A message foolish?

A message foolish?

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.” 1Corinthians 1:18.

I think people in general put God in a box. They think God should do things the way they imagine things should be done.

A good example of this is the soldiers who were at Christs crucifixion who said,

“...said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." Luke 23:37.

I’m sure there were many in the crowd that day that believed the same way. They wanted a conquering Messiah who would take them out from under the heal of the Roman boot. They expected the Messiah to come with conquering angels in power and glory.

Jesus was not what they expected. A person of low birth who preached repentance of sins and love for ones fellow man. Gods Son who died for the sins of all who believed in Him.

The same is true today. Many look an Jesus and fail to see what they expect. Thus they turn away. They see the message of the cross as foolishness. 

By contrast those of us who believe in Christ Jesus see Christs life and accept Him for who He is, The suffering Messiah who died for our sins. 

Jesus talking about himself saying,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

    For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.

Is this what you believe?

Please think about it. 

Is Christian belief Foolishness?

Is Christian belief Foolishness?
       Luke's gospel records,
"Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.  
When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left." Luke 23:32,33.
Here we have one of the most important incidents in the whole history of Christianity, the crucifixion of Jesus. The apostle Paul has noted of the crucifixion of Jesus,
"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.” 1Corinthians 1:18.  
As one person noted to me, “God does not do things the way man would do them.”
Certainly to man’s way of thinking having the Saviour of mankind crucified seems counter intuitive. After all God could have revealed himself to mankind in all his glory and people would have believed in him.
There is to my way of thinking a flaw in thinking that if God was suddenly to appear in all his glory it would produce true believers in Him.
Quite the contrary if this happened many would believe in him simply because they feared what He could do to them. That’s not what God wants.
God wants true believers. Jesus said,

“God is spirit, 

and his worshipers must worship 

in spirit and in truth.”

                                John 4:23.

The writer of Hebrews states,
“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
The writer of Hebrews defining faith as,

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see."  

                                         Hebrews 11:1.

God knows a true believer will follow Him in good times and in bad. No matter what the circumstances are. True believers believe in the death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. True believers believe Christ had to die for the sins of each individual. Even if in human terms that doesn't make sense.
What do you believe?
Please think about it. 

Good Friday

Good Friday
Luke’s gospel records,
“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.  
When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.” Luke 23:32,33.
Here we have one of the most important incidents in the whole history of Christianity, the crucifixion of Jesus. The apostle Paul has noted of the crucifixion of Jesus,
“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.  
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 1Corinthians 1:18-25.
Putting things in a nutshell one person noted to me, “God does not do things the way man would do them.”
Certainly to man’s way of thinking having the Saviour of mankind crucified seems counter intuitive. After all God could have revealed himself to mankind in all his glory and people would have believed in him.
There is to my way of thinking a flaw in thinking that if God was suddenly to appear in all his glory it would produce true believers in Him. Quite the contrary if this happened many would believe in him simply because they feared what He could do to them. That’s not what God wants.
God wants true believers. Jesus said,
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”John 4:23.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“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
The writer of Hebrews defining faith as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                         Hebrews 11:1.

God knows a true believer will follow Him in good times and in bad. No matter what the circumstances are. True believers believe in the death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. True believers believe Christ had to die for the sins of each individual. Even if in human terms that doesn’t make sense.
What do you believe?
Please think about it.