The Foolishness of God 10.23.11
King
James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message
Title:
The
Foolishness of God
Date:
Sunday October 23, 2011
Chapters:
Luke 6-7
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Hello
My Friend,
“Where
is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this
world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For
after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. For
the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we
preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the
Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are 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...But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is
made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let
him glory in the Lord.”-
I Corinthians 1:20-25,30,31.
The word foolishness means
folly, a want of understanding, the word wise, means properly, having
knowledge. While any race, color, or creed can receive Christ as
their Savior, God does not choose philosophers, those of wealth, and
power, and interest in the world to be His witnesses of the Gospel,
He chooses those who accept the foolishness of God over the wisest of
men. Why? Though often seen as poor and foolish to the world, those
who humble themselves before God are rich and wiser in the knowledge
of His Son than even the greatest of Biblical scholars. They are
fully trusting, by faith, that only through their belief in Christ's
death, burial, and resurrection, that they are redeemed, glorifying
not themselves, but God.
Since God created people on earth philosophers, those who
think they know more than God, have taken God's simple plan and
turned it into something difficult. That is why you will find people
questioning why it is so simple as trusting in Jesus Christ to get
them to heaven. Jesus has something to say to those who receive the
simple truth and those who refuse to accept it.
“And
he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor:
for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for
ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate
you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your
name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and
leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the
like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. But woe unto you
that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you
that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for
ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well
of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets...But love ye
your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and
your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the
Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
- Luke 6:20-26,35.
Those who are simply trusting in Christ,
while they will face some affliction and even some rejection from
others, will see the Kingdom of God. The
more you live for Christ the more affliction you are going to face,
but count it as a blessing because He is working a great work in you
and while you may not see many rewards from those who are in the
world you will see great rewards by your Father in heaven and beyond.
“For
which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the
inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is
but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but
at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are
temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
-II Corinthians 4:16-18.
We
all have to admit that we long for a savior, someone who can save or
preserve us, while many do believe in God they find it hard to
believe that Jesus is that Savior. From the time Adam and Eve caused
sin to be the death of all mankind the promise of the Messiah had
been foretold to the Jews. John the Baptist was sent by God to
prepare the Jews of the coming of the Messiah, yet even John
questioned whether or not the things he heard about Jesus was true.
John had not seen Jesus since he baptized Him so when he heard of all
the miracles taken place he sent some of his disciples to see it it
really was Jesus, the Messiah.
“When
the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto
thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues,
and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
Then
Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what
things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk,
the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the
poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not
be offended in me. And when the messengers of John were departed, he
began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into
the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went
ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which
are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and
much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold,
I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way
before thee. For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women
there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is
least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
- Luke 7:20-28.
John the Baptist was well known throughout
Jerusalem as the man who preached repentance and baptism as a
remission of sins, yet if John the Baptist never believed in Christ
he would be in hell right now. No matter how much we do for God,
unless we receive the Son we are not getting onto heaven. It's
simple, “He
that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath
not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the
name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life,
and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
- I John 5:12,13.
Truthfully, it is only those who let go of
their pride and humble themselves before God who realize they are
sinners and believe in the Son of God. Many know of Jesus, but do not
believe in Him. The Pharisee's knew of Jesus, yet often sought
opportunity to try and discredit Him, such as the case of a woman who
came to Jesus to be saved.
“And,
behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that
Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box
of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to
wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her
head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now
when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within
himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who
and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a
sinner...And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou
this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for
my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with
the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since
the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil
thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with
ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are
forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the
same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”
- Luke 7:37-39,44-48.
What seems as God's foolishness to the
world is wiser than the smartest Bible scholar who cannot see past
their own egos to personally accept Christ as their Savior. Can you
guess how many theology majors actually know the Gospel and are
saved? I imagine not many, since many are not even given the Bible to
read, but a book that teaches them what it says. Jesus
came to save sinners, and only sinners, those who think they have not
done anything wrong in their lifetime cannot be saved. Those who
humble themselves before God and accept the simple truth will be
saved. “That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved...For there is no difference between the Jew and the
Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon
him. For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
- Romans 10:9,12,13.
Today's
Prayer:
Dear
God,
Lord, I believe that Your Son, Jesus is the perfect lamb who
took my place on the cross to save me and am only trusting in Him to
take me to heaven when I die. Lord, let me not be overcome by foolish
and vain talkers who are ready and waiting to see me fall. I am fully
trusting in You to deliver me, strengthen me, and protect me as I go
about my day in this world or chaos and deception. I love You Lord
and pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for
you,
Christina
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