The Power of God

Thursday, August 27, 2026

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.  Where is the one who is wise?  Where is the teacher of the law?  Where is the debater of this age?  Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish?  For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached.  1 Corinthians 1:18-21

Gordon MacDonald, chancellor of Denver Seminary, tells the story in one of his books, about Charles Berry:        

In the late 1800s, Charles Berry, an English preacher, became the pastor of the great Plymouth Church in Brooklyn. One day Berry described how earlier he had come to Jesus Christ.  There had been a time in Berry's early ministry when he preached a very thin gospel--really no gospel at all.  As did the Corinthians, he looked upon Jesus as merely a noble teacher but not as a divine redeemer.

Late one night during his first pastorate, as he sat in his cozy study, there came a knock.  He opened the door and found a typical Lancashire girl with a shawl over her head and clogs on her feet.

Are you a minister? she asked.  Getting an affirmative answer, she went on breathlessly.  You must come with me quickly. I want you to get my mother in.  Thinking it was a case of some drunken mother out in the streets, Berry said, You must go and get a policeman.   No, said the girl, My mother is dying, and you must come and get her into heaven.

Berry got dressed and followed her for a mile and a half through lonely streets in the night.  He knelt at the woman's side, and he began telling her how good and kind Jesus was and how he'd come to show us how to live. 

Then the desperate woman cut him off.  Mister, she cried, that's no use for the likes of me.  I'm a sinner.  I've lived my life.  Can't you tell me of someone who can have mercy upon me and save my poor soul?  I stood there in the presence of a dying woman, said Berry, and I realized I had nothing to tell her.  In the midst of sin and death, I had no message.  In order to bring something to that dying woman, I leaped back to my mother's knee, to my cradle faith, and I told her the story of the Cross and of a Christ who is able to save to the uttermost.  The tears began to run down the woman's cheeks.  Now you're getting it, she said.  Now you're helping me.  Berry concluded the story by saying, I got her in, and blessed be God, I got in myself.^[1]

For You Today

Salvation is a matter of being right with God.  Do you believe the Gospel?  Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God, and that He is the only way to God? 

There are a lot of religions, and so-called spirituality out there today.  Many folks claim there are many ways…you have to find one that fits for you. 

But I say to you, with what Paul called the “foolishness of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ”, that there is one size that fits all…His name is Jesus, and there is salvation in no other name.  It is the only name under heaven; given among men whereby ye must be saved ^{(Acts 4:12)}.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title and Other Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay.  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The Christian Standard Bible^© 

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[1] Gordon MacDonald, The Centerpiece of the Gospel, Preaching Today, Tape No. 137.

 

When Grace Carries Us

 

Monday, November 28, 2022

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were.  But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.  So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?  Of course not!  Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?  Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?  For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism.  And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.  Romans 5:20-21, 6:1-4

If nothing else can be said about the grace of God, this can:

Grace changes us!

The prevenient grace of God draws us to our need of the Father, and understanding it is only through Jesus that can happen.[1]  When people find that truth has changed their eternal destiny from death to eternal life, it’s a wonderful moment of release and joy!  Sadly, too many put a period on what has happened, as if there is nothing more.

Past that salvation experience is a whole ‘nother dimension of the change God wants to bring about in us, for us, and through us.  It starts (and never stops) with God’s sanctifying grace.  It is the power of God that changes the way we live.

Over the years, in the course of pastoral work, I have met thousands of people.  Many of these are former attenders of church.  Usually, when they find out I’m a pastor, they ask me what church I serve.  After I tell them, I ask where they go.  The next sentence goes like this:  Oh, I’m a member of                church; I don’t go there any more, but I believe in Jesus.  That “I believe in Jesus” is a defensive thing, as if to protect that card-carrying-going-to-heaven thing.  They don’t want God to revoke their membership which guards against hellfire and brimstone.  I always have to stifle a little grin when that sentence comes…as if this (or any other) preacher could change anything about whether they’re going to heaven or hell.  What’s really going on is they’re just being defensive about why there’s nothing going on in their life about growing as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  They trusted Jesus’ grace for salvation, but that grace which makes Jesus LORD over their life just didn’t fit in the way they wanted to live.

