Become A Fool To Be Wise?

1st Corinthians 3:18 

"Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise."

This is definitely a paradox! (a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.) Oxford Dictionary

Paul went through the same process when he was first converted!

Philippians 3:5-8

"circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ"

Paul indeed became a fool (a person lacking in judgment or prudence) Merriam Webster. And he became one of the wisest and spiritually strong men in the first century! God used him mightily after he was humbled by his spiritual encounters with Jesus, the thorn in his flesh, and being taught by the Spirit God in the desert. 

Galatians 6:3

"For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." 

So many paradoxes and humbling scriptures in the bible to help those who truly want to be followers of Christ understand what they must do in order to walk blameless in the sight of God. It doesn't matter your age or how many degree's or certificate's you may have. It doesn't matter what men may call you, or even if you pastor a big congregation of people, you can still be spiritually immature, disobedient, and deceived in your understanding of the scriptures!

It takes true humility and a emptying of self to really grow and become wise in the sight of God and His people. You have to count all that you learned in the world and the religious system, garbage, in order to learn the true wisdom of God that can change your eternity and anyone else's God uses you to serve.

You gotta let it all go NEO! Don't think you know everything there is to know about God, Jesus, the scriptures, life, or anything else, and don't consider yourself more highly than you ought!

Let all those who call upon the name of Jesus become fools for Him that we may become wise men and women of God!

In Jesus Name,

Tyrone

Wisdom

By: Cynthia Palmer

Written on June 11th, 2011

The peace of the Lord to all,

As I knelt down to pray at 10pm on June 11th, 2011, the Holy Spirit started reminding me the words in Proverbs He was giving to me many days in a row some days ago. And all the words were about "Wisdom".

The Lord was telling me how much since I was a little child I have been in the midst of older people and Tyrone the same, but since I came to Christ the Lord only put me around older people who are supposed to be wiser than younger people. But the Lord  has always used me to teach something to older people. And He was reminding me of how many older couples and people He has been putting in our path since me and Tyrone got married.

So the Lord said that He would put us in the midst of those who think they know, who think they are right, who think their knowledge is saving them to confuse them, to show through our vessels that He is powerful and He knows the depths of everything and He can use whoever He wants , even the young to confuse the old, for His wisdom is amazing! He uses the least expected to give us lessons and also to correct us, advise us, help us. Not everything the Lord does will have the standards of age, beauty, closeness to us or expectations we have, but many times this is what He does to bring us to completion of His purposes and we cannot miss these visitations.

The Lord said He would confuse the wise using me and Tyrone in His wisdom.

Let us check what wisdom means:

Wisdom (Wikipedia) – Wisdom is a deep understanding and realizing of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to choose or act or inspire to consistently produce the optimum results with a minimum of time, energy or thought. It is the ability to optimally (effectively and efficiently) apply perceptions and knowledge and so produce the desired results. Wisdom is also the comprehension of what is true or right coupled with optimum judgment as to action.

***Wisdom:  is a God given gift and can also be searched by prayer, by crying out to the Lord.

Proverbs 2:6

For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

James 1:5-6

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Ephesians 5:15-16

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

My comment: We definetely need to redeem our time, we need to use every second wisely, we need wisdom to count our days, so we may do everything the Lord has for us to accomplish in this earth as wise servants.
Commentary of Life Application Bible: Wisdom is both the ability to discern what is best and the strength of character to act upon that knowledge. Applying wisdom to life demonstrates our discernment.

2 Peter 3:15-16 - God gave wisdom to Paul to write

...and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

This is so amazing! Wisdom is just so much for the ignorant and unstable that they distort wisdom to their own destruction!

1 kings 3:12
behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.

The Lord gave wisdom to Solomon when He asked but let us see what He did to it. He used wisely to judge in his kingdom righteously, but in his personal life ( all the women who worshipped idols that He had as wives) he did not use the wisdom God gave him and it was a mess. This is the same with us today, we can pretty much be using the wisdom we received from God in some areas of our lives,  but leaving other areas aside and acting up like fools. Therefore not obtaining the results we wish we had in those areas.

Acts 7:10 -God gave Joseph wisdom and he used it well:

...and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

Let us think about this wonderful man of God: He was hated by his brothers, was sold as a slave by them, but the favor of the Lord was upon Him and everything he did was a success! Joseph used the wisdom the Lord gave him in all the aspects of his life and he was always blessed by the Lord even in the most difficult moments of his life like the prison.
God's Wisdom

1 Cor 1:8-25-27

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. 19 For it is written: “ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”[a]20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks[b] foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.

