1 Corinthians 2:1-16

Similar to my thoughts in chapter 1 - Paul's humility and claim to all his words and wisdom being the Spirit is something I want to emulate.

Christ Crucified

¹ And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. ² For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. ³ I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Spiritual Wisdom
⁶ 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.
⁹ But as it is written:
“ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

¹⁰ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
¹³ These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ¹⁶ For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

In flock we've been studying James 2 and had some serious discussions on the chapter and a MacArthur sermon about it. Verse 14 is another evidence of fruit. -Without the Spirit we can't know God and can't understand what He has to say. The Bible is His words to us so I think it stands to say that without the Spirit we would be hard pressed to understand the Word. Richard, Jnet - right?

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

This sections is totally summed up by what I have highlighted.
We are nothing without Christ! - I have no words, no wisdom, no life, no glory, no anything without Christ. AMEN.

Glory Only in the Lord
²⁶ 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; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence. ³⁰ But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— ³¹ that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”

1 Corinthians 1:10-25

Notice "For"s. All of 1 Corinthians is connected by them even though there are breaks.

Sectarianism Is Sin
¹⁰ Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. ¹² Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” ¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
¹⁴ I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. ¹⁶ Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 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.

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God

¹⁸ 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.”
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 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.

I love the reminder that the message of the gospel isn't my words. Even Paul, a great father in the faith claims to have no wisdom without Christ. I far too often take pride in my own knowledge of Him. He has blessed me with opportunities to learn about Him but in spite of feeling intellectually prepared to speak about my faith, I need to rely more on His power of the message. The last thing speaks for itself.
It's hard to comment because I feel like it's all right there and what else can I say. :)

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

I've been reading 1 Corinthians and I'd like to share what I've been learning. And putting it down on "paper" will help me remember it too!

Greeting

¹ Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
² To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Gifts at Corinth
⁴ I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, ⁵ that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, ⁶ even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, ⁷ so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁸ who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

I am always so thankful and reassured every time I read the words 'God is faithful' in the Bible. This is one of His greatest promises.

I Wish Wednesday

I wish I could read J’s mind.
This weekend we went to Nebraska Furniture Mart with the expressed purpose of buying some furniture off the long list of options we had discussed. We looked at bedside tables, bar stools, bookshelves and buffets. And we came home with absolutely nothing! I was particularly excited to get bedside tables since I currently have a pile on the floor next to my side of the bed. But I didn’t have a clear vision of what I wanted ahead of time and J had no idea what he liked. Soo now I know what I like and I know what he does not like so hopefully our next trip will be more successful. But mind reading sure would’ve been helpful. :)

I wish it was really Spring.
Let’s be real – it’s March in Nebraska. There is a very real possibility that it will be very cold yet again this month. I love 40-50 degree mornings. This week I’ve started running again. Even though it’s hard to convince my lazy winter bones to get outside and be active in the morning, I am trying. I find that running is a great stress-reliever. I want to be more consistent this summer than last year. It’s a continuous, slow growing process for me.

Ooo Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th makes me laugh! Superstitions make me laugh!! People are so silly.
Here's a more serious point from John Piper...

In Christ, There Is No Bad Luck
March 13, 2009 By: John Piper Category: Commentary

Today is Friday the 13th! Bad luck day.
In case this or any other superstition frightens you or, worse, controls you, take the sword of the Spirit and kill it.
Here’s a few sword thrusts that I use.
There is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, “What has God wrought!” (Numbers 23:23)
Does this apply to us Christians? Yes. Because “It is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7). That’s us. We are Jacob. We are Israel.
And because we are, "all the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
So in Christ we cannot be cursed. There is no jinx or hex that can stick against those who are in Christ Jesus.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. (Galatians 3:13)
Christ took on himself every curse that is against me. God is for me and no one can successfully be against me.
He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1John 4:4)

Creepy Picture

Check out this picture...
You know which two people this looks like right?

Sooo Creepy!