This is where the Apostle Paul’s issue with the Roman believers comes in.  They had believed in Christ, but surrendering all of life to His will was a change they weren’t ready to entertain.  There were too many parties to attend, fortunes to aquire, and lands to conquer.  The grace that forgave was refreshing and welcome…as long as we don’t have to change too much. 

This was the first-century version of getting your name on the church roll as something of a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card.  Put it in your pocket for that rainy day when the Grim Reaper comes knocking on your door.  Whip out that card, and you pass through the pearly gates!  Well…how’s that working for you?

For You Today  

Don’t drown in your baptismal waters by refusing to go further. The same grace of God carrying you away from a life of sin, is the same grace that will lead you into a life of serving, loving, and joy. 

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

       Temptation - Facing the Dark Side   and   Upheld Since...

Images:  Title Pixabay.com   Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1] There is salvation in no one else!  God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12

Morning Praise

 

Friday, June 4, 2021

I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods.  I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.  I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.  Psalm 138:1-2

This is one of my favorite Psalms.  It is David, the king, former shepherd-boy, giant-killer, musician to, and defender of, Israel’s King Saul, adulterer, murder-conspirator, warrior, coward, hero, humble object of Samuel’s long, boney pointing finger of accusation, pennitent sinner-turned saint, who became the model for those who would be a man after God’s own heart.

David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’  Acts 13:22b

Why is this one of my favorites?  With all of David’s resume’ he stands not on his accomplishments.  He doesn’t sing along with Frank Sinatra, I did it MY way; David takes a deep breath, stands before all the [so-called] lesser gods of the universe and points his soul and all that’s within him towards Heaven’s throne and leaves no doubt about Who deserves praise.  David bows before JHWH’s throne and declares he has chosen to serve Almighty God, Jehovah-jirah, the King of Heaven’s Hosts.  David validates what the world cannot deny…every promise of God is backed by the honor of His name.  And there is no other name, given among men whereby anyone can be saved![1] 

David views God as his omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent King of Kings, the God who cannnot fail.  David is content to serve that God alone, no matter what anyone else may say to him, or do to him.

·       Some people have always denied this. 

·       Some deny it rather emphatically, even calling such a claim exclusionary, arrogant, or just plain dull-minded stupidity, to place entire trust in the God of David. 

Some say there are many different approaches to finding spiritual health.  It is known by many names, elightenment, finding truth, uncovering god in you, and even becoming the god you really are. 

But David would take exception to anything but bowing humbly before the one, true, living God.

When Joshua was about to lead God’s people, the new nation of Israel, across Jordan into the Promised Land he told them to choose.  He made it specific.  He said: 

“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly.  Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.  But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve.  Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates?  Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live?  But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:14-15

For You Today

When it comes to God you only get one choice; one of those choices will be right, and all the others wrong.  That’s why Jesus said there is a broad road that leads to destruction, and a very narrow road which leads to life.[2]

Choose wisely!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!   

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[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

[1] There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by 

       which we must be saved.”   Acts 4:12

[2] See Matthew 7:14

When Truth Gets Offensive

[1]

Monday, July 8, 2019

About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.  It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy.  He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows:  “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.  But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all.  And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!  Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business.  I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!”  Acts 19:23-27     

 (for another post on this text see here)

Truth usually becomes offensive for two reasons:

1.     When you proclaim any truth as absolute…as in 1 plus 1 is always two, and never anything else.

2.     When that truth is, as former Vice President Al Gore called it, inconvenient!

An absolute truth is one which leaves no wiggle room for anything else.  Paul claimed that exclusivity for the Gospel, and it became inconvenient for Demetrius:

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12

With those two sentences saying the exclusive way to God is through Jesus Christ Paul claimed roughly two-thirds of the world’s population is going to Hell when they die.  That is an absolute truth claim, and it’s also quite inconvenient for around 4 billion people; people just like Demetrius, who wasn’t so much worried about going to Hell (he worshipped Artemis, making little silver statues of the goddess who never sent anyone to Hell…well, actually, she never did anything but sit on the fireplace mantel gathering dust).  I have a sneaking suspicion Demetrius was a little more concerned with his idol business franchise losing market share than he was outraged by Paul’s religious views.

