1 Corinthians 1: 18: - 24 The Amplified translation ~ For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the (manifestation of) the power of God.
19) For it is written, I will baffle and render useless and destroy the learning of the learned and the philosophy of the philosophers and the cleverness of the clever and the discernment of the discerning; I will frustrate and nullify (them) and bring (them) to nothing.
20) Where is the wise man (the philosopher)? Where is the scribe (the scholar)? Where is the investigator (the logician, the debater) of this present time and age? Has not God shown up the nonsense and the folly of this world’s wisdom?
21) For when the world with all its earthly wisdom failed to perceive and recognize and know God by means of its own philosophy, God in His wisdom was pleased through the foolishness of preaching (salvation, procured by Christ and to be had through Him), to save those who believed (who clung to and trusted in and relied on Him).
22) For while Jews (demandingly) ask for signs and miracles and Greeks pursue philosophy and wisdom,
23) We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, (preaching which) to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block (that springs a snare or trap), and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense.
24) But to those who are called, whether Jew or Greek (Gentile), Christ (is) the power of God and the Wisdom of God.

In this letter to the church at Corinth, Paul isn’t praising anyone for their steadfastness to Christian duties and worship, nor their obedience to his instructions or the commands of Christ. On the contrary, he does nothing in this letter but warn and admonish. The church at Corinth is not too far from paganism, as that’s how they worshipped before Christ. Since it’s located on the Mediterranean Sea, it’s a wealthy trading center full of Romans, Jews and Greeks from all over the world. So I wouldn’t be too far off in saying mammon is trying to reestablish it’s foothold as their idol and god. Hmm…, kind of sounds like the church in America today. What Paul is confronting in this first chapter is a party spirit or a spirit of division. Also sounds like the church in America today.

If you haven’t already noticed, I write very little on what’s right with the church today. Most of what you’ll find at my site is the bringing to light the problems and shortcomings of the church in America or the Spiritual Israel. Paul does the same thing through most of his ministry. Now, I have to say, I’m not likening myself to Paul in anyway. Because of the same Spirit at work in all of us, We see the same things in regard to the true worship of God, and this great harlot called religion forever trying to get its clammy claws on Christ's Body. I refuse to make many apologies or back up one step.Truth is Truth. If Paul himself were here today and writing letters to the leaders of today’s church, he wouldn’t change one word, except to come down much more heavier and sterner on them, because they definitely should know better.

He starts off as he always does in 1 Corinthians 1: 1 - 9 praying for their Spiritual blessing and that God would enrich them with all of His Spiritual endowments. Verse 10, he addresses the problems at hand. In the first chapter he’s trying to put down a party spirit or a spirit of division. One group is trying to line up with Apollo’s teaching, an elder in this church and the other to Paul. Again, this kind of sounds like all of the different denominations of today. As he says in verse 13 Amplified translation, Is Christ (the Messiah) divided into parts? A divided Christ cannot be, people. There’s no such thing as a denominational ~ non-denominational or an inter-denominational Body of Christ. There's only the Body of Christ, Period! All of these splits are not a part of God's Kingdom. This is why religion is so ineffective today as it was when Jesus preached against it.

Ecclesiasties.1: 4 - (Amp) One generation goes and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5) The sun also rises and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.
6) The wind goes to the south and circles about to the north; it circles and circles about continually, and on it’s circuit the wind returns again.
7) All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place from which the rivers come, to there and from there they return again.
8) All things are weary with toil and all words are feeble; man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9) The thing that has been ~ It is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun.

The reason in bringing up this wisdom of Solomon is, there is nothing now happening in God’s Kingdom that already hasn’t happened. The same Pharisaic, legalistic, theological, scholars and scribes that were in our Lords' face 2000 years ago, are in His face today. The world didn't give Jesus any trouble, religion or the Church did. There’s nothing new under the sun. These brethren at Corinth have lost site of the Master. They're starting to latch on to someone they can see and hear, Apollos, Paul or Peter. They can’t see Christ any longer. Remember, they’re not very far from paganism and idol worship. Neither is the Church here in America. As then, Jesus is confronted today with division, factions, sects, cults, idol worship and the deification of mammon, in which all of this is said to be In His Name. Some wanted to attend the First Church of Peter. Some wanted to be members of The United Fellowship of Appollos. Some wanted to join First Assembly of Paul. There is nothing new under the sun.

