1 Corinthians 1:18

"The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed to destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God." [Paul]  1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT

 For quite a while now this has been heavy on my mind.  Not because I don't believe that Christ actually died for me.  I do.  And while I may have momentary flare-ups on occasion when I think "Really? Can it be?", I always turn back to the fact that I absolutely believe that Jesus died for us.

I know some people who think that Christ didn't really die on the cross and that the resurrection was more of a symbolic act than a real event.  That scares me for them.  And it scares me as I wonder how many people also may think that...and if any of my family members may think that.  

I have a hard time talking about my beliefs.  It's something that I am trying to work on, though truth be told, I could be working harder on it.  I can write, but actually speaking about them, while it feels wonderful once I have, is hard for me. (I have a hard time talking about my feelings too, so this isn't a new thing for me. lol )

But I feel this point, Christ's death and resurrection, is SO important.  It's the key, isn't it?  The Bible even says it is.  In 1 Corinthians 15:17 Paul says "And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins."

It is real.  It happened.  Would you let yourself be tortured and killed for something that did not really happen?  The disciples were tortured and, with the exception of Peter, killed for their belief in Christ's resurrection and his place as Son of God.  

I'm sitting here on my first day of vacation (okay, it took me a few days to get to the cafe with internet access - so it's not actually the first day of my vacation anymore, unfortunately).  My first day outside the craziness that is my beloved town, Chicago.  The first day in the Northwoods that have always recharged me and that I have to come back to annually.  And when I read the words "the message of the cross...is the very power of God", I was led to write.  I have never felt led to write before.  I hope I was led because someone needed to hear.

God bless you!  And if you are a family member reading this, and even if you aren't, believe! believe! believe! (if you don't already).  I love you!