Foolishness

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."
For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
Romans 1:16-17

"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."
1Cor.1:18-19
"For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." v.25

Tonight I heard a message from years ago by Art Katz, a Jewish brother who has gone on to be with the Lord. He spoke of these things, and more...the power of the Good News ( Great News, really!), that God's presence, up close on personal, has been made available to us- if we want it. The fact is that many, whether in churches or synagogues, say they want Him, but really they don't want Him, but they want to use the name of God, engaging in religious activities in religious atmospheres, but all the while keeping God an impersonal conceptual "God" at an arm's length and not inviting Him in to be the Father/ Bridegroom/Lord/Master that he is, not wanting Him to come in and wreck their comfortable, idol- filled worlds and cause any inconveniences. But beloved, God did not call us into comfortable, convenient self-absorbed lives. I will take, with pleasure, the label of a "fool" for Jesus, or any other name that might be slung at me. The time may come when we will bear the marks of Jesus in our own bodies in the days ahead; are we to be fearful, or walk in courage and boldness? I used to be one of those name calling Christian bashers, assailing Christians with name calling like "hypocrites, Bible thumpers, cultists, "fundamentalists", and much worse... But then He used a courageous and obedient friend to share the power of the Gospel with me... How the outlook changes though when Jesus comes !!! So beloved, be not ashamed ... My prayer is that the Lord will empower us with His "foolishness" and His "weakness" until He returns.