This church in Corinth is a very wise church. Wise in the ways of man. Remember, Paul said in verse 22 & 23, For while Jews demandingly ask for signs and miracles and Greeks pursue philosophy and wisdom, (23) We preach Christ the Messiah crucified. I have been very hesitant to put this up at my site, and I have asked God to please make it clear to me if this is what He wants. What I’m about to come against is a very sacred cow to just about all of the different sects or factions of todays Church because it lends credibility to the reasoning and intelligibility of Scripture instead of the taking of it by Faith. It’s this amazing ability of the Church to mix man’s wisdom concerning Christs' crucifixion with what God says about the same.

I wander about the www a lot and visit and am invited to visit many sites. I have to say 9 out of 10 of these sites rely more on concordances, dictionaries, old church teaching, and a time worn practice of putting a scholarly spin on what God intended to be taken only by Faith. I can just see Paul entering into a church that he fathered with his preplanned sermon written and rehearsed and the scrolls ready for referrence. Why have we fallen for this, brethren? I skim across the preaching on TV to see what is put forth as Truth and I have yet to see a preacher explaining and teaching and truly expounding on God’s Word to the sheep by the only way God intended for the Gospel to be preached, by the power of The Holy Ghost. Instead, if they’re not spewing this prosperity puke out which any showman and entertainer can do, they’re reading from notes and preaching a quasi-theological speech about the ways and purposes of God's Kingdom. For the life of me I cannot understand this. God's Word cannot be understood and heard with the mind. These men and women, in which some of them have been studying God’s Word for 20 years or more, should understand this by now, yet all you hear coming from the pulpit is humorous tales, and stories to amuse and entertain. This place where God’s Truth is to be fed to the sheep has become a stage, where these performers prance around with loud theatrical voices in $700.00 outfits putting on a show that would make the theater envious. There is no more teaching by God’s Spirit than paganism is. Woe unto us!

Listen to what Paul says about himself and the way he taught Gods' Truth.1 Cor. 2: 1 - 5 (amp) As for myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mystery and secret of God (concerning what He has done through Christ for the salvation of men) in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom; (2) For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.(3) And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling (after I had come) among you.(4) And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power (a proof by The Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them). (5) So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.

Notice this is just the opposite way of preaching from what I described in the prior paragraph. Paul knew he couldn’t preach by his own power. This man had a problem with confidence when it came to preaching. He knew nothing he could do would make Gods' Truth more believable. Listen to how he describes himself in 2 Cor. 11: 6 (kjv) But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things.

Paul knows only the Holy Spirit can cause the hearers to sit up and take notice. This phony showmanship that is put forth as preaching these days has run it’s course and I will do all I can to expose it and call it out at every turn. This performing as I said is totally based on a head knowledge of God’s Word. Anyone who can read and tell a joke can do this. The expert and the grand master at this way of reading mans wisdom into Gods Word and making it appealing to man is Satan. He invented it. Read what the Gospel of Christ is for, and it's not to make the flesh comfortable. If His Gospel doesn't convict and make our flesh uncomfortable, then we better take another look at who is preaching it.

2 Tim.3: 16 (kjv) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. In Lk. 4: 3 & 4 (amp) Satan in his narrow minded way of seeing things tries to use this head wisdom on Jesus. Then the devil said to Him, If you are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf of bread. (4) And Jesus replied to him, It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by bread alone but by every Word and expression of God. Verse 7 & 8 ~ Therefore if You will do homage to and worship me (just once), it shall all be Yours. (8) And Jesus replied to him, Get behind Me, Satan! It is written, You shall do homage to and worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve. Then the master at turning Scripture around to make it mean what he wants speaks in verse 9 & 10, Then he took Him to Jerusalem and set Him on a gable of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here; (10) For it is written, He will give His angels charge over You to guard and watch over You closely and carefully. Jumping to verse 12 ~ And Jesus replied to him, The Scripture says, you shall not tempt the Lord your God. I got a word for you, Satan didn’t know at this time Jesus was in fact the Son of God. Ps. 91: 11 & 12 proves it. Notice how he keeps asking Him, If you are the Son of God. Exactly the same question the legalistic Jewish Pharisees asked, they wanted to see proof. That’s why Jesus said their father was the devil. At this time, the devil just knows Jesus is a son of God. Satan isn’t as smart as the church gives him credit for people.

