Turning Foolishness into Power!
Father, I pray that moving our time earlier in the day will help me – a fresher mind and body will be great assets in the work! Use me as You will!
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (<<click here to read the passage)
Have you ever heard of Lee Strobel? He was an investigative journalist for several newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune through the 1970s into the early 80s. He was a self-proclaimed atheist…and then his wife – in response to a “persuasive” neighbor – got talked into going to church. Through that experience, she accepted Christ as her Savior.
Lee was none too happy about that. He had concluded that the best way to live his life was as a hedonist. “Just pursue pleasure, this is all you get in this world. So, that was my number one goal in life,” says Strobel, “to bring maximum pleasure into my life. And so I lived a very immoral, and drunken, and profane, and narcissistic, really self-destructive kind of a life. That was my life.” (https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/case-for-christ/)
So, the decision on her part turned his world upside down. He decided the best way to get things back to “normal” was to go with her and, through his own research, show that it was a whole bunch of nothing.
Well, that is not how things turned out. Strobel, through his research, proved to himself, that Jesus was the real deal and after a year and nine months, gave his life to Christ as well. He published his story in a book entitled, The Case for Christ, in 1998. The Case for Christ was made into a movie in 2017. (They are both excellent! Click on the titles for links.)
In the 18th verse of chapter one, the Apostle Paul states,
For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God. AMP
First, just because we are “foolish” doesn’t mean that God wants us to stay that way. He is always in pursuit of us because He loves us so. His greatest desire is for us to love Him, as well.
Second, it is not always up to a “professional” Christian – a pastor or evangelist – to usher others into the presence of Christ. In the Strobels’ lives a neighbor, by the name of Linda (Alfie in the movie), reached out to and loved Lee’s wife, Leslie. She invited her to come to church with her and God took it from there!
Many in the world around us might think that the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] because they don’t understand it. God is in the business of opening the doors and windows of our minds, calling us to Himself – turning foolishness into power!
Sept 27th, 2023, Wed, 12:48 pm
Grateful for a New Slate
I had my last trip of the month today to the far-off middle of nowhere! I was blessed by pleasant conversation, safe travels, and the opportunity to accomplish something in the middle of it all! Thank You, Father, for Your abundance!
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I am weary of mind and body this evening. Not enough solid sleep and a day that has not let up since I got up has brought me to this point. I’m just not able to pull anything together. I’ve read the next passage in 1 Corinthians, but I just can’t seem to process and organize my thoughts to anything cohesive. I can’t even find an old post to share. Sometimes life just catches up with us, and we have to just sit back and let God do with us what He will.
There is nothing wrong with admitting that we can’t go on…that tomorrow is a new day. I for one am grateful for a new slate each new day.
My prayer recently has been that God would just use me however He sees fit for that given day. At times, temptation starts to rear its ugly head in my thoughts and gratefully, my heart – leading my mind – rushes to God’s side. I may pray. Sometimes it’s a thought that could be disastrous if I lingered on it, but say when I’m driving my bus route, I pray for my fellow drivers. In my mind, I start with bus #1 and say a prayer for the driver. Then I move to bus #2, then #3, then #5, and so on until everyone has been lifted up. I pray for our supervisor, our mechanic, and the aids, our subs…and when I’m done, the temptation that popped into my head is gone.
Sometimes I sing a song in my head…whatever it takes to get my thoughts back on things of God, and the slate is wiped clean for the Lord to do what He will do in my life.
I hope this hasn’t rambled on, but I would encourage you to go to the Lord, as well. Whatever weighs upon you, He can handle. And He will get you through it. Lean on Him. Trust Him. He will not let you down.
As the refrain of the old hymn goes,
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!
Amen.
Sept 26th, 2023, Tues, 5:51 pm
The Persuasive Power Is in the Story
Our world is so full of stresses, Father, may we strive to pause, think, and then love with all our hearts – both You and others. Love conquers all! (That phrase isn’t in the Bible but the concept sure is!)
1 Corinthians 1:17 (<<click here to read the passage)
Growing up I don’t remember ever thinking that I was going to be a preacher. I never felt led to do anything but serve in the church (my degree is in Church Music), but my plan was to only be behind the pulpit leading worship or singing a solo on occasion.
I am grateful that the Lord says in Isaiah 55:8-9,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
….neither are your ways my ways,”
……..declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
….so are my ways higher than your ways
….and my thoughts than your thoughts. NIV
My life has not gone the way I thought it would but, God knows best!
That being said, I do enjoy preaching. As my churches are well aware, I almost always rework another preacher’s sermons. (There are multiple sites where preachers share their sermons, and others are encouraged to use them how they will.) Being bi-vocational has its challenges. I never preach a sermon verbatim, but work through it, changing and tweaking it to reflect who I am and how I communicate – all under the watchful guidance of the Holy Spirit.