Here's the full article from Between Two Worlds that the picture goes with...

http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/03/lincoln-created-in-our-own-image.html

Political Articles

Funny - I just noticed this draft from November. So I'm posting it today anyhow! Please enjoy if you want to go back and read election stuff. I recommend Between Two Worlds. The post-election perspective was very encouraging.

I really disliked reading all the pre-election articles but I have really been enjoying the post election ones! Enjoy:

A Different Path OPINION: After 30 years of trying to transform culture through politics, conservative evangelicals would be wise to try a different, God-glorifying direction by Cal Thomas. I agree that the GOP needs help!

Between Two Worlds is a great blog I've just started reading. I really enjoy the guest bloggers posts about the election. The guest posts by African-American men are especially good. It's a point of view that I don't often get to hear living in Nebraska and reading conservative information. These men are conservative and black and I enjoyed reading how they viewed Obama and the election in light of their beliefs.
Specifically: eric redmond living soli deo gloria and other guest posts around early November.

Newsweek's Behind the Scenes Wrap-Up by Greg Pollowitz. This is creepy.

Winning PropositionMarriage success. By Jennifer Roback Morse. I am so happy this passed! But I think the battle is only beginning on this front.

Can We Agree? Post-election issues by Gerard Alexander. Some interesting points and facts.

No retreat. Election 2008: Conservative reaction to the GOP’s defeat by The Editors. This article is a compilation of comments from different conservative leaders. This is one of the first things I've read that is more negative and hints at some radical thoughts about Obama.

I Wish Wednesday

I wish I had something to write about.
I have some pictures on our camera that will post and write about eventually. But that might be awhile. :)
I have been doing a lot of reading recently. I will try to continue to share via the Google Reader feed in the sidebar. Enjoy.

Stem Cells

This is important information! It breaks my heart to read about the millions of babies that are murdered at the beginning of their lives. I've shared many more articles via Google Reader. Check them out.
This article is from BreakPoint Commentaries written by Chuck Colson.

Miracle Cells

The Real Success Stories

Many who listened to President Obama’s inaugural address believe he means to spend taxpayer money on research that destroys human embryos. Before he does, I hope somebody brings to his attention the story I’m about to tell.

A few years ago, a Texas teenager named Laura Dominguez lost control of her car when she hit an oil spill on the road. The accident left Laura paralyzed from the neck down. “You’ll never walk again,” doctors told her.

Laura refused to accept this prognosis. She and her mother met with experts on spinal cord injuries. They learned about an exciting new treatment being performed in Portugal. The procedure is known as olfactory mucosa transplantation. Surgeons take adult stem cells found in the nasal region and transplant them into the injured area.

Laura underwent this treatment—and her spinal cord began to heal. She gained upper body agility, and, in time, she learned to walk with the use of braces and outside help. Laura is determined to walk unassisted by her 21st birthday.

Miracles like this have been repeated many times as researchers bend their attention to the uses of adult stem cells. Writer Bradley Hughes describes many of them in his article “Real-World Successes of Adult Stem Cell Treatment.”

To date, Hughes writes, these “miracle cells” are providing hope for patients with Crohn’s disease, lupus, heart disease, blindness, Parkinson’s, and sickle-cell anemia. And according to biotech writer James P. Kelly, umbilical cord blood stem cells are already being used to treat 70 forms of blood and bone marrow cancers.

And just a few days ago, there was a report at Northwestern University. Twenty-one patients with multiple sclerosis were stabilized following treatment with adult stem cells removed from each patient’s bone marrow. In some patients, the disease was reversed.

But because much of the mainstream media refuses to report on this, many Americans remain unaware of it. Ignorance about these cures may be driving the public’s demand for embryonic stem-cell research, which kills human beings at the embryonic stage.

Americans also seems unaware that not a single clinical success has resulted from treatments using embryonic stem cells. None!

So why do researchers and the biotech industry push so hard for public funds for embryo-destructive research? Because science wants science for science’s sake and, incidentally, because they stand to make huge profits through potential patents. It’s potentially far more lucrative than research involving adult stem cells.

