Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” And again, “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”
1 Corinthians 3:18-20
Foolishness
Christ the Power of God
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:21-24
How Is Your Heart?
“And when He had called all the people, He said unto them,
‘Hearken unto Me every one, and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.’
And when He was entered into the house from the people, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. And He saith unto them,
‘Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?’
And He said,
‘That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.’ ” Mark 7:14-23
It Is a Spiritual Battle
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” Proverbs 12:15
“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence.’ ” John 18:36
Pray that others may not continue in the foolishness of thinking they are right in walking their own way. Give them ears to hear the truth of who Jesus is, to realize their lost condition, the spiritual darkness and death in which they exist.
Let us also pray that we grow stronger in the power of the Spirit of God because the battle we face is not carnal, but spiritual, and can only be won by the power of the Holy Spirit overcoming evil with good.
The power of the new life in Jesus Christ is that He died for our sins, was buried, and He rose again. He said, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself…” John 14:3. He is coming again.
A Scorner; A Merry Heart; Heart of Understanding
“A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.” Proverbs 15:12-14 (KJB)
Foolishness, Friends, and False Witnesses
“The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.
Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.” Proverbs 19:3-5 (KJB)
Wise Use of the Tongue
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.” Proverbs 15:1-2 (KJB)
Forsake the Foolish, and Live
“Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: she hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, ‘Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither:’ him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, ‘Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.’ ” Proverbs 9:1-6 (KJB)
Wisdom and Discernment
“When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.” Proverbs 23:1-8 (KJB)
Wisdom and Discernment – Proverbs 23:1-35
Verses 1 – 3; 6 – 8 — Be alert and aware when people in places of authority and power invite you to their table. The discerning one will be sickened by what the powerful is or was trying to do.
Verses 4 – 5 — The wise and discerning will not make seeking wealth and riches their life pursuit.
“Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: for their Redeemer is mighty; He shall plead their cause with thee. Proverbs 23:9-11
Verse 9 — The wise will know when to be silent around the foolish individual. Remember the words of Jesus “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (Matthew 7:6).
Verses 10 – 11 — (Prov. 22:28; Deut 15:9) Further confirms this teaching. In these verses, however, there is reference to orphans. Someone seizing the land of an orphan or orphans will have the Redeemer defend the orphan against the land grabber.
“Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.” Proverbs 23:12-19
Verses 12 – 16, 19 — It is good to teach others [our children] to pursue instruction and knowledge. The Bible does teach corporal punishment (vv. 13-14). There is rejoicing within parents when their child is a success in life; especially in Christian parents when they see their child following the LORD.
Verses 17 – 18 — The Christian discerner should make godliness the prime search and pursuit of his/her life. The Christian has no right to envy “sinners”. If the Christian is living for God and His Son Jesus Christ the sinner will desire Christ too.
“Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit. She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.” Proverbs 23:20-35
Verses 20 – 26 — Wise words from parents guide children in life, living righteously; education, labor; learning truth and its value. Children also learn from the example of parents (v. 26).
Verses 27 – 35 — In a world with the rebellious, feel good, party attitude, “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die”; the wisdom of God warns of the perils of licentious (unrestrained by law or general morality; lawless; immoral), rebellious, iniquitous living.
Some Thoughts from Proverbs 12
Proverbs 12:1-28
Verses 1-4 – There is a need for instruction. “Instruction” is speaking of the need for correction or chastisement “Instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
To be “brutish” is a sign of stupidity; and foolishness.
Verses 5-7 – The thoughts, purposes or devices of the righteous are right. The advice of the wicked are deceitful. This compares the counsel of the righteous with the wicked.
The wicked and the righteous are again compared in verses 6 and 7.
Verses 8-11 – Acting and/or speaking with wisdom gains the respect of others.