For myself, and for that matter, all of us, The Apostle Paul’s statement in verse 17 needs to be adhered to. He emphasizes the fact that Christ sent him “to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” NIV
My Life Application Study Bible states that Paul was not against those who carefully prepare what they say but against those who try to impress others with their knowledge or speaking ability. He stressed solid content and practical help for his listeners: He wanted them to be impressed with his message, not just his style. You don’t need to be a great speaker with a large vocabulary to share the Good News effectively.
I love speaking but I always must keep in mind that I am just a simple vessel through whom our great and mighty Lord shares His message. I don’t want to be guilty of emptying the Christ’s cross of it’s power… What truly changes us to the core of our being is the power of the cross of Christ. The persuasive power is in the story, not the storyteller. (emphasis mine)
Sept 25th, 2023, Mon, 12:37 pm
Purveyors of Discord or Harmony?
It’s the last of my weekend trips for a while. Father, I would ask that you would give me the strength – physically and mentally – to see this day to its completion. Keep us safe through our journey home. Amen.
1 Corinthians 1:10-17 (<<click here to read the passage)
Honestly, if the Apostle Paul saw where the church is today, he would be appalled! (No pun intended!) At the point when this passage was written (a short 20 years or so after Jesus’ time here on earth), there were already divisions in the church. He exclaimed in verse 12,
Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.” NLT
Today, it would be impossible to calculate the number of denominations, not to mention the vast number of non-denominational churches throughout the world.
In verse 10 Paul states,
I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.
Where we started compared with where we are today, it sounds more like dissonance and less like harmony. We speak of striving for ecumenical unity, i.e. unity among the world’s Christian Churches, but that really seems to be a stretch. I grew up and have been ordained in one denomination. I worked at another one during college, and have served in a third one for the last 20+ years. Yes, the core of them all is pretty much the same, and yes, people like Billy Graham in past years did a wonderful job of bringing brothers and sisters in Christ together, but behind closed doors (with closed minds…) we still think that we are more right than others and that “they” are definitely more wrong.
There’s an old joke about new residents of Heaven coming upon a high and wide brick wall. When St. Peter is questioned about it, he explains, “Oh, the (insert denomination) are there. They think they’re the only ones here!” It may bring a smile to our faces but there is nothing true about it.
There’s an old African-American Spiritual that rings so true. It is entitled, “In That Great Getting’ Up Mornin’”. Here are a few of the lyrics as sung by the great Mahalia Jackson.
They be comin’ from every nation
(Fare ye well, fare ye well)…
On their way to the great carnation
(Fare ye well, fare ye well)…
Dressed in a robe so white as snow
(Fare ye well, fare ye well)…
Singin’, “Oh, I been redeemed”
(Fare ye well, fare ye well)…
In that great gettin’ up mornin’
(Fare ye well, fare ye well)
Harmony is called for – this is by no means the only passage of Scripture that speaks of harmony! – and harmony there will be! In that great getting’ up mornin’ Jesus will unify us all and dissonance will cease to exist! Amen!
Sept 23rd, 2023, Sat, 4:41 pm
Integral Parts of the Whole
It seems like several things are happening simultaneously, Father, but Your hand is in it, so things are coming together well. Thank You for Your intervention.
1 Corinthians 1:4-9 (<<click here to read the passage)
I don’t remember exactly but I’m pretty sure that I got my first Lego set when I was around 8 or 9 years old. At that point, the early 1970s, Legos were one of the most loved and best-selling toys among US children. When it was all said and done, I had a pretty nice collection of them.
Twenty-five or so years later, Massey developed a love for them, starting with my collection. It was – and for that matter still is – a go-to gift for him. Modern Lego sets are a bit more refined than what I started out with – basic bricks and wheels and other simple components. Now they are very elaborate collections, some containing thousands of pieces.
The NASA Space Shuttle Discovery replica pictured above? It is a 2,354-piece project. That’s a lot of pieces! And if one happens to go missing, it’s not complete. You don’t even see many of the pieces, but they are all an integral part of the whole.
If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment and read through the six verses of today’s passage. When you do, think of the “gifts” mentioned as parts of the whole…
We are all integral parts of the whole. We all have God-given gifts – absolutely no one is excluded from the Holy Spirit’s distribution. We may not acknowledge our gift, we may not even know that it exists. If that is the case, it is more than likely we just don’t understand it in that context.
For example, maybe you have the gift of mercy: This is the defining trait of a person with great sensitivity for those who are suffering. It manifests itself in offering compassion and encouragement, and in a love for giving practical help to someone in need.
Don’t we all know compassionate people who have this innate desire to bring others comfort?
That’s just one “gift” from the Bible that Tyndale House Publishers compiled into A Quick List of Biblical Spiritual Gifts: Which Gifts Exist and What They Mean. (Click on this title to read through them.)
Each one of us factors into the whole. We are a part that completes the whole – the body of Christ.
I love the statement the Apostle Paul makes at the end of this passage!
God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on], and through Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. v9 AMP
God is faithful. He will not give up on us – for truly each of us is an integral part of the whole…His body – the Church! Amen and amen!
Sept 19th, 2023, Tues, 5:54 pm