Power and wisdom from where?

For the message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved. For it is written,

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the intelligence of the intelligent I will reject."

Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? God has turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense, hasn’t he? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe through the nonsense of our preaching. Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach the Messiah crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the Messiah is God’s power and God’s wisdom. For God’s nonsense is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Brothers, think about your own calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is nonsense in the world to make the wise feel ashamed.God chose what is weak in the world to make the strong feel ashamed. And God chose what is insignificant in the world, what is despised, what is nothing, in order to destroy what is something, so that no one may boast in God’s presence. It is because of God that you are in union with the Messiah Jesus, who for us has become wisdom from God, as well as our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. There-fore, as it is written‚The person who boasts must boast in the Lord.

I find myself in the modern Pentecostal movement so often talking to two groups of people: The miracles, signs, and wonders crowd and the academics. It seems like more and more in a world increasingly in need of a church active in sharing the Gospel, we are seeing a divide within the Church based on an all or nothing mentality of reaching people.

Many say we need a strong apologetic with well thought out arguments. Peter does command this and rightfully so! If someone is to hear the message, it must be preached, but is it merely the clever putting together of scientific and philosophical arguments? Does God need the wisdom of man to explain the wisdom and mystery of God? In an attempt to reach a more scientific culture, are we using the weaker to try to explain the greater?

Others say we need to seek after the Holy Spirit and miracles, signs, and wonders. They quote Paul of the many times he talks of coming not in intellect, but in the Power of God. Once again, these people are also very right scripturally. We are to be conduits and vessels for God to pour out his love and healing. After all, we carry the ministry of reconciliation where in people can see the love of God through His miraculous and powerful works! Is it possible we can become so focused on the person of the trinity that has been tasked to point us to Christ? Can we elevate the Holy Spirit beyond His mission? Can we become so miracle focused we lose the actual mission of Christ?

The Jews desire miracles.....the Greek desire wisdom. We preach Christ crucified as the true power AND wisdom of God! We preach resurrection as foolishness to those who do not understand that in God all things are possible. I am starting to see that Peter and Paul both are speaking a clear message. It's not about being of signs and miracles or great learning and wisdom although both are important disciplines when following Jesus, but It's about making sure that our first priority is the Cross and the perfection of Jesus taking the imperfection of the world, so that we could be accounted as righteous before God when we turn our everything to Jesus.

Maybe with all the hype of revivals, we should recognize through Jesus we were once dead, but are NOW alive and only the sleeping and dead need to be revived.

In the face of the interest in scientific understanding of proof of a God, we should recognize that the greatest and rarely heard message of the cross and repentance is the initial evidence of Gods existence for those who choose to believe because Jesus came to be light in the darkness that some might see the truth.

Maybe it's time to place things back into proper order and put are actions and arguments in subjection to Lord Jesus and the cross? That in the end we can say we preach Christ and Him crucified, the hope and glory forever. Amen

Lord help me to not become an idol to my self through spiritualism or Gnosticism. Help me to be the worshiper Jesus talked about in John 4. I want to worship you in spirit and truth. Not mine but yours, in Jesus name.
Amen

Location:1900 wealthy st, 49506

When We Major On The Minors

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, I urge all of you to be in agreement and not to have divisions among you, so that you may be perfectly united in your understanding and opinions. My brothers, some members of Chloe's family have made it clear to me that there are quarrels among you. This is what I mean: Each of you is saying, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to the Messiah." Is the Messiah divided? Paul wasn't crucified for you, was he? You weren't baptized in Paul's name, were you? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the family of Stephanus. Beyond that, I'm not sure whether I baptized anyone else.) For the Messiah did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, not with eloquent wisdom, so the cross of the Messiah won't be emptied of its power.

Agreement.....what a big concept to wrap our brains around. We hear lots of people say we should be in agreement, but what is agreement? Websters says,

1
a : the act or fact of agreeing
b : harmony of opinion, action, or character : concord

The act of agreeing with a harmony of opinion. It sounds so clean and easy but can we remember anyone in our lives that we in every aspect of life agreed with completely? My parents....no. Any friends......no. Teachers or bosses....no. Not even my wife lol!
These people found themselves in division and disagreement and Paul exhorts them to agree and not have divisions, but what is Paul saying with the word agreement? Is he saying they should agree in all things or he is simply showing that we should agree in the major pillars of the faith and allow minors to simply fall to the wayside for the greater unity?
Paul says who cares who baptized them because it wasn't the baptism that was primary, but the power of the cross and the messiah that died and rose again for us!
How often do we let minors hinder the greater unity of the body. I follow 16 fundamental doctrines of my denomination, but some are debatable without division.......others are not. Are we looking for unity or uniformity when we come in contact with other believers? I choose unity in diversity under the fundamental truth of Jesus, my messiah.

Lord, I ask you show me how to handle minors without compromising your majors. Show me where I can be a vessel for unity and help me to not make people like me, but show them how they can become more like Jesus in His name. Amen

Location:S Lincoln St,Portland,United States

A walk through 1 Corinthians

From: Paul, called to be an apostle of the Messiah Jesus by the will of God, and from our brother Sosthenes.
To: God's church in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified by the Messiah Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those every where who call on the name of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah-their Lord and ours. May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours!
I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given you by the Messiah Jesus. For by him you have become rich in every way-in speech and knowledge of every kind- while, our testimony about the Messiah has been confirmed among you. Therefore, you don't lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus the Messiah to be revealed. He will keep you strong until the end, so that you will be blameless on the Day of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. Faithful is the God by whom you were called into fellowship with his son Jesus the Messiah, our Lord.

I have started to reread this letter and am amazed how Paul starts this letter. If you have read this book, you know he is writing to correct some incorrect doctrine and behavior. These people have been immoral and inconsistent with a life set on the discipleship of Jesus. They have become self centered and unloving toward one another to the point of factions and divisions within the church. Yet Paul starts this letter with words of encouragement and confirmation of the work God has done in these peoples lives through grace.

So many times we see fellow believers around us not living up to our expectations and personal standards. Some truly are even in deception, but how do we respond? Do we come from a place of grace? Do we first remind others who they are in Christ? I appreciate Paul's love for the people and desire to edify and build up even when things don't look so neat and tidy.

Lord, I pray you give me the grace in moments when things look unsure, love when things seem distorted, and discernment for what is right in your sight. In Jesus name, Amen.

Location:S Lincoln St,Portland,United States