“Prov. 12:9–11 These are sayings about ordinary workers that illustrate either the “good sense” or the “twisted mind” of v. 8. Lack bread (end of v. 9) is paralleled by lacks sense (end of v. 11), and both verses speak of the importance of prudent labor in order to provide enough to eat. The point of the whole is that the righteous person cares even for his animals (v. 10a) and provides for his household by a sensible perspective on life (v. 9a) and sensible labors (v. 11a). By contrast, he who follows worthless pursuits (v. 11; such as get-rich-quick schemes, gambling, or lotteries, in a modern context) lacks sense and, by contrast with the first half of the verse, will probably live in poverty as well (cf. 28:19).” ESV Study Bible notes
Verses 12-14 – Sensible labor and worthless pursuits are in contrast in these verses. Those who practice sensible labors have a yield of fruit. Those who go in worthless pursuits find themselves ensnared.
Verses 15-23 – The foolish person has the perspective of being right in his/her own eyes, and can rarely if ever be taught anything contrary to what they see of themselves.
With verse 15 see the following verses: 3:7; 16:2; 21:2; 26:12; 14:12.
Note the contrast in the prudent and the foolish. Their words and their actions are the product of the heart.
Verses 24-28 – A contrast between the diligent and the slothful. The hard working individual is diligent about their tasks; and will see it through to completion. The slothful will find any excust not to even begin the job. See Proverbs 20:4.
With verse 25 see Proverbs 15:13 and Proverbs 17:22
-Tim A. Blankenship
Day 270
What do I want for Christmas?
I want you to know the love, peace, joy, grace, and power of God in your life; I most of all just want you to know God through His Son Jesus Christ; that you might have His mind and heart.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 (KJV)
Listen to Wisdom
“But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” Proverbs 1:33 (KJV)
From verse 20 or Proverbs 1 through verse 33 Wisdom is personified, and is speaking to the reader. We can learn much by listening to the words of Wisdom.
When God’s wisdom is rejected, knowledge is rejected (v. 22), thus all kinds of foolish endeavors are awakened in the wicked minds of men.
When God’s wisdom is rejected, the call of wisdom is rejected, and so wise counsel is also rejected leading to the laughter of wisdom at the vain endeavors of the wicked minds, and the calamity to which that foolishness leads (vv. 23-26).
When God’s wisdom is rejected, fear comes as desolation with destruction; there is a call to wisdom, but she does not hear. Why will she not hear? Because they have hated knowledge, and “did not choose the fear of the LORD” (vv. 27-32).
Those who have chosen knowledge (ie. godly wisdom and knowledge learned from God’s Spirit, His Word, and believing Him) will be safe. They will also be quiet from fear. With all that is going on in today’s world; the wisdom of God being rejected; O child of God can you not see that the judgment of God is about to fall on this wicked world.
Reject the foolish wisdom of the world, and choose what God says. Choose His wisdom, His Word, His way. Choose to follow the One who died on the cross for your sins; and live for Him.
Words for Christian Living 060613
“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, ‘He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.'” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (KJV)
It seems to me that far too much of our time and efforts today when we are speaking to others of Christ Jesus is spent in debate. Now, do not take me wrong. There is nothing wrong with debate. The idea of debate is to try and persuade someone who is persuadable; is it not?
The message of Christ is not up for debate. No one will change my mind concerning Christ, His death, burial and resurrection, His second coming; even the Pre-tribulation rapture of the Church. So it is a waste of effort with me to try and change my mind on those matters.
I only mention these things because we hear of Christians spending much time in debate with atheists, and trying to persuade them that God exist, using our own “Persuasive abilities”, knowledge of Scripture, and seem to forget that the persuasion is not in our own power, but the power of the Holy Spirit. If an unbeliever wills not to see; they will not see by our words.
“God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…” Let us quit casting pearls before swine, and seek those who might possibly want and need the Lord.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Day 78 – Paul, the Jew, the Corinthian, and the Christian
My reading today was finishing up Romans, reading chapters 8 – 16, and then beginning the Corinthian letters; reading chapters 1 and 2.
