Normal days are no longer normal.

The world is caught up in a storm, the winds of change fiercely howling; while we’re swirling, swirling, unsure of when we might land.

Bravely venturing out, we find empty shelves in familiar stores, businesses and restaurants closed, church services cancelled. The economy is in a tailspin, with nothing guaranteed but an uncertain future.

Meanwhile, people remain sheltered in their homes, riding out the storm while gripping tightly onto all they thought they knew.

Jesus warns us such trouble is inevitable:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

In this world there will be tribulation. But Jesus Christ has overcome the world! He alone extends victory and hope in the midst of trials. When the volatility of the world around us brings  anxiety, in Him we find peace.

As we draw close to the Lord in the secret place of His presence, He covers us with His feathers. As the tempest swirls around us, He hides us under the shelter of His wing. While the winds howl, we remain securely with the Lord in the eye of the storm—and in this quiet oasis there is rest.

In Him alone, we find peace to guard our hearts through troubled times. In His presence we hear His quiet whispers, gaining the wisdom and strength we need in the moment.

“Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:9-11 NKJV)

Do not forsake the One who requires no social distancing. Do not neglect the precious time you spend with Him. Living in the eye of the storm—in His presence—there is peace.

Copyright © 2020 Cheryl Elton

The post Living in the Eye of the Storm appeared first on Cheryl Elton.

For Smith Wigglesworth, experiencing the miraculous was not a rare occurrence, but part of everyday life.

Throughout his amazing ministry, countless people were healed of serious illnesses and disease, 14 people were raised from the dead, and thousands came to faith in Christ in his meetings.

So . . . what were Wigglesworth’s “secrets” to such a powerful walk with God?

His ability to flow in the Spirit was simple: he had a consuming love for the Word of God, and he lived in the presence of the Lord he loved with all his heart—thereby hearing and obeying the voice of the Spirit as he moved among people.

While Christians often look for specific “keys” or “techniques” for ministering, Wigglesworth had none.

His walk by the Spirit was so precise, that no two situations were handled the same.

While ministering to the sick, for example, some he anointed with oil, others he laid hands on, and at times, he just spoke the Word of God.

Regardless of the method, the results were the same.

What other secrets contributed to Wigglesworth’s dynamic lifestyle of faith?

Wigglesworth was a man of prayer. When asked if he regularly spent long sessions in prayer, he said, “I don’t very often spend more than a half hour in prayer at a time, but I never go more than a half hour without praying.”

Wigglesworth had great love and compassion for those in need. Like Jesus, he was “moved with compassion” when encountering those needing healing, or without God. (Matthew 9:36, Mark 1:40-41)

Wigglesworth knew the danger of pride, and never let it invade the sanctity of his fellowship with God. To do this, he took Communion every day, recognizing that the acknowledgment of Christ’s accomplishments served as a powerful antidote against pride.

He saw earth’s circumstances from heaven’s perspective. As a result, he carried a calmness and peace known only to those who live in the Spirit, and was always ready for service, never taken by surprise.

He directed all his actions toward “soulwinning”. As far as he was concerned, seeking God’s direction about where and how to share Christ was the only valid approach to witnessing.

Wigglesworth had great spiritual discernment. He allowed the Spirit to reveal the source of a person’s affliction.

When confronting powers of darkness, he was never afraid. For him, discerning satanic activity came from simply living in the presence of Him who is holy.

Before going to bed, Wigglesworth filled his mind with the Word of God. During sleep, his subconscious mind had the pure Word to digest, and he often woke with a fresh revelation thought.

He believed every child of God holds the potential for the miraculous. He said people tend to categorize things—including sins and miracles—as big or small. To God there is no difference between healing a toothache or raising the dead. A miracle is a miracle.

Wigglesworth lived by the word of God and saw God confirm His word to such an extent that he was surprised when a miracle didn’t happen!

He knew that of ourselves, we are nothing, but in God we can be mighty.

His success was not in his ability, but in his availability to be used of God.

When Wigglesworth was baptized in the Spirit and spoke in tongues, it set the foundation for new and higher dimensions of ministry.

In Part 3, we’ll focus specifically on how he used this tremendous power base!

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NOTE: The book Smith Wigglesworth: The Secret Of His Power, by Albert Hibbert, is the source for much of the information in this post. A highly recommended read!

Copyright © 2018 Cheryl Elton

The post Living in the Miraculous: Smith Wigglesworth – Part 2 appeared first on Cheryl Elton.

It’s been said that a person was never the same after an encounter with Smith Wigglesworth.

Known as the “apostle of faith,” Wigglesworth (1859-1947) was a British evangelist who spearheaded a powerful healing and deliverance ministry that ultimately led to the foundation of the modern Pentecostal movement.

Wigglesworth would pray, and broken limbs were healed, people came out of wheelchairs; cancers were destroyed, blind eyes saw. His life exuded the power of God in manifestation in ways few have ever seen.

During his lifetime, fourteen confirmed incidents of raising people from the dead occurred. In one case, Wigglesworth went to the home of a family mourning the death of their little boy, just five years old.

Tears ran down Wigglesworth’s face as he stood looking at the boy lying in the coffin. He asked the family to leave the room, then lifted the boy’s body and stood it in the corner of the room. Rebuking death in the name of Jesus Christ, he commanded it to surrender its victim. The boy returned to life!

Supernatural signs such as this followed Wigglesworth’s ministry everywhere he went. As requests poured in, he taught and ministered in Europe, Asia, America, South Africa, and many other areas, impacting whole continents for Christ in his lifetime.

Throughout Wigglesworth’s amazing ministry, countless people were healed of serious illnesses and disease, and thousands came to faith in Christ in his meetings.

Wigglesworth scorned people’s praise for any miracle, wanting only Christ to be seen. All glory must go to God alone.

Surprisingly, Wigglesworth never went to school. From age seven he was sent to the mill to work, sometimes 12-14 hours a day to help provide for his poor family.

Not until age 26 did he learn to read and write, when his wife Polly taught him.

Yet Wigglesworth said, “I could not recollect a time when I did not long for God. I was always seeking Him. As a young lad, I would kneel down and ask Him to help me.”

His insatiable hunger for God caused him to faithfully wait upon the Lord until he was transformed and cleansed of self—a process he recognized took time.

Wigglesworth never got involved in theological debates. Rather, he filled his mind with the Word of God and relied on the Holy Spirit to be his teacher and guide. The revelation he received was tremendous.

He couldn’t accept the idea of engaging in God’s work without Him supplying the power to do so. For Wigglesworth, the anointing of the Holy Spirit was the key requisite for ministry, and that which should supply the enabling power in every Christian endeavor.

Always seeking the presence of the Lord, he kept a ready ear for the voice of the God’s Holy Spirit, and followed His leading.

The more Wigglesworth experienced God, the more he wanted of Him. His only desire was to be like Christ.

Albert Hibbert, a personal friend, summed up Wigglesworth’s passionate hunger well by sharing these words:

All of self, none of God.
Less of self, more of God.
None of self, all of God.

For Smith Wigglesworth, experiencing the miraculous was not a rare occurrence, but rather part of everyday life.

How did he achieve this? Stay tuned—Part 2 will highlight many of Wigglesworth’s secrets!

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NOTE: The book Smith Wigglesworth: The Secret Of His Power, by Albert Hibbert, is the source for much of the information in this post. A highly recommended read!

Copyright © 2018 Cheryl Elton

The post Living in the Miraculous: Smith Wigglesworth – Part 1 appeared first on Cheryl Elton.