“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 1:18

The Apostle Paul understood that for those who have not been born again, it is pointless to listen to the teachings of the Word of God. It cannot be understood by human comprehension. However, for those of us who know Jesus Christ personally, this knowledge becomes the manifest power of God in our lives. For those of us who believe, the Bible is:

• The eternal Word of God. “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89).

• Spirit and Truth. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63).

• A fire and a hammer. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces” (Jeremiah 23:29).

• The power of God. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Before moving on to the next point, notice a couple of important things in this verse:
• It is “Foolishness” to those who are lost.

• It is the “Power of God” to those who are saved.

• The only Word that can produce faith. “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:10).

• Makes us born again. “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created” (James 1:18).

• A sword. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

• Light. “Your word is a lamp for my feet,a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105).

• It cleanses our life. “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3).

• It sanctifies us. “Sanctify them in your truth; your Word is truth” (John 17:17).”

It is important to be willing to allow the Word of God to shape us and to permit Him to do all that He has planned in our lives. Let us make Paul’s words to the Thessalonians our own, “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“In 1962, my grandmother was passing away at the age of ninety-one. In the early hours of the morning she sent for me and asked me to kneel at the edge of her bed. My grandmother began to place her hands on my head and blessed me and prayed to God, asking Him to form me into a preacher of the Gospel and a true servant of God. Immediately, I felt the anointing of the Holy Spirit come upon me. In that moment, the Holy Spirit placed His seal on me and burnt His purpose on my heart. He began preparing me for ministry through an older woman’s prayer. Two hours later she died. In the same year, a few months later, at a Baptist Church in Canada, a revival began in the congregation. At the age of thirteen, I received an outpouring of His Spirit over my life and was baptized in the Holy Spirit.

My grandmother’s prayer was answered. I felt the desire to serve God. I spent the following years reading the Word, evangelizing, praying, and seeking the Lord along with other young people who were also impacted by God. I began preaching at the age of fifteen. Forty years later, God gave me the privilege of pastoring a church called Christian Fellowship of Guatemala. That was twenty-nine years ago. The congregation began in 1979 with just five families. Since then, thousands of new Christians have been added. Our congregation now has about twelve thousand members. The auditorium has a capacity for 2,220 seats and classrooms for 3,000 children.” (Pastor Jorge Lopez)

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“I saw my reflection in the mirror of the Word, and I know that I am a child of God.”

Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Two.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: Judges 20-21; Psalms 91
• New Testament: Mark 8:22-30; 1 Corinthians 14:26-40