‘Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.’ (Acts 2:22)

Signs: What are they?

The New Testament Greek word for signs is semeion, meaning a ‘sign, mark or token.’ [1]

A God-given sign is an event that has the mark of God upon it. His Divine power and supernatural intervention is the only explanation for what is taking place.

A sign is like a flashing light proclaiming, ‘God is at work here!’

Many Different Signs from God

When you think of ‘signs’, what comes to mind? In the church today, we tend to use the term ‘sign’ to describe an unusual miracle or manifestation.

However in the New Testament the term is used for many different displays of God’s power, including: miracles (John 2:11), resurrection (John 11:43-47), deliverance (Mark 16:17), provision (John 6:12-14), healing (John 6:2), tongues and prophecy. (1 Cor 14:22-25) John in particular consistently refers to the miracles of Jesus as ‘signs.’ In his Gospel, John made a systematic report of signs that included turning water to wine, the feeding of the 5,000, and Lazarus’ resurrection. (John 2:11, 4:54)

‘…and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.’ (John 6:2)

In addition to healing and deliverance, remarkable miracles that Jesus performed included:

• Turning water into wine (John 2:11)
• An overflow catch of fish (Luke 5:6)
• Fish with a coin in its mouth (Matt 17:27)
• Calming the storm with a word of command (Luke 8:24)
• Walking on water (John 6:19)
• Transfiguration (Matt 17:1-8)
• Multiplication of bread and fish (John 6:1-15)
• Cursing the fig tree (Matt 21:18-21)

Many of these revealed Jesus’ supremacy over the laws of nature.

Signs also accompanied Jesus’ birth (Matt 2:2, Luke 2:12) and death. (Matt 27:45, 51)

No Limit to the Signs God can do

Signs in scripture are diverse, and many miraculous things God did were not repeated. [2] This tells us that there is no limit to the many ways God will reveal Himself to people.

Jesus said that those who believed in Him would perform more and even greater works after His resurrection. (John 14:12-14)

Who can Perform Signs and Miracles?

Signs, wonders and miracles are a special mark of Apostolic ministry in the New Testament (2 Cor 12:12), but are not confined to the Apostles.

Stephen and Philip, who are deacons-turned-evangelists, do great signs and wonders in Jesus’ Name as they preach the Gospel. (Acts 6:8, 8:6) And prophets such as Agabus bring supernatural insights from God. (Acts 11:28)

However, miraculous ministry is not confined to those in the five-fold ministry office. (Eph 4:11-13)

When Paul lists the gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed amongst individual believers (1 Cor 12:7), he includes:

• Faith (1 Cor 12:9)
• Healing (1 Cor 12:9)
• Miraculous powers (1 Cor 12:10)
• Prophecy (1 Cor 12:10)

Through spiritual gifts, miraculous signs are distributed throughout the body as a part of the regular ministry of the church.

In the New Testament, individual believers, carrying authority as sons and daughters of God also have the ability to pray and see God’s power released in Jesus’ Name (Matt 28:19-20).

Partnering with God

Observing the way that Jesus performed miracles shows us how a supernatural life is sourced in our intimate relationship with God. (John 5:19)

In the miracles of Jesus we see perfect unity between the Father, who ordained them, Jesus who acted in obedience to perform them and the Holy Spirit, whose power produced the miracle.

Peter observed this Divine unity when he stated:

‘…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.’ (Acts 10:38)

Signs can be Public or Personal

Many signs and miracles of Jesus were performed in front of crowds.

However, most of the crowd attending the wedding of Cana was unaware that Jesus was the source of a miracle. Only Mary, the servants and Jesus’ disciples were privy to the truth. (John 2:9-10)

Why did Jesus direct Peter to throw out a line and catch a single fish from the Sea of Galilee to provide the coin that would pay for His and Peter’s temple tax? (Matt 17:24-26)

Healing and deliverance impacted individuals and their families.

The coin in the mouth of a single fish may have been a very personal sign from the heart of God, speaking to Peter of His ongoing provision. For in the future, Peter would gain a living, not as a fisherman, but through serving as a leader in the church. (1 Cor 9:4-6)

In upcoming posts I will be considering the questions, ‘What is the purpose of miraculous signs?’ and ‘How can we tell a sign is really from God—and be protected from the ‘deceiving signs’ Jesus talked about?’

Notes:

[1] Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. 1996.  Ref 4592, semeion, sign (also ‘miracle’)

[2] I have focused on the NT in the above study. Signs also have a prominence in the OT, for example signs of covenant, such as the rainbow (Gen 9) and circumcision, the miraculous signs God performed through Moses in Egypt, the miracles of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, and so on.

Related Posts:

6 Questions to ask About Supernatural Signs

Angelic Encounters And Supernatural Experiences

5 Purposes for Signs and Miracles

A Key to the Gospel’s Power: Share it Like Jesus Did

Do you have any testimonies or ideas on the topic of miraculous signs? Do you have any specific questions you would like answers for as we explore the topic further? Leave a comment in the comments box. If the comments section is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

Did you receive this from a friend? Read more from Enliven Blog or sign to receive our weekly prophetic teaching updates at http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog

 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19)

Receiving prophetic guidance about what God intends to do, and then acting upon what He shows us, is foundational to living a supernatural Christian life.

And as Jesus went about doing what the Father showed Him, miracles broke out, healing took place, lives were changed, and people received God’s word and believed in Him.

