With more national shooting tragedies making recent headlines, and discussions of gun control taking center stage yet again, we realize afresh the brokenness of the world around us.

If we take the time to look deeply into our own hearts and lives, we recognize that in different ways we are all broken people, desperately in need of rescue and wholeness.

As Christians, we have a message of hope to share—Jesus Christ has come to redeem us from this dark and broken world! He is very much alive today, working to heal our lives, while we look ahead with anticipation to a coming day when there will be no more sorrow, death, or tears.

But while we wait, perhaps it’s worth considering: does my life hurt or help those around me? Do my words and actions reflect the love of my Savior and lead others closer to Him?

The gospels present the familiar story of Christ’s feeding a multitude with a few loaves of bread and a couple fish. It’s the only miracle of Jesus—aside from the resurrection—that’s recorded in all four gospels, each presenting distinct details which add to the story.

In John’s gospel, Andrew offers a solution to feeding the multitude: bring Jesus a boy with his lunch. When put into Jesus’ hands, the boy’s five loaves of bread and two fish (clearly inadequate to feed upwards of 5,000 people), end up feeding the entire crowd.

In Matthew 25, our Lord speaks of a coming day:

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (verses 37-40)

This passage speaks of relationship and service—to all who are in need, including the followers of Jesus who will at times suffer.

Those who are not suffering will be judged on their willingness to lovingly serve those who are. When they do, it is as if they serve Jesus Himself!

When we see the lost, the poor, the hurting, how will we respond?

Do I sometimes turn away from those with need, thinking it is too great for me to help?

Like the boy’s simple lunch: whatever I have to give, and however small—a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, a phone call, a prayer—when given to Jesus, allows Him to multiply the blessings and do the work that I cannot.

Copyright © 2019 Cheryl Elton

The post Jesus the Multiplier 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.

A small group of us were still gathered after church when the news came—a dear brother in the Lord we had been praying for, died.

A couple weeks earlier, the doctors had said the cancer was too widespread, too severe. “There is nothing else we can do.”

But knowing God could, many people continued fervently in prayer.

Yet . . . the miracle didn’t come.

This latest blow hit on the heels of the shock from six days earlier—when the man’s wife unexpectedly passed away in her sleep at home. A heart attack, it was determined.

Why??

We quickly reconvened in a circle, heads bowed, holding hands, to do the thing we knew best—pray.

Loss causes us to grieve, and with grief comes questions. Our minds grapple with the “whys” and “if onlys”.

We wrestle to find answers, presuming they will provide comfort, and ease the pain of loss.

Yet in our longing for understanding, we mustn’t lose sight of the truths we are sure of—the words from God that bring our lives comfort, and clarity:

• God never leaves us or forsakes us. (Hebrews 13:5)
• Nothing can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:35-39)
• His strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
• God’s grace is sufficient for every need. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
• He sees the end from the beginning. (Isaiah 46:9-10)
• God comforts our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
• We have a glorious hope in Christ. (Revelation 21:1-4)
• We don’t sorrow as others who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
• Jesus Christ gives us peace. (John 14:27)
• Our times are in His hands. (Psalm 31:14-15)

We will certainly miss our friends. But we rejoice knowing that as Christians, it’s not “goodbye,” but “goodbye for now.”

In times of loss, our sadness can easily overshadow His presence. Our questions can conceal His love. Our doubt can deter us from trusting His words.

Faith yields strength through life’s trials as well as triumphs. We trust God because He is faithful.

We gain perspective, hope, comfort, and peace, as we take time to rest our hearts in His presence.

Copyright © 2017 Cheryl Elton

The post When the Miracle Doesn’t Happen: Trusting God in Every Situation appeared first on Cheryl Elton.