When I was being trained in personal evangelism, I had a mentor who was rather firm, forthright, and forceful about presenting the Gospel to anyone.  I asked him the question everyone seems so worried about these days:  if you come on strong with all this Jesus being the only way, won’t you wind up offending them…you know, scare people off?  I will never forget his response:  Russell, if you scare them off, where they gonna go…Hell #2?

It’s true; there are only two possibilities, and the fact remains that Jesus is the only One standing at the fork in that road.  One way leads to Heaven, the other to Hell.  I got the point.

For You Today

You don’t have to be a hard-shell nutcase, foaming at the mouth, rather, just the opposite; your job is to let the Holy Spirit make you a winsome witness who just tells the truth.

Let me borrow John Wesley’s way of saying it:

Tell all the people you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

As long as ever you can…

…that Jesus loves them, died for them, and they can know God through Him.

And if that scares them off to Hell #2, you couldn’t have helped them by keeping your mouth shut!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

Go to VIDEO

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[1] Title Image:  Mathilde Hospital   via Wikimedia Commons    Unless otherwise noted, Scripture used from The New Living Translation©

What About YOU? Part 3

[1]

Friday, September 14, 2018

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.  And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?  Is anything worth more than your soul?  If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”  Mark 8:34-38(NLT)

Boy, Jesus sure knows how to give an invitation!

When I was a young seminarian the description amongst preachers about what a sermon should look like was gimmie three points and a poem.  The “points” are movements or shifts in the direction of a sermon, usually building a bit more on the previous movement to arrive at a conclusion.  The poem came in at the end…to give the heart something to which the listener would aspire.  Three building-blocks, if you will, cemented together with a rhyme at the end, like vinyl siding on a new home to make it pretty.  The sermon was always supposed to have an over-arching goal that would help us know what God wanted us to do, and tell us the beginning steps (at least), of how to go about doing God’s bidding.  The poem was the lead-in to the invitation.

Of course Jesus’ message was about the Kingdom of God, and the point was that we should all follow Him.  The “poem” in Mark’s text has Jesus’ strong, logical, motivating bomb…we’re talking about your SOUL here…is anything more valuable?

And then his tagline … if you want to hang on to this life you can do that…but in the end it will slip right through your fingers like beach sand!

Being a follower of Jesus means you must put your agenda on the scrap pile, accept the call to follow Him, and don’t look back. 

Well…what do you know…Mark uncovered the author of this concept we’ve heard so often misquoted about leadership:  It’s my way or the highway!

Really!

Jesus makes no excuse for his demand here; elsewhere Scripture tells us there is salvation nowhere else in the universe than in the name of Jesus the Christ[2].  And since that is the bedrock truth of the Gospel, it really IS His highway, or the not-so-pleasant low-way.

And so…for the three-points-and-a-poem crowd, Jesus said to put all the Fake News aside and listen to three truths you cannot live without:

·      Following me will be DIFFICULT

·      Following me will be WORTH IT

·      Following me is NECESSARY if you want to live.

You can’t find it in any of the four Gospel accounts, but I believe this might have been the poem if Jesus wanted us to walk out singing a hymn that inspires these three points to his My Way or the Highway sermon:

Jesus had a sermon

Its truth was hard to deny 

If I want to go to Heaven

I really do have  to die

For You Today

We’ve looked at this Sunday’s text in an expositional way these past three days.  I’ve tried to help us be prepared for the sermon this Sunday.  If you have walked through these with us, and are praying, I’ll expect some pushback on the sermon. 

After all, that’s how we grow, by meditating on His Word, and, as Solomon put it:

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.  Proverbs 27:17(NLT)

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

Go to VIDEO

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[1] Title Image: Photo Courtesy of Pixabay.com

[2] Acts 4:12