Good Morning Everyone
Today is Friday June 17, 2011
The word of the day comes from
1 Corinthians 2:7-11 NLT
7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”
10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.
My Interpretation
2
Timothy 3:16 reads 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. I love this scripture because it is helpful when people pose the question of how do we know that God wrote/inspired the bible because men wrote it. How do we know that God’s imprint and will is anywhere in this? Well this scripture lets us know that all scripture comes from God. We need to know that first and foremost.
Now the scripture today starts with us realizing that God is a mystery to people (us included as Christians) but we have a better chance of understanding the mysteries about God because we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Many times people can’t understand how you hold onto faith when your spouse leaves you whether from this earth or to another person. People can’t understand how you can keep giving your tithes and offerings when your light bill and water bill can be back in payment so long that you are using candles and bottled water to bathe. People can’t understand how your boss can be so belittling yet you bite your tongue against your own will but right in line with His, that you may be an example to others around you. People can’t understand how you can be in church so often: church is too long, too boring, too crazy, too hypocritical, etc. People can’t understand how you pray and praise God when your health from the doctor tells you that you are not in good shape. God is our peace but God being our peace is not understandable/relatable/comprehendible to those who don’t have God because they can’t have peace. I’m not talking about having religion, having a theologian degree, have rules/decrees/ordinances; I’m talking about a personal connected intact one on one relationship with Jesus Christ.
I understand and I get it. It is harder to comprehend that as bad as we have been in this life in our sin: lying, cheating, envious, jealous, malicious, drunks, on drugs, murders, rapist, thieves, womanizers, loose women, gamblers, etc. A lot of times we have condemned ourselves when God simply says if you come to me and repent of your sins, I will not condemn you. There is nothing you could do so bad that I will not accept you. You are not too far gone. What did Jesus say about the woman who was caught in the very act of adultery in John 8:1-12? You know the story. The people wanted to stone the girl because she was caught in the act and wanted to go to Jesus to see what His response would be because Jesus was a man of peace but the law stated that if you are caught in adultery, you should be stoned to death. Trying to catch Jesus in hypocrisy, Jesus simply told them:
7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
It doesn’t make sense but that is the awesomeness of God. His thinking is far superior to ours and His ways are far superior to ours (Isaiah 55:9). It’s hard to understand that God the Father would send His Son, Jesus Christ, to be savior of the world but He would be born in a manger with horses and stinky manure. That is not the entrance of a king. He would be born of a virgin in the projects (can any good thing come out of Nazareth?). That He would be a king who would be in the midst of sinners, the poor, the sick, that is not very kingly because He didn’t surround Himself with kings. That He would die on a cross and that His shed blood would our admittance into heaven. Nothing about the life of Jesus nor the way in which His 33 yrs on earth signifies what we would think regarding King of Heaven, Savior of the World, to come into the world but I guess if it made sense to everyone they wouldn’t have crucified Him. But thanks be to God that the foolishness of God is no longer to foolishness to us. Thanks be to God that His grace has allowed us the opportunity to come to ourselves and the realization that we need Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Thanks be to God that because of who we are in Christ (whether we been saved for decades or 1 minute) eyes have not seen, ears have not heard nor has it entered into the hearts of men what we will be. Thank you Lord.
10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. I understand, its hard to see a God who tells us in
Romans 10:9 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. That is all I have to do to be saved? That is what gets me into heaven? What about my sins? What about all that I have done? Don’t I have to work my way in? Don’t I have to do something more than that? I got to work off my debt to get into heaven. I got to say a few Hail Mary’s and “our Fathers.” I got to give to the goodwill, visit shelters, I got to give up cursing and drinking, I got to give up smoking and sex before God will even think to accept me. I need…I need…I need.
Ephesians 2:8-10 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
