The Message of the Cross

https://odb.org/MY/2022/06/24/the-message-of-the-cross

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! That’s Corinthians 1:18 as written by Paul.

I can testify in my own life how God reached out to me when I was just 11 through a friend who encouraged me with Scriptures and pique my curiosity to learn more about the Jesus in the Malay-English Gospel that my dad had lying around in our home library. I had read that Gospel a couple of times and didn’t really get what was going on until I attended a Navigator’s course on following Jesus a few years later. My interest to learn to play the guitar brought me to this group of Christian outstation teachers in my little town in the East Coast of Malaysia and from them I also learnt about Christ and God. I saw the light, the message of the Gospel and at 14 accepted Jesus into my life as my Lord and Saviour.

Before that, the message of the cross was foolishness to me as I didn’t know who Christ was and why He did what He did. But my eyes were opened as I saw the light and thus understood that He died for my sins to reconcile me to the Father and thus the message of the cross became the power of God in my life. It changed me over the years to love God, to love others, to be willing to think of others besides myself and to serve God in ministry in the church, at my workplace and among those I know.

Was it smooth sailing and a bed of roses over the last 40 years or so? No, my life like others, have its ups and downs. There were seasons of joy and seasons of tears, sadness, disappointments and sorrow. It was a journey of discovery of what this world is and yet I learned and experienced the hidden spiritual world through my spiritual awakening and see for myself the power of God at work in that realm penetrating into our physical tangible world that as we pray His will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.

I experienced healing myself. I experienced God arranging events to shield and protect me from the cold machinations of the world. To bring me joy and meaning in times of heartbreak and hurt. I saw before how the Lord personified “vengeance is mine” and this I know that He will make all things beautiful in His time as He will make all things good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. I am truly grateful that He is forever in my life and as I call upon His name, He will hear my cry. That is why I love to sing those two songs.

Is the message of the cross foolishness or the power of God to us? Let’s reflect upon our journey thus far as a child of God called according to His purpose. Let’s be thankful to Christ for calling us to be His disciple and let’s re-dedicate our lives to serve the purposes of His kingdom and to fulfil His plans for our lives. The message of the cross must be the power of God working in and through our lives!