“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

² For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

³ And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

⁴ And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

⁵ That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Weakness, fear and much trembling in the frailty of one’s own person to rightly divide the Word of God and boldly proclaim what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the church is not delivered in a “series” downloaded from the internet.  Demonstration of the Spirit and of power is not seen in a 12 step program, 40 days of purpose or religious ceremonies.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19

Too many spend more time defending their denomination or their preacher than they do in defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The demonstration of the Spirit and of the power of God is seen in the lives of those who have denied their self efforts, picked up the benefits of what Jesus afforded us on Calvary’s Cross and FOLLOW Him.  This does not mean trials and tribulations will not come, nor does this mean the devil will stop being the devil.  What this means is they (we) who are submitted to God, resist the devil and he must flee.  Keep in mind, if we are not submitted to God and FOLLOWING Him, the devil does not have to flee. Many believe but do not follow. Even the devil believes. Saints are called to follow.

This demonstration of the power of God in the Believer’s life can be seen by where they were then and where they are now.  They may not have the mansion on the hill (yet) but they have a joy unspeakable, a peace beyond understanding.  They are indeed a peculiar people because with fear and trembling someone has boldly proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord and they believed.

“¹⁷ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My Name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

¹⁸ They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

¹⁹ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat on the Right Hand of God.

²⁰ And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”  Mark 16:17-20.

Signs will not follow wisdom of man.  Wisdom of man will follow signs.  Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.  Be determined to know nothing else among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

-Donna Clark Warren