"God’s foolishness” is wiser than men

The devils job is to discredit and smear the Gospel and its messengers as much as possible. If he cant make it appear downright corrupt, he is content for it to appear, irrelevant and foolish and only interesting to losers, dorks and wowsers.
Today the media trumpets forth the improprieties, scandals and sins of clergymen. To be sure, there are corrupt and bad ambassadors for Jesus in ministry positions. This in no way denotes that the Message itself or Jesus Himself is wrong or foolish.
One way to analogize it is: If the pipes are rusty and clogged it doesnt mean that the water itself is polluted, it just means that the plumbing carrying the water has issues.
One man prayed, "Lord, help me survive your servants"
We serve a perfect Father in Heaven, who has a perfect Son named Jesus Christ. We are also Helped and empowered by a perfect and awesome Holy Spirit.
The church are Gods ambassadors on the earth, the catch is that God has decided to use imperfect and sometimes very foolish vessels to carry His Living Water to a dying and thirsty world.
It would be great if God had perfect ministers to do His work, the only problem is that the whole human race is fallen and broken and imperfect.
One man once said" If you ever find the perfect church dont join it because it would then be imperfect".


JB PHILLIPS VERSION NEW TESTAMENT
1Corinthians 1:18 The preaching of the cross is, I know, nonsense to those who are involved in this dying world, but to us who are being saved from that death it is nothing less than the power of God.
19 It is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent’.

20-25 For consider, what have the philosopher, the writer and the critic of this world to show for all their wisdom? Has not God made the wisdom of this world look foolish? for it was after the world in its wisdom failed to know God, that he in his wisdom chose to save all who would believe by the “simple-mindedness” of the Gospel message. For the Jews ask for miraculous proofs and the Greeks an intellectual panacea, but all we preach is Christ crucified—a stumbling block to the Jews and sheer nonsense to the Gentiles, but for those who are called, whether Jews or Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. And this is really only natural, for God’s foolishness” is wiser than men, and his “weakness” is stronger than men.

Nor are God’s values the same as man’s
26-31 For look at your own calling as Christians, my brothers. You don’t see among you many of the wise (according to this world’s judgment) nor many of the ruling class, nor many from the noblest families. But God has chosen what the world calls foolish to shame the wise; he has chosen what the world calls weak to shame the strong. He has chosen things of little strength and small repute, yes and even things which have no real existence to explode the pretensions of the things that are—that no man may boast in the presence of God. Yet from this same God you have received your standing in Jesus Christ, and he has become for us the true wisdom, a matter, in practice, of being made righteous and holy, in fact, of being redeemed. And this makes us see the truth of scripture: ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.

Scared New World or Jesus

Back in the mid 2oth century a book named "Brave New World" by author Aldous Huxley became one of the standard bearers of a new generation in the West.
It basically talked of world in the 21st century where society had embraced a very different new set of mores and ideals. This resulted in sexual promiscuity and a lessening of the value of the individual human and family. It was a world submerged and moulded by unfamiliar (at that time) values. It was regarded as one of the most important literary works of the 20th Century in many circles.

Sad to say, though, it seems we are now living in 2012 in a Brave New World of post Christian values. It seems that the western world has by and large rejected and disowned its awesome Judeo/Christian heritage that shaped the increase of England, Europe and in more recent times the United States.

The nations that have a Judeo/Christian heritage have a wonderful history of world leadership in the development of medicine, hospitals, schools and education. (Inventions too)

It is no accident either that these same cultures and nations have been exceedingly blessed and prospered in tangible ways such as economic prosperity and living standards. The statistics of increase and wealth and well being are stunning to read about when it comes to western nations in recent centuries.

For example, I read in a book penned by one of the worlds current leading authors, that the USA in the 1950s had 80% of the worlds electrical goods, controlled almost 70% of the worlds production, produced close to half the worlds electricity and way over half of the worlds oil and steel.

America at that time had only around 5% of the world population yet had more wealth than the other 95%. During this time, America was also very strong in Christian faith, by and large. (Judeo belief was also well represented)

Back in the 1800s a foreign sociologist visiting America was thought to have written this well known quote concerning America. Whoever wrote this, it is an interesting assessment.

"In the end, the state of the Union comes down to the character of the people. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there. In the fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there. In her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits, aflame with righteousness, did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

Note: It is interesting to see that China is now about 10% Christian, many link her recent Christian revival amongst business people and workers to her current econonomic rise out of the oppressive poverty of last century etc. (Of course China has in earlier history always had a great work and study ethic for thousands of years)

In todays world, adherence to a particular faith, is often seen as a social evil. Instead we are all urged to embrace interfaithism and believe all religious teaching from all cultures. Of course, we should all respect,love and forgive each other , regardless of our religious or spiritual beliefs. This does not mean though that we should disown our faith and beliefs in favour of a blend of all other beliefs so we might have unity based on absolute compromise of religion and invent our own brand of interfaith unity.

I have noticed in recent decades that people in western cultures are increasingly celebrating the religions of other nations and cultures and denying the validity and even villifying their own heritages. ( this is perticularly true of those with a Christian heritage)

The Message of Jesus and His Death on the Cross is unpopular and even offensive to many today, but the reality is that it is still the only guaranteed Way to have all ones sins forgiven and have a genuine assurance of a home in an Eternal Heaven.
As an old Gospel singer from the late 60s sang

"Why dont you look into Jesus--He is the Answer!"

John 15
JB phillips version--Words of Jesus

I am the vine itself, you are the branches. It is the man who shares my life and whose life I share who proves fruitful. For the plain fact is that apart from me you can do nothing at all. The man who does not share my life is like a branch that is broken off and withers away. He becomes just like the dry sticks that men pick up and use for the firewood. But if you live your life in me, and my words live in your hearts, you can ask for whatever you like and it will come true for you. This is how my Father will be glorified—in your becoming fruitful and being my disciples.

9-15 “I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. You must go on living in my love. If you keep my commandments you will live in my love just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and live in his love. I have told you this so that you can share my joy, and that your happiness may be complete. This is my commandment: that you love each other as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this—that a man should lay down his life for his friends.