Years ago, a friend of mine named Ben Enejo was so passionate about Jesus that he nearly got expelled from school for talking about Him too much. But here's the fascinating part - years later, he discovered that one of his schoolmates had become a church leader. When asked about his journey to faith, this young man said something unexpected:

"I saw something in Ben Enejo. I asked people what it was. They said to me - 'it's Jesus.' So I thought to myself 'I want that,' and it led me on a journey to find Jesus."

The amazing thing was that Ben had never spoken directly to this young man about Jesus.

I love this story because it reveals a profound truth about how Jesus works through us - often in ways we don't even realize.

Jesus modeled a life for His disciples to follow that included Word (the things they said), Works (the things they did), and Wonders (the power they operated in).

Paul modeled exactly the same thing as Jesus:

"For when we brought you the Good News (words), it was not only with words but also with power (wonders), for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you (works)" (1 Thessalonians 1:5)

Ben's story shows us that these three things - words, works, and wonders - weave together to be a living demonstration of the gospel to those around us.

WORKS: The Power of Presence

It's fascinating how Jesus spent so much time just being with people. Many Christians today spend 100% of their time with other Christians, but Jesus was different. He was constantly "in the harvest" - spending time with those who didn't know Him yet.

When was the last time you spent meaningful time with someone who doesn't know Jesus? Not to convert them, just to be present?

Apparently, it takes 8.3 years for the average person who becomes a Christian to find that they now no longer have any non-Christian friends.

This is a challenge. Some of us will have to go out of our way to spend time like this. I'm in that situation, having been in full-time Christian ministry for 20+ years! It's one of the reasons I go to badminton most weeks and have started a business in my spare time! I have to intentionally make time to connect with lost people.

For others, you're constantly among people who aren't following Jesus at work or school. But are you 'present' in the moment with them? When you read the life of Jesus, you realize that He wasn't just physically there - He was fully present in the moment, and many of the kingdom breakthroughs that happened around Him were because of that.

Of course, there are many other "works" that we can do to show the life of Christ to the world - from feeding the homeless to visiting shut-ins. It's all good. The need is immense - overwhelming almost - but as we follow the Spirit, He will lead us to do what we can sustainably do.

WONDERS: The Supernatural in the Natural

Here's something I've learned: When we move toward people's brokenness, they often give us permission to speak into their lostness.

Having the courage to be ready to offer prayer for healing or speak out a word of knowledge to those who don't know Jesus is an amazing growth point for every believer.

I've trained hundreds of people, probably thousands, over the years in how to minister in the power of the Spirit. I even wrote a book called "Sustainable Power," which documented my journey from cynic to believer to practitioner and the things that I've learned. We've seen many tremendous miracles over the years, from cancer healings to blind eyes opening to all manner of musculoskeletal conditions being instantly healed.

One of my favorites was a girl who I met in the town centre who was slowly going blind through a degenerative condition. She already had incredibly thick glasses. She'd seen a couple of her friends healed and tentatively asked, "Could God heal me?" I had to admit I'd never seen Him heal her particular condition, but I was sure that Jesus could, and I prayed. Immediately after, she removed her glasses and began reading car number plates that were some distance away. "I've been healed!" she cried out through many tears.

But it doesn't always mean dramatic miracles. Sometimes it's as simple as witnessing what God is already doing supernaturally in people's lives. I've seen people (not Christians) wondering aloud about coincidental provision, struggling to understand dreams that clearly were profound and life-changing, and confused about the clearly supernatural things that have happened to them or their family. Sometimes just being there to talk and help them see that these things can be signs that point people to another reality is all that's needed!

Next week, we'll continue this thread looking at our Words - but take a moment to reflect. Are you expecting God to break in through your Works and to use you in Wonders? Do you carry an expectation of the miraculous? What's the next step this week for you?