Prophetic Revelation in Everyday Life

Ways in which we can ‘see what the Father is doing’ can include:

• Hearing from God through our Bible reading and devotional life,
• Walking and talking with the Father and receiving insights as to what His desires, plans and purposes are
• Prophetic dreams
• Being aware of the prompts and nudges of the Holy Spirit throughout the day
• Other prophetic means such as visions, impressions, ideas, words, intercession, supernatural knowledge and insights
• Recognising Divine appointments

The word ‘revelation’ in the NT Greek means ‘uncovering’ or ‘disclosure.’ When we receive a prophetic revelation through any of the above ways, the Holy Spirit is sharing with us something that we could not know by natural means.

You do not need to have a gift of prophecy to lead a supernatural lifestyle and hear God speaking to you. Hearing from God and living in relationship with Him is available to all of His children.

Staying on Track in a Prophetic Lifestyle

Having a close relationship with God in which we receive prophetic guidance (instruction from the Holy Spirit) and then act upon it—or to put it simply, ‘hear and obey’—is foundational to living a supernatural Christian life.

So how can we stay on track, having an effective prophetic lifestyle that is bringing glory to God and drawing people to Jesus? How can we foster an environment in which we continue to grow and develop in our walk with God?

Last week we looked at 3 vital ingredients of living a supernatural life:

• Knowing and expressing the Father’s love,
• Staying filled with the Holy Spirit and
• Following Jesus

Following are 8 more keys to a healthy prophetic lifestyle:

1. Don’t make a Distinction between Spiritual and ‘Non-spiritual’ Times and Places

‘So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.’ (Rom 12:1 MSG)

When you realise that God is present constantly—and have an expectation that He wants to speak to you, and impact people through you wherever you go—it changes the way you live. [1 ]

2. Start in Your Personal Devotional Life

A prophetic lifestyle begins in our own intimate relationship with God. He wants to commune with us and share what is on His heart for our life. Further, if we cannot receive His personal encouragement to us, how can we expect to have it for others?

Journaling is one way to explore what God is speaking to us personally. [2]

3. Be Natural in Your Expression

Jesus related to all types of people and ordinary people loved Him and hung on His words. (Mark 12:37)

In the same way that Jesus shared truth from the Father in a way that people related to it, we also should be natural and culturally relevant (1 Cor 9:20) in our approach when we are sharing about our faith or passing on prophetic insights to people.

4. Look for Good Fruit

The outcome of living a prophetic lifestyle is not only that we draw closer to God, but also that others around us are impacted. We should be able to point to the good fruit—the outcome of what God is doing in others and us. (John 15:8) A true prophetic lifestyle will result in testimonies of God’s goodness.

5. Remember the Filters

Questions that can help us put any prophetic insights to the test are:

• Does this agree with what the Bible says?
• Do I have an inner witness that this is from God?
• Does it line up with the nature of God? In particular, with the nature of the Father as expressed through Jesus?
• Am I willing to submit this to spiritual oversight—and would my leadership be comfortable with this?
• Will responding to this prophetic guidance bear good fruit?

6. Embrace Accountability

Accountability is vital; not only to staying on track in our prophetic gifts, but also to help us to grow in our  Christian life. This means having spiritual oversight that you relate to—an appropriate leader or mentor who:

• Will encourage you in your prophetic journey
• Has the ability to speak into your life, and
• Can bring adjustment in a caring way when necessary.

7. Be Actively Engaged in a Church Community

God designed for us to live in Christian community and for our church life to be a place where we develop and grow in our gifts and maturity. (Eph 4:11-13, 1 Cor 12-14) The benefits of our church life spill over into our everyday life—and what God is doing in our personal lives can feed back into our church life too.

8. Keep it Simple

Living a prophetic lifestyle starts with believing that God is ordering your steps and taking opportunities to share His love along the way. This may be as simple as speaking a word of encouragement, or offering to pray for someone in need. Prophetic evangelism is one expression of this and can occur naturally as we go about our daily life. [3]

Notes:

[1] For more on this subject, read The Secret of Living An Undivided Christian Life

[2] Read more in the journaling category or learn about SOAP journaling here.

[3] See Enliven Blog’s podcast page for the MP3 workshop session ‘Prophecy in the Everyday,’ along with a downloadable PDF worksheet.

Related Posts:

You Don’t Need To Have A Special Gift To Be a Supernatural Christian

Give Yourself (And Your Spiritual Gifts) Permission To Shine

Jesus Is Lord: What Does This Mean In My Daily Life?

How To Share A Prophecy With Someone Who Is Not A Christian

Can you think of any more important keys to help live a prophetic lifestyle, or do you have some experiences to share? Leave a comment in the comments box. If it is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

Did you receive this from a friend? Read more from Enliven Blog or sign to receive our weekly prophetic teaching updates at http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog

‘When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”’ (Luke 3:21-22)

Jesus baptism was an act of obedience and of scriptural fulfilment, as well as an example to us to follow. [1]

Jesus’ baptism was also significant in that it marked the launch of His season of public ministry. And as such, provides us with important keys for living our own supernatural life with God.

3 Keys to a Supernatural Life

1. Know and Live out of Father’s Pleasure

‘And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”’ (Luke 3:22)

At the outset of Jesus’ ministry, the Father declared His love and affirmation over Jesus.

God’s pleasure in His Son was not based upon works of service—the Father’s declaration occurred before Jesus had done any ministry, any preaching, any miracles and healing, and before He faced the cross. The Father’s love and pleasure simply arose from the fact that Jesus was His son.

The power of their relationship was such that Jesus would later say, ‘He who has seen Me has seen the Father.’ (John 14:9) And He went about revealing God’s love and compassion for people.

In the same way, before we can live a supernatural life and share the Father’s love with others, we have to know and experience His love for ourselves.

• Do you personally know Father’s love and affirmation for you as His child?
• Can you distinguish His Personal love for you, apart from your service for Him?
• What does it look like to acknowledge and enjoy the Father’s pleasure in you every day of your life?
• What does it look like to see others—even those who are bound in shame and sin—as the Father sees you?

2. Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

‘And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.’ (Luke 3:21)

Jesus did no supernatural works before He received the Presence and empowering of the Holy Spirit at His baptism. From this time onward, Holy Spirit’s power was the means to fulfil all that the Father showed Him to do. In every word or action of Jesus, we see perfect unity between the Father, and Jesus, and the Spirit.

Jesus said that asking for and receiving the Holy Spirit is a privilege of sons and daughters: “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13)

The experience of the church in Acts demonstrated that Holy Spirit’s infilling and empowering was not a one-off event. It is available to us on an ongoing basis. (see Acts 4:23-31) In fact, Paul instructs believers to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. (Eph 5:18) As we are filled, the life and power of the Spirit flows out from us to others. (John 7:37-38)

• When was the last time you asked God to fill you with His Holy Spirit?
• Can you look back on your life and see a difference in the way you live and impact others, during times when you have encountered and been filled with the Holy Spirit?
• Are you are aware of Holy Spirit as a Person—and His Presence with you?
• What is the value to you—and to others around you—of remaining filled with Him and deliberately seeking to be so?

3. Follow Jesus’ Example

It is time we looked again at that simple statement, ‘What would Jesus do?’ (WWJD)

‘What would Jesus do’ begins and continues with walking intimately with the Father. It requires us to see and act as Jesus did—through the lens of the Father’s love for us and for others. ‘We Love because He first loved us.’ (1 John 4:19)

To ask ‘What would Jesus do?’ but to separate the answer to that question from the Presence and power of Holy Spirit—is to deny the very power of God to change lives. It is through the Presence and power of the Holy Spirit that God’s Kingdom is manifested on earth. (Matt 12:28)

And these three things are the foundation of the supernatural Christian life.

Notes

[1] Some more scriptures on the subject of water baptism: Acts 2:38, Acts 8:35-38, Acts 16:31,33, Romans 6:3-6, 1 Cor 12:13.

Related Posts

1 Father, 2 Sons, 3 Positions: Which One Describes You?

Breaking Free From An Orphan Mindset

Escaping a Half Lived Christian Life

The Greatest Evangelist In The World Today

How important do you believe the keys of knowing Father’s pleasure and being filled with the Holy Spirit are to living the supernatural Christian life? What experiences have you had? Leave a comment in the comments box. If it is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

Did you receive this from a friend? Read more from Enliven Blog or sign to receive our weekly prophetic teaching updates at http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog

Stolen Car Recovered

Our neighbours were distraught when their car was stolen from outside our local supermarket on Christmas Eve. At the time they told The Hunk and me about it, we were just on our way out the door for an engagement but we said, “We will pray now as we’re in the car.”

We climbed into our car and immediately started to pray that God would reveal where our friends’ car was, and that it would be kept intact. Suddenly, it was as though I received a gift of faith for this situation. “Thank you Lord that you are revealing where the car is right now!” Instead of asking, we continued to thank Him.

We later learned that at that very time, some other neighbours had been going on an evening stroll, when they decided to turn up a street where they didn’t normally walk. There was our friends’ car!

The answer to prayer was another seed sown into their lives to learn that God cared personally for them.

Praying for the Needs of Non-Christians

As Supernatural Christians, our radars should be alert for whenever a need comes up that we can pray about. When our prayer is answered, Jesus is the only explanation for what takes place. As soon as we offer to pray, we are giving God an opportunity to reveal His love and power to people in need.

I don’t remember ever having a negative response about prayer being suggested. When we offer to pray, we are saying, “we care.”

If a person has a felt need and it is not appropriate for you to pray for them on the spot, you can let them know when you will be praying. That way, they will be able to relate an answer to the prayer itself. As soon as you have an opportunity after speaking to them, send up a quick prayer. If they have a time they particularly need prayer, such as a medical appointment, it is important to remember to pray. I put a reminder alarm signal on my mobile phone if prayer is needed at a certain time.

If the prayer is not answered the way you would like it to, give God room to move in other ways—the way He sees fit. By offering to pray you have exercised the supernatural power of caring. You have asked the Holy Spirit to move in their lives. The miracle of healing or breakthrough may not happen then or there, but the recipients of your prayer witness other miracles: divine peace, God-sized coincidences and provisions are all ways that God answers prayer.

Lose the Jargon

“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible… To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” 1 Cor 9:19-23

When praying in the hearing of non-Christians, it’s important to pray in a straightforward and seeker-friendly manner, avoiding ‘Christianese’—spiritual jargon, or formula-type prayer.

The person needs to hear in his or her own everyday language, what we’re praying for. This helps them realise that we don’t serve a religious or performance-oriented God, but a loving and relevant God that they can connect with right where they’re at. A side benefit of learning to pray without relying on jargon is that we have to think about the principles behind what we’re praying (I confess I often find this difficult!).

Woman Healed of Cancer in a Supermarket

My friend Bob Leach writes, [2]

‘I needed to get home help for one day a week. A lady called Pam came twice before another lady was sent permanently. After that, I only saw Pam a few times in passing in the shopping mall, and we just said, “Hello.”

One day, I was shopping in Woolworths when Pam came to me and said, “I have cancer and I am to have an operation in May.” I said, “I am sorry to hear that, can I pray for you?” So there in the crowded supermarket I prayed for her healing and comfort and added that I would pray for her every day, particularly on the 5^th May.

I was back shopping in Woolworths 17^th August and there was Pam, hurrying over to me, saying, “You healed me, you healed me!” Of course, I said that I had nothing to do with the healing but Jesus did. I said, “Let’s give thanks to the Lord,” so we held hands and gave grateful thanks and praise to a wonderful God for His healing love. Then I asked if she would like Jesus in her heart and be born again, so she repeated the prayer after me. We hugged, and then I got her a New Testament Bible from my car.

