The gospel is foolishness to the world. But when trying to fight the gospel the world shows its foolishness. At the opening of the American Society for Microbiology conference, the first talk was about a battle for evolution in today's schools. My lovely esposita eagerly attended to find out what they would say hoping for a chance for open discussion. Disappointingly it had nothing to do with science. The talk was only hate speach toward creation and intelligent design. It was a rally cry for war to do everything possible to plug evolution and prevent the other side from making their plugs. Who is the real fool? Where is the open democracy with those fighting hardest for it trying to prevent it from happening?
The gospel is foolishness to the world. Is this the foolishness that Christians are called to live out, when they begin to fight each other over tertiary details instead of fighting the world with love through the gospel? Or is the foolishness we are called to live out the standing up for God's word and proclaiming it to a dying world.
I pray for a voice crying in the wilderness to point the world to Christ. I pray that fool will be a fool because of Christ instead of a fool because of foolishness.
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Oh Wow... I had almost forgotten about that phrase. I had almost forgotten about that time in my life, when I was in college at MSU. Sitti...
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On one of our recent excursions, Meg and I came across this tree. How do you think it got twisted like this? Could it have been a mini, conc...
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For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” (1 Cor. 1:18-31)
Stu,
How did the visit to Wycliffe go?
Wow. Guess it's a people thing, this over-reacting and antagonism thing.
Yeah, how did Wycliffe go?
"And I, when I came to you, brothers,* did not come proclaiming to you the testimony* of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.*
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2).
It's a Seniors' Banquet charge thing. You have to be a complete fool to get it. Right, Stu?
Oh, yeah. I almost forgot -
"Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their craftiness,' and again, 'The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile'" (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).
Wycliffe was great. I am encouraged to pursue their Total It Up program. That is a week long crash course in linguistics to see if I am still interested. As soon as Meg and I have a chance to take another week from work after all our other trips. (Cancun in August)
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