Every believer, without exception, is a divine “work-in-progress”. God first saves us then as we permit Him to do so, He changes us… into the very best! He does this as we willingly traverse the way of righteousness, destined for perfection.
 
Back in January, I had the pleasure of meeting a young Godly woman during my visit to the Newman Community Baptist Church, Western Australia.  Anissa is 28 years old and lives at Okeechobee, Florida, USA. She is the youngest of 6 children and has been a devoted follower of Jesus Christ for 8 years. Anissa is undergoing divine transformation! It hasn’t been easy for her, but she wants this to continue until completion. Recently she shared her testimony with me…
 
The Holy Spirit has worked miraculously, transforming me since the day I surrendered my life to Jesus, my Lord and Saviour. I’ve had the opportunity to serve the Lord through missions in Haiti, California, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Dubai. I’m a former “YWAM-er” (Youth With A Mission), and currently serving at my home church. I work part-time at The Pregnancy Centre of Okeechobee (a non-profit organization), and part-time at a local Juice Bar.
 
I recently had the opportunity to visit my friend Luisa at Newman, Western Australia. This was my first out-of-country visit since COVID happened. During my time there I had opportunity to witness how the Lord is working through His faithful and obedient servants. This was an incredibly blessed time.
 
The Lord has challenged me in ways that ignited my soul with fire and fervour for ministry. God has grown me in so many ways and is helping me to come out of my shell. I met many amazing men and women of God at Luisa’s church.
 
Before leaving Newman to return home Luisa, Pastor Eli’s wife, invited me to share something personal with the church family.  Even though public speaking is one of my greatest fears, I agreed to do it. My natural preference is not to be seen, but to serve from behind the scenes.  Before coming to Newman, I served the Lord in the children’s ministry of my church and had worked as a receptionist at a non-profit organisation.
 
The Lord has spoken to me about increasing my involvement of service to Him in the church and gave me opportunity at Newman to share with the church family about my passion for Intercessory prayer. I had not shared publicly since I was on staff with YWAM. Before sharing I felt quite nervous. However, I am thankful to the Holy Spirit for guiding and enabling me to speak with quiet confidence.
 
 After my address, I received encouraging feedback from several people. This has challenged me to step out more and allow myself to be used by God to glorify Him. By stepping out in faith God has shown me that I can do all things through Christ, and I don’t need to be afraid as He is with me.
 
In the Book of Isaiah, the Lord says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (41:10). We also know that God has not given us a spirit of fear (1 Tim. 1:7). 
 
These are some of the fears that have held me back in life: the fear of being judged by others; the fear of disapproval from my family and the fear of failure. 
 
I want to leave you with this: We don’t have to fear doing anything God has called us to do or asks of us. Fear is Satan’s tactic to keep us from doing the Lord’s will. I encourage you brothers and sisters of the faith to be strong and courageous (Josh. 1:9). You don’t have to fear anyone or anything… just step out in faith and allow the Lord to work through you! It’s in His strength and power that we are able to do all things for His kingdom. The Spirit of Christ is within us to encourage and empower us through it all. Thank you for listening to me. Blessings, Anissa.
 
Friends, if I had to undergo open-heart surgery, the surgeon and attending medical team would discover a sign posted on my heart that reads, “God still at work!” Anissa has courageously stepped past her fears and is now experiencing satisfying peace, joy, and fulfilment. Was it easy for Anissa to do this? No, it wasn’t! It took courageous faith. It was only when Anissa exercised her faith, was she was able to testify with confidence, “Through Christ, I can do all things!”
 
God’s Spirit who is in us, is our ability!
Bill