I did not see her again for two years, and again in the same supermarket. She excitedly said, “I have not seen a doctor for two years, I am so well.” She had three scans in six months that clearly showed growths on her uterus, but the operation showed all clear. She said, “They had no answer, but I knew it was the prayer.”

How wonderful is our God! He is everywhere, even in a crowded supermarket ready to answer a simple prayer.’

A Power Encounter does not Guarantee a Changed Heart

It is important to realise that just because someone sees the power of God in action, it doesn’t mean they are going to soften their heart towards God. We’ve had friends who saw demonstrations of God’s power and personal care towards them countless times, yet still refused to yield their lives to Jesus.

In Jesus’ time, multitudes of people saw and were touched by His miracles, but they didn’t necessarily turn to God. Where were those multitudes on the days before Pentecost when a mere 120 believers gathered together? In Matthew 11:20, Jesus denounced the cities in which most of His miracles were performed, because they did not repent.

It is vital that we get our motives right so that we do not get discouraged and give up when people continue to resist God, even when there is supernatural evidence of His existence and love. [1] Here are some reasons why we give God room to move in power in our unchurched, everyday world:

• Obedience to Jesus (Matt 28:18-20)
• Love for people (1 Cor 13)
• Demonstrates the Kingdom of God (Luke 11:20)
• The Holy Spirit flows through our lives (John 7:38)
• We were created for this! (John 14:12-14)
• Jesus gets the credit, the glory, the fame (Acts 3:11-16)

Questions for Reflection or Discussion:

Think of an non-Christian friend in your world. Focus on one area of felt need that they have in their life. Write a prayer that you could pray if you had opportunity to pray with them—avoid using Christian lingo or Christian prayer practices an unchurched person would not understand.

What opportunities can you think of in your everyday life that you can stop and pray when needs arise, great or small?

Do you have any thoughts, questions or experiences to share on this topic? I would love to hear from you–use the comments box at the bottom of this post. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Notes:

See also: Pentecost: How God Exploded My Box

This article is an excerpt from my book, ‘How To Be A Supernatural Christian In Your Everyday World,’ a beginners’ guide to prophetic evangelism.

Find out more about the e-book here:

‘How To Be a Supernatural Christian In Your Everyday World’

It is available [until the end of May only] for free download on the David McCracken website here:
http://www.davidmccracken.org/Resources—FREE-This-Month.php

[1] See 2 Peter 3:8-9 for a comment on God’s patience towards unbelievers

[2] Bob Leach is now in his 90’s and continues to share about Jesus with people wherever and whenever he can

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog http://propheticpeople.com/

On team with David McCracken Ministries

Have you ever declined to do something because you are ‘not gifted’ in that area?

I have.

‘I’m not gifted in that area’ is an apology that I have used often, especially when it comes to things like hospitality or evangelism.

And this can be a very good thing!

In the church environment particularly, it is vital that we serve where we are gifted and passionate and called.

‘Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.’ (1 Peter 4:10)

But—what about in my relationships and my everyday life? Does ‘I’m not gifted in that area’ work as a reason to not speak to someone about Jesus, or not to pray for a family member who is sick, or not to provide hospitality when it is needed?

Don’t be Intimidated by Others’ Spiritual Gifts

We will never truly be fulfilled until we step into the fullness of life that we are designed for—and be comfortable with our own unique expression of spirituality.

I have an old Toyota Camry, which is a vehicle that serves my family and me well. If I am driving and alongside me a hot, turbo-charged Ferrari pulls up, I don’t say, “What is the point of me being on the road? My car is not as powerful as that one.”

My car may be ordinary, it may not go as fast, but it is the only one that will taxi my children around, carry my family’s groceries and get me to work.

In the same way, we must not allow the fact that we do not have a spiritual gift of prayer, prophecy, healing and so on, intimidate us, or stop us living the supernatural life that is our rightful inheritance as Christians.

You and I will connect with people in our everyday life that the pastors and gifted people in our church will not, and occasions for prayer will arise when there is no one present but the Lord and us.

Where is the evangelist when the opportunity arises for you to discuss your faith with a neighbour, or work colleague, or lead your child or grandchild in a salvation prayer?

Where is the prophet when you or someone near you is struggling in your daily life, and needs direction or breakthrough, and could benefit from an encouraging word from God?

A Spiritual Gift, or a Characteristic of Christian Living?

It is vital that we grasp the difference between what a spiritual gift is, versus what is a basic characteristic that we should be exhibiting as followers of Jesus.

For the most part, spiritual gifts are turbo-charged, Holy Spirit-boosted versions of attributes that should be present in the life of every Christian believer.

For example:

• Every Christian is a witness and can share the Good News about Jesus (Col 4:5-6). However, a person with a gift of evangelism will see more people make commitments to Jesus through his or her ministry than the average Christian.

• Every Christian can pray (1 Thess 5:17, Eph 6:18). In fact, prayer is foundational to our relationship with God. Some Christians will pray more, and experience more miraculous results, because they have a gift of prayer or intercession

• All Christians can prophesy (Acts 2:17-18)—i.e., hear God’s voice for themselves and others. Some people can prophesy more powerfully, with greater accuracy and at a higher level, because they have a spiritual gift of prophecy

The same is also true of other areas such as healing (James 5:16), helps (Mark 10:43-45), giving (Rom 12:13) and hospitality (1 Peter 4:9).

This is why, in Ephesians 4, Paul describes the 5-fold (‘Ascension’) ministries—not as exclusive ministers in their area of giftedness—but as those whose primary calling is ‘to equip God’s people for works of service.’ (Eph 4:11-12)

The Basis for Supernatural Christian Living is Not a Spiritual Gift

It is true that some people do have a higher degree of giftedness than others in prayer, healing, prophecy, and so on.