The apostle goes to great lengths in chapter 8 of Romans to show what the Christian has in Christ Jesus. There is no condemnation. It is such a wonderful thing to know that because of Christ death, burial and resurrection God does not condemn us. Jesus said, “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). The human race is already condemned due to sin, but God sent His Son.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1 (KJV)
The Christian is “joint-heirs” with Christ, and though it does not sound too pleasant, and it is not to be; that includes suffering with Him-
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” 8:16-18
In chapters 9-11 the apostle speaks of the nation of Israel and where they fit into God’s plan of salvation. He even asks some questions which were probably being asked concerning Israel, and Jesus. These chapters basically tell us that God is not finished with the nation of Israel; but that their initial rejection of Jesus and His crucifixion was in part to bring the Gentiles into the faith of Christ. There is a promise that “Israel will be saved”,
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, ‘There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.’ As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” Romans 11:25-29 (KJV)
In the First Corinthian Letter we find that the wisdom of the world is not sufficient to know God, nor to understand spiritual things. In fact those who are hung up on knowledge, understanding, and in unbelief will not believe, because they cannot understand;
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (KJV)
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” 2:14-16
The only hope for Paul, a Jew; the Jew, and the Corinthian (Gentiles) is to know Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God. Christian you need to grow more into the image and likeness of Him.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Foolish Anger
I have said it here before that there are some who find fault with anger of any kind. Anger, however, is a god given emotion. I do believe that you can judge the character of a man or woman by what makes them angry. Paul the apostle did say, “Be angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27). There is a place for anger.
The child of God should be angry by evil in the world, personal sin, and the destruction that sin, and its cohorts inflict on the world. Anger because a business wants paid and will not bring you any propane until you pay your last bill is pointless anger, and is certainly not holy. For a person to become angry for another whose power has been cut off in the cold and the power company will not leave the power on is possibly a good anger; as long as it is controlled anger. Controlled anger might mean going and paying up the bill for the one who owes it; if possible. If not possible find a way to help.
I was reading Proverbs 12 this morning and the following verse caught my attention,
“A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.” Proverbs 12:16 (KJV)
There are some who get angry about the smallest things, and will voice their anger in public, private, business, home, church, etc., and just let their foolishness be seen by all. It is one of those occasions where you remember the saying, “It is better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
It is kind of sad, but you can tell people who are angry. Their countenance tells me they are angry. Bitterness, anger not dealt with, envy, hatred, malice seem to all fit together. Let me leave you with the commentary of Matthew Henry on Proverbs 12:16 :
Note, 1. Passion is folly: A fool is known by his anger (so some read it); not but that a wise man may be angry when there is just cause for it, but then he has his anger under check and direction, is lord of his anger, whereas a fool’s anger lords it over him. He that, when he is provoked, breaks out into indecent expressions, in words or behaviour, whose passion alters his countenance, makes him outrageous, and leads him to forget himself, Nabal certainly is his name and folly is with him. A fool’s indignation is known in the day; he proclaims it openly, whatever company he is in. Or it is known in the day he is provoked; he cannot defer showing his resentments. Those that are soon angry, that are quickly put into a flame by the least spark, have not that rule which they ought to have over their own spirits. 2. Meekness is wisdom: A prudent man covers shame. (1.) He covers the passion that is in his own breast; when his spirit is stirred, and his heart hot within him, he keeps his mouth as with a bridle, and suppresses his resentments, by smothering and stifling them. Anger is shame, and, though a wise man be not perfectly free from it, yet he is ashamed of it, rebukes it, and suffers not the evil spirit to speak. (2.) He covers the provocation that is given him, the indignity that is done him, winks at it, covers it as much as may be from himself, that he may not carry his resentments of it too far. It is a kindness to ourselves, and contributes to the repose of our own minds, to extenuate and excuse the injuries and affronts that we receive, instead of aggravating them and making the worst of them, as we are apt to do.
Remember the Proverbs advice and be prudent. When you are angry; deal with it, and cover the shame.
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Message Of The Cross
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18 (KJV)
The Cross of Jesus Christ – His death, burial and resurrection is the only means of salvation.
-T.A.
Broken Pieces 