March 31, 2018 - Isaiah 53:5-6_1 Corinthians 2:4-5

Easter Weekend is a
good time to talk about two things, Firstly the Sacrifice Jesus made on the
Cross of Calvary. This was translated from Golgotha in the Biblical Greek
traditionally interpreted reflecting Syriac, a western dialect of the Aramaic
word golgolta. It was the Hebrew word gulgōleṯ "skull" and is the
site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was crucified. The first
gives us the Why; the Second Point is Activating God’s Living Word, in Power
and Demonstration, in our Love Walk. Without an activator many things can lay
dormant until we mix the two ingredients. A car battery may seem like a normal usage
item in today’s world but it was not discover til just before the American
Civil War in 1859. Gaston Planté's lead–acid battery was the first battery that
could be recharged by passing a reverse current through it. Two ingredients
which laid dormant on the earth for 1000’s of years until Wisdom was given to
combine them. 1 Corinthians 2:5 tells us “so that your faith might not rest in
the wisdom of men but in the power of God”. Our Faith is not simply mental
assent to the acceptance of God’s Word, but it is active and shaper than a two
edged sword. Have you ever found a recipe online that sounded delicious, but
despite your best efforts, didn’t turn out when you attempted to make it?
Chances are, you were missing some key ingredient or a vital step in the
process needed to bring all the flavors together. Many of us have had that same
experience with the Bible. Those who attempt to read it usually do so because
they long for a meaningful connection that they have seen others experience
with God and His Word. For me it was my Grandfather, my dad’s dad, and my
mother. Yet, despite our best efforts, we simply don’t get similar results.
Why? I believe it is always a missing ingredient, that illusive hinge of
obedience, somewhere we have overlooked and did not realize its importance, and
therefore we did not comply.