But having a gift is not the basis for you being able to share with someone about Jesus, or pray, or receive a message from the Father for yourself or someone else.

Your ability to hear God’s voice is your right as a son or daughter in His Kingdom.

The source of your authority is the Name of Jesus Christ. What He has accomplished on the cross, and the authority that He has given to you as His committed follower, is the basis of your prayer power.

Further—and this is amazing—you and I have the same Holy Spirit indwelling and anointing us, who empowered Jesus to go about His life and ministry in the Gospels.

I have come to realise that there is NO ONE more qualified than you and I

• to hear from God
• to offer a prayer
• to have a Divine appointment
• to be involved in leading someone to Jesus

wherever we are in our everyday world.

Some Questions to Consider:

• What spiritual gifts am I aware that I do NOT have?
• Have I used the absence of a spiritual gift as a reason to not expect that God could use me to help love and lead people to Jesus, or to pray, or to believe God for miracles in my everyday life?

Prayer

Father, I want to be fully alive—to be all you have called and designed me to be.

Help me to be comfortable with my own unique, down-to-earth expression of spirituality and to not be intimidated by the spiritual gifts and strengths of others.

Thank You that Your Spirit anoints and empowers me to be a supernatural Christian in my everyday world—to live a life for which Jesus is the only explanation, and to love and lead people to you.

In Jesus’ Name

Do you have any thoughts or experiences to share on this topic? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the box below. If the comments area is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

How To Be A Supernatural Christian: Turning Your I Can’ts Into I Cans

The Secret Of Living An Undivided Christian Life

The Greatest Evangelist In The World Today

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

Recently, I calculated that there are 168 hours in a week.

Then I wondered—how many of those hours does the average Christian spend in church activities?

• Maybe 2- 3 for a weekend service
• Another 3 for a small group activity

If you and I are extra busy, we may spend 8 hours of our week in church meetings.

That leaves 160 hours of our lives in every week.

160 hours of sleep time and wake time… between 50 and 60 hours of sleep and at least 100 waking hours.

SHOULDN’T ALL OF THAT TIME BE GOD’S? And, ‘What would it look like if we lived our daily life with Jesus?’

This is a question I ask regularly, and one that I grapple with in my book, ‘How To Be A Supernatural Christian In Your Everyday World.’

Compartmentalised Christianity

I learned early on in my life that Christianity was best kept in compartments, or boxes. Before long, I had my ‘Church-On-Sunday’ compartment, my ‘Christian Friends’ compartment, my ‘School Christian Fellowship’ compartment, my private ‘Devotional Life’ compartment—and so on.

Compartments are safe. They offend few and are acceptable to the world in general.

But compartmentalised Christianity is powerless. It doesn’t transform lives, challenge ungodly mindsets or reach desperate and lonely people with the good news about Jesus.

It’s time to explode the box.

The Undivided Christian Life

Something happened to me when I was around 13 years old that changed my perspective on life and faith.

I met a couple called Bob and Joan Leach. Bob and Joan were grandparents of a school friend. They had encountered the miraculous healing power of Jesus through the ministry of Kathryn Kuhlman and they were saved, on fire and spent their lives telling the story of what Jesus had done for them.

The most remarkable thing about Bob and Joan was that they lived an undivided Christian life.

They simply lived their daily life with Jesus.

Jesus was as present in their home as any one of us who was with them. If there was a need or a problem, it was a natural thing to pause in the moment and address Him in prayer.

Bob and Joan had remarkable spiritual gifts of healing and words of knowledge that they were as comfortable using in their home, street or supermarket as they were in church meetings.

Their example inspired me.

Jesus Lived An Undivided Life

Jesus lived the perfect example of an undivided life. He lived out of His relationship with the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit, every moment of every day.

The Gospels tell us stories of His life and ministry set against the backdrop of homes, roadsides, celebrations and in public places. When people encountered Him, their lives were changed.

I have an old journal with yellowed pages in which I wrote a summary from A.W. Tozer’s wonderful book, ‘The Pursuit of God.’ [1] In it, he wrote:

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is our perfect example, and He knew no divided life…God accepted the offering of His total life, and made no distinction between act and act. “I do always the things that please him,” was His brief summary of His own life as it related to the Father.

How To Live An Undivided Christian Life

‘So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.’ (Rom 12:1, MSG)

It’s time to break down the divide between the sacred and the secular, between the church and the world, between our spiritual life and the ‘rest of our life.’

How can we do this? How do we explode the box and put a stop to compartmentalised Christian living?

I’m still on the journey, but here are some keys that I have discovered along the way:

1. Stop rating some aspects of your life as ‘more spiritual’ than others.

Tozer reminds us that the divide between sacred and secular, holy and unholy was instituted in the OLD TESTAMENT. Its purpose was to teach Israel of the holiness of God.

However Jesus demonstrated a different way of living, and when He died on the cross, the veil that separated humanity from the holy of holies was torn in two. [1]

The Apostle Paul said, do EVERYTHING, even eating and drinking … to the glory of GOD. (1 Cor 10:31)

2. Include God in your daily conversations.

The Hunk and I are probably like many married couples in that we find it hard to make a set time to sit down and pray together.

But we have started to develop an intentional lifestyle of including God in our everyday life. For example, if we are talking about something that is causing concern, we pause to pray about it—while we’re in the moment.

We want to break down the divide and let God loose in our everyday lives, and amazing things are happening as we do.

Maybe you don’t have a partner you can do this with, but you can do it yourself, or you might have a close friend you are journeying with who can encourage you in this.

