Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

Paul writing to the Corinthian brethren reminds them that when he came to them proclaiming the mysteries of God, he did not do so with lofty words of wisdom but with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power so that individuals may put their faith in the power of God and not in human performances. Today, we still have people who use lofty words and charismatic schemes to delude people. There are many who fall foul of these schemers and many who are duped or even lose their lives because of their antics. Do you remember the David Koresh saga in Waco Texas in 1993 where 74 Branch Davidians died, or the Jim Jones instituted massacre in Guyana in 1978 where over 900 people were killed by cyanide poisoning. These are just a few incidences of extremism gone wrong. So the apostle reminds his hearers that he had no scheme to entice them, neither did he come with a quick fix to get to heaven. Nor was he extolling great oratory skills that came from extensive times of learning. He was preaching Christ and him crucified and allowing the power of God through the Holy Spirit to work on people’s heart through faith.  So irrespective of the preacher you are following or the organisation you belong to, if Christ was not the focus then all the preaching and postulation was in vain. As it was then, so it is now, people have their favourite preachers and their favourite churches and favourite TV shows. However if Jesus Christ is not the focus of all that is being said, then it is all in vain. And the vanity of men will end in suicide as the ultimate means of escape from the humdrum of everyday life. For us who have experienced the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, let us remember to preach the word with passion and conviction and allow the Spirit of the risen Lord Jesus to bring transformation, healing and deliverance to all those who hear, accept and believe. Today, allow the shield of faith to help you filter out those things which are not for your spiritual edification. Read 1Corinthians 2.