For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1st Corinthians 1:22-24 (New American Standard Bible)
I recall a story a pastor shared about a young woman who went to a park close to where she lived to share the Gospel with passersby. At one point she began speaking with a man and shared the gospel story with him. The man became irate at the name of Jesus and began railing on her. “Don’t talk to me about Jesus and how I need to be forgiven of my sins!” he said heatedly. “How do you know it’s true anyway?” The young lady who was a new Christian herself responded with Romans 10:9. “Sir, all I know is what the Bible says, that if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts God raised Him from the dead we will be saved.” The man nearly exploded. “And who gave you the right to put your reality on others?” The girl replied patiently, “Sir, all I know is the Bible says if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts God raised Him from the dead we will be saved.” The man continued his rant against God and this woman who answered all his questions and accusations with “Sir, all I know is the Bible says if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts God raised Him from the dead we will be saved.” The man finally threw up his hands in exasperation and nearly shouted, “Is that all you have to say to any argument against this superstition? I can’t deal with your narrow mindedness anymore!” and he stormed away.
The next day the young woman returned to the park to share Jesus with those who wanted to listen when she saw this same man approaching her. Her heart dropped as she prepared for another verbal onslaught. “I need to speak to you about what you said to me yesterday” he said when he reached her. “I wrestled with those words all night and I’ve come to the conclusion I do need to confess Jesus Christ and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. Would you tell me how I can do that?” The young woman was able to pray with the man who believed on Christ and that God had indeed raised Him from the dead; and he was immediately transformed into a new man by the Spirit of Christ.
When we share Christ crucified, in love, we are tapping into the full power of heaven for there is nothing more powerful than that message. We are the messenger and the Holy Spirit does the hard work of revealing to the lost their need for close relationship with God the Father. The simplicity of God’s message is dynamic. Simple will not be better in all situations and we can do nothing of ourselves to bring any change to the human heart. But in the case of the cross its message is powerful enough to soften and redeem the hardest heart.
Ken
www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com
I recall a story a pastor shared about a young woman who went to a park close to where she lived to share the Gospel with passersby. At one point she began speaking with a man and shared the gospel story with him. The man became irate at the name of Jesus and began railing on her. “Don’t talk to me about Jesus and how I need to be forgiven of my sins!” he said heatedly. “How do you know it’s true anyway?” The young lady who was a new Christian herself responded with Romans 10:9. “Sir, all I know is what the Bible says, that if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts God raised Him from the dead we will be saved.” The man nearly exploded. “And who gave you the right to put your reality on others?” The girl replied patiently, “Sir, all I know is the Bible says if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts God raised Him from the dead we will be saved.” The man continued his rant against God and this woman who answered all his questions and accusations with “Sir, all I know is the Bible says if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts God raised Him from the dead we will be saved.” The man finally threw up his hands in exasperation and nearly shouted, “Is that all you have to say to any argument against this superstition? I can’t deal with your narrow mindedness anymore!” and he stormed away.
The next day the young woman returned to the park to share Jesus with those who wanted to listen when she saw this same man approaching her. Her heart dropped as she prepared for another verbal onslaught. “I need to speak to you about what you said to me yesterday” he said when he reached her. “I wrestled with those words all night and I’ve come to the conclusion I do need to confess Jesus Christ and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. Would you tell me how I can do that?” The young woman was able to pray with the man who believed on Christ and that God had indeed raised Him from the dead; and he was immediately transformed into a new man by the Spirit of Christ.
When we share Christ crucified, in love, we are tapping into the full power of heaven for there is nothing more powerful than that message. We are the messenger and the Holy Spirit does the hard work of revealing to the lost their need for close relationship with God the Father. The simplicity of God’s message is dynamic. Simple will not be better in all situations and we can do nothing of ourselves to bring any change to the human heart. But in the case of the cross its message is powerful enough to soften and redeem the hardest heart.
Ken
www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com
