Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Why? Because, small is big.

Small is big. Though you may feel “small” in some way, with the Holy Spirit, “small is big.” If you want to have a transformative influence and a big kingdom impact, then you will need to be set on fire by the Holy Spirit. You will need the Holy Spirit’s power and gifts.

Early in His ministry, Jesus began enlisting ordinary people like fishermen and tax collectors. Through knowing and following Him, Jesus began to transform and train these disciples (literally: learners) by demonstrating His kingdom agenda:  teaching God’s ways, forgiving sins, proclaiming good news, healing this broken world, pointing people to His saving death and resurrection, and multiplying His kingdom work by “fishing” for others.

Quite beautiful, miraculous and amazing, the living God has always been calling, training and mobilizing ordinary people like you for His kingdom agenda … people who were old, young, widows, weak, poor and even wayward (1 Corinthians 1:26-28). After calling people, God then anointed them with His Holy Spirit, equipping them with His power and gifts so they might walk in conformity with His call, accomplishing his plans and purposes.

The Biblical Greek word for “church” literally means “called out ones.” “Ones” … ordinary people like you “called” by Jesus to be transformed and trained by Him in order to go “out,” transforming the world in His name. Scripturally and fundamentally, “church” is not an organization, institution, building or place; rather, it is you, one of the “called out ones.” Furthermore, a “member” is not a name on a list to be tallied; rather, Paul used the term, “member” to illustrate how every believer is an important part of Jesus’ ongoing kingdom work, just like parts or “members” of a body, having a needed function (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31)

Today, Jesus is calling you! Do you know Him? Can you recognize His voice? What is He calling you to be, do and say to increase His kingdom? How is His Holy Spirit active in you? What gifts of the Holy Spirit are already at work through you? Jesus needs you! You are an important “member” of His ongoing kingdom work.

When you trusted Jesus and were baptized, you were anointed with the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon you and took up residence in you. The Biblical Greek word for “Christian” literally means “anointed one.” His Holy Spirit gave you breath when you were raised from the dead to new life. His Holy Spirit is healing you, increasing your confidence and diminishing your fears. The Holy Spirit is calling you, leading and guiding you.  The Holy Spirit’s power is in you, equipping you for the unique kingdom work that Jesus is calling you to do. The Holy Spirit has given you gifts, including supernatural gifts. The Holy Spirit will multiply your efforts. Small is big.

When Harriette became a widow at eighty years old, she needed to move from her house of many years to a seniors’ apartment complex. One day as she sat in her apartment feeling sorry for herself, she recognized Jesus’ voice. Jesus called her, saying: “Harriette, I want you to eliminate the loneliness in this place.” From that day on, Harriette was launched on a mission. Her gifts given by the Holy Spirit equipped her for this mission. She had a shepherd’s gift, a healing gift, an encouragement gift and a mercy gift. She was a prayer warrior. Beginning with befriending the lonely, over many years, she visited countless people transported from her building to the hospital, prayed with people, anointed people with oil, and helped people to trust in Jesus as they approached their last breath. Harriette began to testify to others how the Holy Spirit was transforming people through her. Many were inspired. One day a retreat speaker heard her story. The next week he told her story, sending it out to his email network all over the world. Even though she didn’t leave home, Harriette was proclaiming, healing, teaching and multiplying Jesus’ kingdom to the ends of the earth.

You can too!

1)      Press on to know Jesus as if you wanted to win an Olympic race (Philippians 3:7-14)! Pray. Talk with Him about anything and everything. Learn to recognize His voice. Listen to His word, especially the Holy Scriptures.

2)      Follow Jesus. Surrender to Him. Rest in Him. Be transformed and trained as His disciple, learning from Him about His salvation and kingdom work. Repent and be transformed daily. Practice spiritual disciplines.

3)      Serve Jesus. Identify your “spiritual” gifts given by the Holy Spirit. (Use the free inventory at callinc.org). Learn about your gifts. Your gifts show you how the Holy Spirit is active in you, motivating and working in supernatural ways.

4)      Discern Jesus’ call. It is unique and particular, custom designed for you. It is all encompassing, affecting your being, doing and speaking in all of life, 24/7: family, work, community, world and the gathering of believers (resources and seminars on spiritual gifts and call at callinc.org).

5)      Continually invite the Holy Spirit into your life. The apostle Paul encouraged everyday ordinary believers including you: “Do not get drunk (overly filled) with wine, for that is excessiveness, but be continually filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18) For this reason, in our tradition, we seek the Lord and pray to Him, asking him to repeatedly “stir up” His Holy Spirit. Pray with me: Father in heaven, for Jesus’ sake stir up, renew and increase in me your Holy Spirit. AMEN

Jesus told a parable about “small.”

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 9:31-32)

Small is big. With the Holy Spirit, “small is big.”

Published in Sola Publishing Newsletter, April 2016; www.solapublishing.com

By Pastor Wendy A.W. Berthelsen,