about their attitudes and lives, things that they see and feel. This will cause their parents to seek the Lord and repent from their ways. In these last days, many will be instruments of God for their families. They will not fear to speak because they are innocent and they have no agendas. Parents should really take notice of what their children say to them. Sometimes it will be just a few words but the Lord will use them to speak to parents.

Children will always look to their parents as examples to follow.  This is a rule that parents should never forget. Parents can read bible stories to their children, drop them at children church, give them many gifts but nothing can replace their lifestyle in front of their children. The good and peaceful relationship between parents is more valuable to the children. Children can be very sensitive to the Spirit and they can feel what is happening in the relationship between their parents.

Parents need to show grace towards their children and should in no case be hard on them. Discipline and correction should be done in truth and love. Parents need to be careful not to be hard towards their children resulting in unforgiveness, rebellion and finally a broken relationship.  Parents need the grace of God in this great responsibility of raising their children in a godly manner.

So many times the ministry of the husband is put to the forefront, which I believe is essential, but the wife has also her responsibility to take up her cross and follow Jesus in this relationship. The church is called to submit to Christ at all times and she knows that Jesus will always lead her to life and victory, because He gave His life for her. This should be the attitude of a wife towards her husband in her heart, even if she feels that the husband is not leading her to the right place, for example, if she feels that a decision he has taken is not good.  She should never allow her heart to be hardened against her husband. The husband should feel that his wife is submitted to him in her heart. The question is not who is right or wrong but to keep the right attitude in the different circumstances. The submission of a wife to her husband in her heart should not change or be affected if he wants her to oppose the will of God for her life, but she is not obliged to obey him in that circumstance. Christians are called to obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29.