The Power of a Transformed Church
JOY: Welcome to The Unshakable Church, the podcast that unpacks spiritual truths and lessons Ron has learned through over 30 years of working with national church planters in the spiritual hotspots of the world.
RON: Today, friends, I want to share with you a message I’ve prepared on a Christmas theme. It’s not so much a traditional message as it is a time of reflection — looking back on what I’ve witnessed around the world this past year in places where revival is breaking out.
Each year, I sit down and read the Christmas story again, searching for new insights — something I might have missed before. This year, as I was reading, my mind began to wander. I started thinking back over the people I’ve met — the young believers, the pastors, the national leaders I’ve talked with — and everything God has been doing in their lives.
It’s been an incredible year of travel, learning, and seeing the Word of God come alive in so many places.
As I continued reading, I came across these verses in Matthew 1:20 – 21:
“An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus (Yeshua), because he will save his people from their sins.’”
When I read those two words — his people — it was as if God froze my eyes on them. In that moment, everything I had been thinking about came into focus. It was as though the Lord said, “I’ve been showing you this year what my people look like.”
That’s what I want to share with you today — what I’ve seen and learned about his people.
When I visit these revival areas, I always ask people what God is doing among them. This year, I’ve been amazed — first, by the sheer number of new believers, and second, by their spiritual depth and maturity.
Their grasp of the Gospel — the essentials of sin, salvation, and the work of the Holy Spirit — is astonishing. They understand the Truth quickly and deeply, and it’s transforming their lives.
Their burden for the lost is profound. Their hunger for the Word of God gives me goosebumps. I’ve seen young believers hold their Bibles as if they were holding a long-lost loved one. They protect it, carry it close to their hearts, and never want to put it down.
That book — the Word of God — is what brought them to salvation. It’s how they became his people. And as they study it, their love for the Lord grows stronger and deeper.
Another thing that stands out to me is their awareness that they have been delivered from evil and are now possessed by the Holy Spirit.
When I ask believers what their lives were like before Christ, many tell me they were demonically controlled or lived in households where evil spirits had influence. Whether it was Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, witchcraft, or animism — there was always an element of spiritual bondage.
I often ask, “What was it like back then?”
They say the demons were vulgar, threatening, and cruel. They tormented them — sometimes even affecting their bodies.
Then I ask, “What’s it like now?”
And they answer, “The Holy Spirit speaks to us gently — with kindness, purity, and love. He helps us follow his will. It’s clean, it’s peaceful, and it’s simple now.”
One brother told me, “Before, it was loud and confusing. Now, it’s quiet and pure. We’re obeying, growing, and becoming more like the Holy Spirit every day.”
People around them can see the difference. Their friends and relatives are saying, “What happened to you?”
And their answer is simple:
“We’re his people now. We’re not the same.”
They’ve left behind the darkness and are now walking in the light. They reflect kindness, joy, peace, and love — the characteristics of the Spirit of God himself.
Even unbelievers are becoming jealous of their transformation, because these new believers radiate something entirely new and beautiful.
In the book of Acts, we see a picture of the early church — how they shared everything in common, went door to door, witnessed boldly, saw miracles, and experienced God’s power daily.
I’m seeing that same picture today in places like Ethiopia, India, China, and across Southeast Asia. Communities of believers are growing — both in number and in spiritual depth — just like the early church.
In Acts, there were three main ways believers witnessed:
- Through Scripture – They explained Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled before people’s eyes.
- Through miracles and healings – Evidence of God’s supernatural power working among them.
- Through transformed lives – People saw the change and said, “You’re not the same person.”
And it’s the same today. The Gospel is being proclaimed, miracles are happening, and lives are being transformed. His people are rising up all over the world.
This is why I’m excited. We are witnessing his people coming together in power — both in number and in holiness.
Just as the angel told Joseph, God sent Jesus to save his people from their sins. That promise is being fulfilled right now.
Across the globe, his people are growing stronger, purer, and more unified than ever before.
This Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let’s thank the Lord for knitting us together into a family — his people.
We are a cleansed people.
We are a holy people.
We are his people.
That’s his promise to us today.
Have a wonderful Christmas and a glorious New Year.
God bless you.