The title of this subject was picked because of 1 Cor. 1: 22 - 24 (kjv) For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. (23) But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. (24) But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. The key words here are, But unto them which are called. That's right, you have to be called, we don't choose Jesus, He chooses us. We have this notion that all we have to do is decide we want to stay out of hell. So the only way we can see to do this is to walk over to Jesus’s camp. It doesn’t work that way people. Just because you don’t want your precious flesh to suffer in hell is not enough reason for God to save you. I will say again. Just because the idea of hell doesn’t appeal to you, is not good enough reason for God to save you. Sorry Truth is Truth.

In the first place, God requires a completely broken spirit and a completely penitent and contrite heart broken in two by sin, rebellion and disobedience, for Him to even look your way. He cannot look upon a person that is full of pride and sin. If He did, you would be consumed by His all consuming fire. Nothing else but a person completely split down the middle and melted on the floor will do, Brethren. I have said before, unless you’ve had what I call a melt down for Jesus, you have a very serious problem with your salvation and with your relationship with the Father. Psalm 51: 14 - 17 (kjv) Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. (15) O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. (16) For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. (17) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Notice what these prior verses say. I will paraphrase ~ Save me from my guilt of sin, Father and I will praise You forever. For I know You don’t require physical sacrifice for sin any longer. I know that You require only a completely broken spirit, broken by the curse of sin and a completely penitent heart, broken in two for the rebellion and disobedience against You. In this You will take delight.

I will try to finish this off, but as my pages are always under construction by me adding to them, I will undoubtedly have to do just that with this subject. Listen to what Isaiah 29: 9 - 16 (kvj) This theme of these verses are about Israel’s blindness. As God no longer speaks of a physical Israel, this can only apply to a Spiritual Israel that is alive today. Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. (10) For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. (11) And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: (12) And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. (13) Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: (14) Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. (15) Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? (16) Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

Also notice Isaiah 28: 14 - 16 (amp) the gist of these verses are a warning leading up to Isaiah 29 God does this a lot to Jerusalem, and it’s no wonder. He warns his children before He destroys them or sends them into captivity. ~ Therefore hear the Word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem! (15) Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, (unbelief) and with Sheol (the place of the dead) we have an agreement---when the overflowing passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter. (16) Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion for a Foundation a Stone, a tested Stone, a precious Cornerstone of sure foundation; he who believes (trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone) will not be ashamed or give way or hasten away (in sudden panic).

I know it looks like I kind of jumped around a bit on the train of thought, but not really. I started this page off with Paul reprimanding the church at Corinth for their division. Then went into the reason for this division. Mans wisdom mixed with Faith. Oil and Water. I showed you how Paul knew He couldn’t preach like an entertainer and that the same spirit of darkness and leaven is still in Our Lord’s face today demanding signs and philosophizing God’s Word into unbelief. And because of this, men and women are sitting in church unsure of their eternal outcome because they’ve never been taught that you have to melt down in sorrow and shame to be truly saved. And that sitting in a church pew in Corinth won't do anything but flatten your behind and give you back trouble. These poor brethren still sitting proudly up in the First Church’s pews reserved for the select brethren, either demanding signs or philophosizing The Word, believing all is well for them in the Kingdom of Heaven. And because of this I finished this off with the prophesy in Isaiah. It’s very clear brethren. Whether your spiritual eyes are open to see it or not, is up to you. Take a long look at yourself and see if you're a Jew or a Greek. God sees them both as filthy rags.

I BID YOU HEART PEACE AND ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSING UNTO YOU FROM HIS THRONE OF GRACE!