3. Reflect on the truth that you are pleasing to the Father

Deal with the hook that keeps you trapped in compartmentalised living: the need to be accepted by people. You don’t have to perform to please people when your confidence is based in your heavenly Father’s complete acceptance.

Here are some more keys on living an undivided Christian life that I will be reflecting upon in the coming weeks as I continue discussions on ‘Paradigm Shifts That Will Rock Your World’:

4. Look for God at work in the lives of people around you every day—and partner with Him in what He is doing.

5. Take your spiritual gifts wherever you go—they are given to you, not just for ministry, but also for mission—to make a difference in your everyday world.

6. Realise that you don’t have to have a special gift to be a supernatural Christian.

Do you have any more ideas or thoughts on this topic? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

[1] A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God.

For the chapter referenced in this discussion, see:

http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/tozer/5f00.0888/5f00.0888.10.htm

Related Posts:

Give Yourself (And Your Gifts) Permission To Shine

Pentecost: How God Exploded My Box

How Your Perspective Can Impact Your Destiny

No Longer An Orphan: How I Discovered The Father’s Love

© Helen Calder  2010   Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

The prophetic evangelism movement is growing.

Teams of Christian believers are pouring out into the streets and shopping malls, listening to the Holy Spirit as He directs them to speak with people. Using spiritual gifts, they are passing on words of knowledge and prophecies to people who may never have stepped into a church. They then offer to pray for them—and Jesus is doing miracles.

As awesome as this is, I have a burning conviction that ordinary, Spirit-filled believers, who might never join a team doing street witnessing, do not need to miss out. Anyone who has a heart to hear from God and to walk in spiritual gifts can learn prophetic evangelism. I believe that:

1. Prophetic evangelism can occur in our daily life

2. The principles of prophetic evangelism can be learned in a series of simple steps.

But before I start—lets ask the question:

What is Prophetic Evangelism?

Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (John 5:19)

Prophetic evangelism is, at its most basic level, sharing the Good News about Jesus with people using the means of prophetic revelation.

It begins with hearing from God (or seeing, if you’re wired as a visionary person) how and what He wants you to pray, speak and do in the process of witnessing, as well as where and to whom. Sometimes, but not always, prophetic evangelism involves sharing a prophetic message from God with someone who is not a Christian.

‘Revelation’ means that you are receiving knowledge or insight from God that you wouldn’t know by natural means. The Holy Spirit reveals it to you supernaturally.

Supernatural Evangelism

One time, I was walking along a beach when I noticed a man and his son dragging a large net to shore. With great difficulty they laboured to bring the net into shore, only to find it contained a few bits of seaweed. The young man shrugged his shoulders and began to take off his wetsuit. His whole demeanour said, “Don’t ASK me to do that again!”

It reminded me of how many times in church life we have worked hard to bring lost people to Jesus, only to have worn ourselves out for very little result.

Jesus once told His disciples to let down their nets for a catch of fish. Like the young man I saw, they had worked hard all night for nothing, but when they let down the net at Jesus’ word, a miracle happened. The net was filled to overflowing with fish. (Luke 5:4-6)

This is a great illustration of prophetic evangelism. When we partner with the Holy Spirit, miracles happen.

God never meant for spiritual gifts to be confined to within the four walls of the church. Jesus moved in healing, prophecy, deliverance, miracles and knowledge in the streets, in fields, in homes and in parties. The early church did the same.

I am being challenged not to be one kind of person in a church meeting and another outside. If the Lord has given me gifts of prophecy, intercession and so on, why shouldn’t I walk in those gifts wherever I go?

Over the next couple of weeks we will be looking at some simple principles to help us enter into a fruitful partnership with the Holy Spirit in prophetic evangelism. These include:

Prayer—waiting in God for prophetic revelation. Who does He want us to share with? What is He doing in their lives and what is He saying to them at this time?

Position—we recognise that God has placed us alongside people, and that He is already at work in their lives

Power—felt needs in people’s lives give us an opportunity to offer prayer and for miracles to happen

Prophecy—an opportunity may arise in which we can share a message from God. Or—He may give us prophetic direction as to what to speak or an action to take.

Proclamation—at the right time, we share the story of Jesus with them.

Are you interested in Prophetic Evangelism?

For more information, inspiration and stories, learn more in the e-book,

‘How To Be a Supernatural Christian In Your Everyday World’

Related posts:

How To Share A Prophecy With Someone Who Is Not A Christian

Key to Prophetic Evangelism: What is the Father Doing?

The Greatest Evangelist In The World Today

© Helen Calder  2010   Enliven Blog

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

One of the best views in Victoria can be found on Panorama Drive, San Remo. Whenever I am passing through, I drive by to pause, admire the view and to smile to myself in amusement.

For the beneficiaries of this extraordinary view are neither wealthy homeowners, nor tourists, but a paddock of sheep—upon whom the view is both lavished and lost.

Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom’ (Luke 12:32).

Like the sheep of San Remo, however, we can only dimly perceive God’s Kingdom due to our earthbound state. God’s remedy for our condition can be found in ‘portal moments,’ those instances of unmistakeable, supernatural, divine intervention.

Portal moments can occur in the small passing moments of God-awareness, such as my pause of enjoyment at San Remo. But they can also occur in the larger breakthroughs of life.

We have portal moments when:

• God speaks to us personally
• Prayer is answered
• God’s intervention or guidance is the only explanation for something that has taken place
• We or someone else around us is saved, healed, or set free

Such portal moments are God announcing, ‘The Kingdom is here!’

When Jesus sent out His disciples, He instructed them, ‘Heal the sick who are there and tell them, “The kingdom of God is near you.”’ (Luke 10:9).

