Scoffers

Proverbs 9:7-9; Correcting someone who is a mocker will not help them or you. Sometimes you have to consider being and sharing with those who are not afraid to listen and grow.

Foolishness Or Wisdom?

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

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.

                                                                              (1 Cor 1:18-25 KJV)

So frustrating! I wish that everyone would receive our Saviour, Jesus the Christ. But, no matter how much I try it seems to be impossible for me to get some people to understand that the message of the cross is the power of God. It is not just a nice story of a man dying because he loved humanity so much. It is not just a piece of historical fact that we read about and set aside. It is not foolishness as the world would have us believe. Rather, it is foolishness not to believe. The message of the cross holds within it the power to save.

In the end, I always have to go back to a very simple fact. I cannot save anyone. I cannot even convince anyone. I can only proclaim the message and trust that the power of God within the message (the Word who is Jesus the Christ) saves. Usually, when people tell me that my sermon was great or they thank me for saying something that helped them; I remind them that it is not me; but, Christ in me (Gal 2:20). Sometimes, I will tell them that from my lips to your ears the Holy Spirit is working so that you hear (and receive) what God wants you to hear and have; not what I want.

The world can scoff at the faith of those who trust in the cross of Christ for their life and salvation. They can deny it. But it does not change the truth. Christ is and always will be Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God! Whom will you trust: the world, yourself, or God who created all things and has recreated us in Jesus Christ, our Lord?

God's Peace - Pr. J

Politics and Wisdom

Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:16b-18

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?

Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.

For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

                                                         (Job 15:1-6 KJV; but, read all of Job 15)

Job's friend, Eliphaz, responds to Job. Eliphaz pretty much tells Job and that he is arrogant thinking that he, himself is wise enough to advise Job.

The story goes on with Job's friend accusing him, attacking him. It is pretty amazing that anyone would do this to an enemy, let alone a friend. But, is that not what we do? Is that not what humanity does? That is: man attacks man. Who is wise?

The wisdom of our news reporters amazes me. It just amazes me that instead of addressing issues they promote their own personal agendas and bias'. They create major news stories not out of actual news; but, from politicians anger and hatred for one another. Instead of informing voters of what a politician stands for, or what actually happened they give us their opinions as to what happened according to their own flavor of politics.

Politicians spend way too much time accusing their opponents, informing us all of what they think their opponents stand for. There is very little truth in any of it. Who can possibly figure out the truth with so much slander being slung? There is just way too much slander, way too many false accusations. By the time the media is done with these assumptions and accusations half of the county considers this slander as fact. 

This is the wisdom of the age: to fund-raise so politicians can tell lies to the public rather than raise funds to help the country feed it's people; rather than to help small businesses, teachers, children. Would it not be wiser to spend less money on slander and tearing down one's opponent and use the finances to help a world in need instead? Maybe the candidates should tithe the campaign funds they raised to the national treasury? (LOL that's not going to happen) Some politicians actually think that they are going to win the race simply because they have raised the most funds and the news will report that. In some cases this is true; but, not all. The scandal of it all is that we continue to contribute to this poor stewardship. We continue to support a system that allows candidates to run on a platform that they claim will help the country while they are slandering their opponents and using funds that could genuinely help the nation for their own agendas. 

There is so much time spent campaigning that I cannot help but wonder how they are doing the jobs that they were already elected to do. That doesn't sound that wise to me. It does not sound like good stewardship of taxpayers' money, either.

It would just be really nice if in our election processes, there would be less arrogance and less slander of one another and not just within the presidential campaign, all of them. The arrogance and slander doesn't actually tell us what they think it tells the people about their opponents. It tells us that much like Eliphaz they cannot be trusted.

I would just appreciate it if politicians would spend more time letting us know what their platforms are rather than spending so much time distorting (lying about) the platforms that their opponents are running on. That seems to me to be a much fairer way to run a campaign for the sake of the people; for the sake of the country.

Ok.. so I'm ranting this morning... Let there be some peace already!

God's Peace - Judy