The Power of the Cross

I'm starting to understand more and more all of the time the power of the cross. 1 Corinthians 1:23 says, "but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness." Many Christian instructors would try to put the cross to the side of their message in order to reach people in a way that is not threatening, but there is no reaching people unless we do preach the cross. When I was younger and started to preach I was afraid to speak about the cross for fear that it would offend. However as I have gotten older I have learned that as I have preached the cross there's something that happens in the spirit over peoples lives. The power of the cross touches them in their core so that they have encounters at its mere mention. The cross might be foolishness to some but I have come to know it as the power of God. When I consider the cross my life is changed. I can feel the power of the cross coursing through my life. I have gone into visions just considering it. I have gone into visions as I have seen it in churches. The cross is the most powerful thing known to man. About four years ago signs and wonders started to follow my ministry in a real powerful way. It was very difficult in a way when this began because I could not find scriptures that actually spoke to the nature of the miracles that were taking place. As a man who loves the word of God this disturbed me so the only thing I knew to do was preach the cross more and more, and what I learned when I did this was that miracles began to take place even more because the cross is the reason for the miracles in the first place. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." Paul only preached Jesus Christ. His complete focus was on the son. The only reason he remained in the body was to reveal the son. As He preached there was a power that was going out in the spirit that really touched people in their core. I don't have to apologize for the cross but only embrace it. As I embrace the message of the cross miracles begin to take place more abundantly. I had a vision recently in which I saw the effect the name of Jesus and the power of the cross had on a person's life. I saw an open heaven over this person's life and as Jesus was mentioned more and more that open heaven got bigger and bigger. The sound of the cross over a person's life has the power to go deep into their heart and make lasting changes. Simply speaking the cross over someone has the power to bring them into an encounter with Christ because the cross is that powerful. If Paul only claimed to know the cross and Christ crucified then why should we be any different. If the cross was good enough for the early church then the message should be good enough for us also. In the name of Jesus and through the power of the cross devils are cast out, people are healed, and lives are transformed for all eternity. The cross is the only instrument of salvation known to mankind. It has been transforming lives for 2000 years. We do not have to justify the cross or try to preach a superior gospel. Modern man often thinks that he has the ability to make things stronger and better, but we need to remain simple and preach the simple truth that Jesus Christ is king. As we remain in simplicity to the message of Christ then we will experience great outpourings of the Holy Spirit. If you are a preacher then I would challenge you to begin to preach in a simple way. Begin to declare Christ as king and Lord and declare his resurrection from the dead. Just declare over the people that the cross is the only power to transform them from the old dead man into the glorious new one. Teach them that by submitting their lives to the cross that the blessing of Christ will rise upon them. And to those who are reading who may not know Christ, I would challenge you to submit your lives to him and let him move deep into your heart. By submitting to Christ the blessings of the cross will come upon you. You will enter into a brand new day and your life will be filled with his glorious peace no matter the challenges that come your way.