Truth Stranger than Fiction

Truth, Stranger than Fiction
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“For the message 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; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher 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 know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1Corinthians 18-24.
It’s been said sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. This I believe is the case when it comes to Jesus.
The wisdom of man would say why would Almighty God enter into the world He created in the form of a man? Why wouldn’t God simply reveal Himself in all His glory and thus show mankind He is real and wants man to worship Him?
The answer to that I believe comes from the Writer of Hebrews who wrote,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

                                                                     Hebrews 11:6

Faith defined as

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                                      Hebrews 11:1.

People who have faith in something are the strongest of believers. A true believer in any cause or leader will go to the grave for them. That is the kind of believer God wants.
God wants people who have unwavering faith in Him no matter what the circumstances.
Yes God could have come into the world in all His glory with legions of angels and made it clear that He exists. That however would not have necessarily produced true believers. Many would have believed in Him simply because they feared His might and what he could do to them.
God does not want that. God wants people to believe in Him because they truly love Him.
That I believe is why He entered the world in the way He did.
Please think about it.

On Love

On Love
The Apostle Paul writes,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, 

it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, 

always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                        1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

The apostle Paul here is writing to Christians but what he is saying about true love is universal in nature. One does not need to be a Christian to understand and accept the truth Paul defines here.
Martin Luther King jr. the great civil rights leader in the United States said,
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”
                                                                                           Martin Luther King, Jr.
Anne Frank a young Jewish girl in hiding from the Nazis in the Netherlands during world war two wrote,
“Give of yourself, give as much as you can?  And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!  If everyone were to do this and not be as mean with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world.  Give and you shall receive, much more than you would have ever thought possible.  Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving!  No one has ever become poor from giving!”                                                                                                                         Anne Frank.
What Anne Frank said is true. We need to give of ourselves. For in doing so we are showing love and true love can indeed change the world.
Please think about it.