Commentary of the Life Application Bible: Many Jews considered the Good News of Jesus Christ to be foolish, because they thought the Messiah would be a conquering King accompanied by signs and miracles. Jesus had not restored David's throne as they expected. Besides, he was executed as a criminal, and how could a criminal be a savior? Greeks too, considered the gospel foolish: they did not believe in a bodily ressurection; they did not see in Jesus the powerful characteristics of their mythological gods; and they thought no reputable person would be crucified. To them, death was defeat, not victory.

My comment: Think about that: God (invisible) came in flesh through Jesus Christ (the Word, who was God Himself). Mary was the one who was chosen to carry the pregnancy of Jesus Christ (God) and she was virgin! Then, Jesus (God),the Savior of human kind because of the preaching of the kingdom of God was persecuted and crucified as a criminal! Doesn't God really love to confuse the wise? That is why I love God!!!! To believe Him and everything He did, does and will do needs faith and faith that even He is the only ONE able to GIVE to mankind! Aleluia! Praise the living God, the One who nobody can give advices for He knows it all!

1 cor 2:6-8

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Wisdom from Above

James 3:13-17

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

Value of Wisdom

Job 28:12-28

“But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
¹³ Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
¹⁴ The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
¹⁵ It cannot be purchased for gold, Nor can silver be weighed for its price.
¹⁶ It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or sapphire.
¹⁷ Neither gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.
¹⁸ No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above rubies.
¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
²⁰“From where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?
²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
And concealed from the birds of the air.
²² Destruction and Death say,
‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’
²³ God understands its way, And He knows its place.
²⁴ For He looks to the ends of the earth,
And sees under the whole heavens,
²⁵ To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure.
²⁶ When He made a law for the rain,
And a path for the thunderbolt,
²⁷ Then He saw wisdom^[b] and declared it;
He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.
²⁸ And to man He said,
‘ Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.’”

Proverbs 3:13-18

¹³ Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
¹⁴ For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
¹⁶ Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
¹⁷ Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace. ¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her. 

Wisdom of words

1 Cor 1:17

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

My comment: Many people today try to be an ambulant dictionary, preaching with so many difficult words, words that people commonly do not even hear, words that people cannot comprehend the meaning just to impress the crowd, just to show their knowledge, but Paul was the contrary, he did not use wisdom of words, but he carried the power of God with him and he preached the cross, he preached Jesus Christ in a way people could understand and choose what way they would like to take.

May the Lord grant us His wisdom and may we use it wisely in all we do,
Cynthia R. Palmer

Dream 8-13-10 Adding To The Scriptures?

My wife and I were talking about one of the scriptures that are commonly used to validate the 'Original Sin' doctrine (Romans 5:12) and I said to her, "This scripture does not say that all are born in sin, nor does it say that all have inherited the sin of Adam and Eve." When we add  carnal reasoning to scripture we can make them say what we want them to, and then believe the doctrine that we create using scripture. Instead what we should do is leave the scriptures as they are, don't add anything to them, or take anything away from them, and ask God to open the eyes of our understanding so that we might receive the revelation of the scripture from the Holy Spirit, then the interpretation is God's and not ours.

In my dream I was in a classroom and the room was full of students. We were about to take a finals test and I had missed some days, so instead of taking the final with everybody else the teacher asked me to take some make up tests and when I took those I could move on to the final. The rest of the class started on the final and I began the make up tests, the first question was an equation that required the use of a ruler, after I finished this first question the teacher decided to check my work. He took the ruler and checked it against my answer and said, 'this answer is wrong because you didn't add yourself into the equation', my reply was, 'it doesn't say that in the question!', he then replied, 'well you're sapposed to even if it doesn't say that on the paper', then I said, 'ok but if I do that I'm gonna go somewhere else and they will mark it wrong and I'm gonna say that Scott (teachers name in dream) told me to do it.' After this exchange he just walked away and then I woke up.

My interpretation of this dream (which may not be correct!). God was telling me not to add anything of myself into the scriptures and pay attention when man adds something to His word. I also undertsood that I shouldn't do something or agree with someone who is in error just because he or she is the teacher or leader, but seek God's divine interpretation and do what He says.

Luke 24:44-45

"Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” ***And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures***"

Jesus had to open the minds of His disciples so that they could understand the scriptures, and if they had to have this divine opening of their understanding, then so must we!

Love In Christ,
Tyrone