Strength Through the Cross
by Harold Vaughan
Scripture Reading --1 Corinthians 1:18
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Russian dissident, worked 12 hours a day at hard labor. He had lost his family, and doctors in the Gulag told him he was dying of cancer. One day he thought, There is no use going on. I'm soon going to die anyway. Ignoring the guards, he dropped his shovel, sat down, and rested his head in his hands.
Sensing a presence beside him, he glanced up and saw an old man he'd never seen before and would never see again. The man took a stick and drew a cross in the sand. The simple act reminded Solzhenitsyn that there is a Power in the world greater than any empire or government, a Power that could bring new life to his situation. Picking up his shovel, he went back to work. A year later, Solzhenitsyn was unexpectedly released from prison.
Solzhenitsyn found strength and hope through the Christ of Calvary. With renewed vision, he overcame terrible circumstances, including cancer.
To believers, the preaching of the Cross is the power of God. The word power comes from the Greek word from which we get our word dynamite. The power of God is powerful! Jesus told His disciples, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me" (Acts 1:8a, emphasis added). God gives "dynamite power" to His Spirit-filled witnesses so the Gospel can explode in the hearts of men. The preaching of the cross is powerful because by it men find forgiveness of sins, inspiration to persevere, and purpose in life. Of all people who have ever lived, Jesus Christ has had the greatest impact. His life and death have transformed more lives than all others put together.
Celebrate: Sing all the stanzas of that great hymn "There Is Power in the Blood."
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