It was not only the message that gained the attention of people; it was the healing, miracles and the display of God’s authority over the demonic realm. The message and the supernatural demonstration of God’s power are supposed to go together. It is God’s way—and yet I have settled for much less than that.

Should we ask for portal moments?

The prophet cried, ‘Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down!’ (Isaiah 64:1).

The early church cried out, ‘Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus!” (Acts 4:30)

Apparently crying out to God for portal moments is His idea.

That’s what prayer is about: asking the Father for an act of divine intervention. However, I often neglect to do this. Sometimes this is because I am disillusioned about prayers that (from my earthly perspective) seem to have gone unanswered. But by far the most frequent reason that I don’t ask or look for portal moments is that it is simply easier to go along with the ordinary than to be a supernatural Christian.

Sometimes, I don’t expect portal moments because deep down, I don’t believe I deserve them.

Jacob had a portal moment at one of the lowest times of his life. He had failed, grasping for the promised blessing of God through lies and deceit. Now, it seemed he had lost everything, and his own brother was plotting to kill him. He was on his way into exile (you can read this story in the Bible, in Genesis 27-28).

Stopping for the night and using a rock for a pillow, he dreamed of a stairway reaching between heaven and earth to the place where he was. Angels descended and ascended and God stood at the top, and spoke to him reaffirming His promises of blessing.

When he awoke, he said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.’ (Gen 28:16).

Like Jacob, or the sheep at San Remo, I do not always discern God’s presence and Kingdom, and the darkest of times I expect His intervention the least. I stop reaching for answers to prayer.

And then a Divine act of mercy provides me with a miracle, a provision, a healing, a message or a light of hope at the end of my tunnel. Like Jacob, I am reminded that God is still with me, just as He has promised.

I am currently being challenged both to ask for and to expect portal moments. Not only for my own benefit, and not even solely for those around me who need to know that ‘The Kingdom of God is near.’

I am also stirring up my expectation for portal moments because my hunger for God will not allow me to settle for anything less. For portal moments are either born out of the intimacy of prayer, or are encounters that lead me back to intimacy with Him. They are life’s confrontations with the Living God.

©  Helen Calder  Enliven Blog

Have you ever dreamed of praying for someone and seeing them healed or set free in Jesus’ Name? Have you ever thought it would be great to bring a prophetic message from God to a person that changed their life?

I’m not talking about a Christian meeting or church service;
I’m talking about your everyday life—your family, your workplace, your neighbourhood—wherever you happen to be.

Here are some common reasons why we hold back from praying for people, whether in the context of a Christian environment or in our everyday world. See if you can identify with any of these and take action to overcome them today:

1. I don’t have experience

If we used inexperience as a reason not to step out and pray, no one would ever begin! There came a day when Jesus sent out His disciples to pray for the sick and preach the Gospel for the very first time (Matt 9:35-10:1, Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-6, Luke 10:1-20).

The real issue is not whether or not you have experience, but whether you are willing to begin. Sometimes it is actually our pride that is holding us back. We are concerned at how our inexperience will look to those who are more capable than we are, or to the person we are praying for.

Another thing Jesus did was He sent His disciples out in pairs (Luke 10:1). You don’t have to go it alone! When the lame man by the Temple gates was healed, John was alongside Peter when he gave the word (Acts 3:1-10). There may be someone in your world who God has given to you to partner with and pray and take action together.

Pause right now and ask God to show you what the first step for you to begin is. Ask Him to show you the person or group who can partner with you in being a supernatural Christian.

2. I’m not good enough

No human being on the planet is ‘good enough’ to be used by the Holy Spirit—or ever will be. If you were to make a list of those that you perceive to be the most effective Christian ministers in the earth today, none would make the grade before God. No one is on top of all of their weaknesses and problems. We were not deserving of salvation, but Jesus gave it to us freely as we believed and received Him (Rom 8:31-34). We minister, not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus has done.

Having said that, it is right to ensure that you are, as best as you are able to be in your current season of life, a ‘clean vessel’ for God to use—walking in excellent moral character, displaying the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and living in unity with others in the church (2 Tim 2:20-22, Gal 5:22-25).

If God is calling you to step out, and you are accountable, teachable, and walking in transparency—not denial—concerning the problems that you do have, then go for it!

When you read the words, ‘not good enough,’ is something coming to mind for you? Pray about this and release it to God. Receive the capacity and worthiness that Jesus has paid the price for on the cross for you.

You might need to find a safe person to process this with who will pray with you and help you move forward. You CAN overcome this.

3. I can’t pray for the sick—I’m sick or weak myself

—or other issues

You are the channel, or ‘vessel’ God uses, the power of God flows through you, but it is not from you. The power is exercised in the Name of Jesus and not your own strength (Acts 3:16).

The Hunk and I were acquainted with a man who had the ministry of a healing evangelist. Many people were healed under his ministry. He saw people cured of deafness through the power of God, however he himself wore a hearing aid. He explained to us that he did not know why he remained unhealed; that was a mystery. However he pointed out that his lack of healing did not disqualify him from praying for others.

Again, the important thing for any weakness that we are struggling with, be it physical or otherwise, is that we remain accountable to leaders in our church and keep doing what we can to become free or whole. In the case of physical weakness or illness, we need to manage our health and be good stewards of our physical bodies. But the presence of unwholeness in ourselves does not disqualify us from praying for a miracle of wholeness in others. In fact, releasing the gift of God in praying for others can build our faith for our own situations.

If being sick or weak in any way has held you back in praying for healing for others, now is the time to take action! Pause and pray for God to release healing to someone in your world who has a need in a similar area. Next time you see them, offer to pray with them.

4. I’m not gifted

(in prayer, healing, prophecy and so on)

It’s true that some people have a stronger gift or higher degree of giftedness than others. But not knowing whether or not you have a gift in a particular area should never hold you back from learning how to pray for people. Neither should it prevent you from ministering when you have an opportunity or the need arises.

