We are in a news society right now due to the power of the internet and the power of self-promotion. Narcissism (def) - selfishness, involving a sense of entitlement, a lack of empathy, and a need for admiration, as characterizing a personality type. The previous sentence is an indictment on the way our world is working right now and it has infiltrated the Christian ranks like a poisonous gas, and it stinks! The sons of Sceva are a good example of trying to elevate yourself by using God's power for your own good and it did not work out well for them. The good thing that came out of their beating by the demon showed everyone in the area that this spiritual battle was very real and the players were very powerful. The battle is a spiritual battle that has been going on from the beginning and the foe, the devil, was defeated when Jesus walked out of that tomb. Praise God!!
God's power is real, but not to be trifled with if you want to elevate yourself with it. God gave a strong dose of His power to Paul and God received the glory from it. Paul's focus was on sharing the message of Jesus to all who would listen and the power of that message meant changed lives who also shared their testimonies and the church grew in power. This power from God is the power of salvation. In fact, in Romans 1:16 Paul clarifies in his letter these words 16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.
We can never get beyond the power of the gospel message and that message must be preached and lived wherever we go. To leave out the gospel message means we leave out the power of God, according to the Bible. We can lose OUR focus in ministry and take the power of the message of Jesus and push it to the side. That will not work.
The message of the gospel continued to impact hearts and lives were radically changed to the point that even any association with the world was left by those believers who were practicing sorcery and they brought their incantation books and burned them in a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars, but it didn't matter because those books no longer had any value to those believers whose lives were changed. THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL MADE IT HAPPEN!! What could the gospel do if we once again believed in its power as Paul did? I believe God would move just like He did then because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The writer of Hebrews said it this way in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
So what is the problem? We are. We have stopped believing in the gospel message and just because Billy Graham passed away doesn't mean the message has died! It is time to take up the mantel and once again preach the fresh message of salvation and we will see the power of God move again and the effect will be far reaching. Churches will get back on track and the lost will be saved and the effect will impact our world as it did in Paul's time. We have lost our "first love" as Jesus wrote to the church in Ephesus and it is time to come back to the message that holds the power for the church of today.
Here is what will happen!! The power of the message of the gospel will bring an awakening that will far exceed what we can imagine and those who have sold out to the ways of the world will come back to God and we will once again see the lost saved daily. That is my story and I am sticking to it! God is ready for His people to once again make the message the priority and that gospel will change lives wherever it is proclaimed,
1 Corinthians 1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
Anything less is a mistake, so make it the priority. A lost and dying world is waiting for the Lord's church to do what it was commissioned to do.
The Pilgrimage Continues
David Warren
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