Remember, the basis for you being able to pray is not your gift. It is the Name of Jesus Christ. What He has accomplished on the cross, and the authority that He has given to you as His committed follower, is the basis of your prayer ability.

Remember also that you will connect with people in your everyday life that the ministers and gifted people in your church will not, and occasions for prayer will arise when there is no one present but you and the Lord.

And if you are in a leadership role of any description in the church, you will need to be ready to pray for those you are leading, whenever there is a need. You signed up for this!

When Jesus sent out the 12 and the 70 disciples, He didn’t say, “OK, you who are gifted in healing in this group, and those who are gifted in deliverance, you go there”. He sent them ALL out—together. We need to be Kingdom-culture Christians who are open to hearing God’s voice and loving and praying for people wherever we go.

You are never going to be good enough and you may never feel ready. That is why the Christian journey is called a walk of faith.

Become a Can-Do Christian

At the beginning of the school year, my daughter’s Grade 3 teacher asked the children to write a list of the things they believed they could not do. The list included things like physical sports activities such as swimming, subjects such as mathematics, and other things, like talking in front of the class.

When each of the children had written their list, the teacher collected them all up and put them in a box. Then, she took the children outdoors, where they had a ceremony to bury the box. “This class,” she announced, “is going to be a ‘Can-Do Class.’” Not surprisingly, my daughter made more progress in that school year than in any year previously. My challenge to you as you begin to move out is to identify and surrender your list of things you can’t do to God.

Now add some things to the list of things you can do:

• Praying for sick people to be healed in Jesus’ Name
• Sharing a prophetic word, or message from God
• Offering to pray for someone who has a need
• Prophetic evangelism

Remember that it is not about you. It is about Jesus—He gets the fame when He uses weak people to do the job (1 Cor 1:26-29, 2 Cor 4:7), it is about God loving people and extending His Kingdom. Finally, it’s about who you are in Jesus, not who you are apart from Jesus.

If you are interested in learning more about being a Supernatural Christian, take a look at www.supernatural-christian.com

How Your Perspective Can Impact Your Destiny

You Don’t Need A Special Gift To Be A Supernatural Christian

For more information, inspiration and stories, learn more in the e-book,

‘How To Be a Supernatural Christian In Your Everyday World’

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

When we know where we stand, and who we are, in relation to the throne of God, the opinions of people won’t shake us, the past will have no power over us, and sin will lose its grip on us…

‘Who is Jesus, and what does He look like?’

I never used to wonder about the answer to this question, because there were pictures of Him on the walls of our house as I was growing up; the depiction of painters in centuries past. In these portrayals, Jesus was kind, gentle, mysterious and—human. He loved people and animals. One of my favourite pictures of Jesus was of Him dressed as a shepherd and carrying a lamb.

The book of Revelation, in the Bible, paints us a different picture of Jesus—providing a hint of what He looks like now. The Apostle John caught a glimpse of the resurrected Christ and fell at His feet, ‘as one dead’ (Rev 1:17).

‘…someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.’ Rev 1:13-16

Sometimes in worship I, too, catch a glimpse of this Jesus. His eyes that blaze with fire also, amazingly, blaze with love. He is seated on a heavenly throne—a place where the Bible says, because of what Jesus has done on the cross, I can make myself at home.

God’s throne is mentioned frequently throughout the book of Revelation, and referred to in the final chapter as ‘The Throne of God and of the Lamb.’ This throne is the ultimate seat of authority, and God Himself is the source of all authority and power in heaven and earth (Matt 28:18).

God’s throne is not figurative; it is a real place—and we have access to God’ throne by faith (Heb 10:19).

As supernatural Christians, our understanding of where we stand in relation to Jesus Christ and His throne is critical to the release of His power in us and through us.

Here are some key reminders about the throne of God:

1. The throne of God is our destination.

Saved and unsaved alike, we will stand at His throne one day and account for our lives spent on earth (Matt 25:31-46).

Those of us who believe and receive Him as our Lord (leader) and Saviour (forgiver) will live with Him forever. Jesus said He will invite us to sit with Him on His throne:

‘ To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Rev 3:21-22

2. God’s throne is not only our eternal destination; it demands our present attention as we focus upon Jesus

‘Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.’ Col 3:1-2

Hebrews 12:1-2, says
‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

What was the joy set before Jesus that enabled Him to endure suffering and death and bear the weight of the world’s sin on the cross?  It was ‘bringing many sons to glory’ (Heb 2:10). You and I are His reward, restored in relationship to God, having free access to Him before His throne.

3. We can come Confidently to God’s Throne

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Heb 10:19,22

When we trust in Jesus for our salvation, we can stand before God’s throne unafraid and unashamed. Sin cannot hold us back from God’s presence. We have free access because Jesus has taken the punishment for our sin and its effects on the cross.

The throne is also where we come in our weakness and need.

‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ Heb 4:15-16

4. The throne is where we bring our prayers and our petitions for God to work on our behalf and in the lives of others around us.

‘Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.’ Rev 8:3

The Bible says that our prayers go up before God’s throne like incense. (Rev 8:3,4)

Real prayer to God is not religious, solemn or word-perfect. A prayer can be as quick as a breath or a silent cry from the heart. God understands an incoherent prayer as well as He does an eloquent one.

Real prayer is YOUR prayer, born out of your own personal relationship with God. Your prayer is powerful. Your prayer can release God’s power, and reinforce His will (Matt 6:9-13).

When we know where we stand, and who we are, in relation to the throne of God, the opinions of people won’t shake us, the past will have no power over us, and sin will lose its grip on us. We will know God, and we will  live empowered lives.

© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church