You and I need to spread the word about the miracle cures being found through the use of adult stem cells. They’re a far superior alternative to embryonic stem cells—and nobody is killed in the process of retrieving them.

As science demands unfettered research in the future, we need to be encouraging ethically challenged reporters, researchers, and politicians to take a look backwards for a grim reminder of what happens when science is divorced from morality—euthanasia, gas chambers, and Nazi experiments on children.

Do we really want to start down that terrible road again?

For Further Reading and Information

“Stem Cells 'Reset' Immune System in MS Patients: Study,” AFP, 29 January 2009.

James P. Kelly, “Stem Cell Politics: Divide and Conquer,” Weekly Standard, 5 September 2006.

Bradley Hughes, “Real-World Successes of Adult Stem Cell Treatment,” Family Research Council, 1 December 2004.

“No God Condones What?: The President and the Innocent,” BreakPoint Commentary, 10 February 2009.

“The Proper Role of Science: Exposing Scientism,” BreakPoint Commentary, 29 January 2009.

“'Your Own Stem Cells Work!': Carron Morrow's Story,” BreakPoint Commentary, 22 August 2007.

Marriage Musings

My thoughts in past months...

Why is marriage so hard!!? You start with such excitement and so many hopes. How does it change to frustration and dashed hopes so quickly? There are days where hope fills my heart – but is it worth it? It only makes the fall harder and the cracks in my heart deeper. Maybe I’m depending too much on the wrong person. I had finally figured out how to be an independent adult when it all changed – I fell in love and we decided to share our lives instead. Now I had to learn to be dependent again. But the roller coaster is too much. Jesus, help me to be more dependent on You. You are the only One who keeps all Your promises!

I wrote these thoughts in my journal recently and have written them in other forms multiple times over the past almost 4 years of marriage. I never could have anticipated the changes marriage would bring to my life. I have been slowly learning that even though I love Justin dearly, he is not my everything. This was an expectation I sometimes placed on him without realizing. I see now that's definitely an influence of the world and those foofy romantic books I read in high school when I dreamed of falling in love. My mind knew that wasn't a correct view of marriage but my emotional heart didn't quite catch on. I am so thankful that God never gives up on me. He keeps reminding me that He is the lover of my soul. He is my everything. He is always there! As I learn to depend on God first and my husband second, my marriage grows and my heart is encouraged even on the frustrating days.

Just in case... For those of you that worry about me, there's nothing wrong I'm just expressing my thoughts about life. :) I'm sure you can relate to the fact that the down turns of the ups and downs of marriage can be blown in to emotional heart breaks if I let my emotions get the better of me rather than focusing on what is true. This is more a reflection of my own failure of expectations as a wife. I would never blog about my hubby in a negative way, I love and respect him too much as my husband! I hope my conclusion is encouraging. I have no desire to wallow in my discouragements or cause anyone else to do the same. We have such a faithful God who is always there for us!

Love

I found this very thought provoking.

Is God's Love Unconditional?
February 20, 2009 By: John Piper Category: Commentary

There is such a thing as unconditional love in God, but it’s not what most people mean by it.
It’s not a saving love that he has for everybody. Else everybody would be saved, since they would not have to meet any conditions, not even faith. But Jesus said everybody is not saved (Matthew 25:46).
It’s not the love that justifies sinners since the Bible says we are justified by faith, and faith is a condition (Romans 5:1).
It’s not the love of working all things together for our good because Paul says that happens “to those who love God” (Romans 8:28).
It’s not the love of the most intimate fellowship with the Father because Jesus said, “He who loves me will be loved by my Father” (John 14:21). And James said, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
It’s not the love that will admit us into heaven when we die because John says, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). And faithfulness is a condition.
How then does God love unconditionally? Two ways (at least):
He loves us with electing love unconditionally. “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world . . . for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:4-5). He does not base this election on foreseeing our faith. On the contrary, our faith is the result of being chosen and appointed to believe, as Acts 13:48 says, “As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.”
He loves us with regenerating love before we meet any condition. The new birth is not God’s response to our meeting the condition of faith. On the contrary, the new birth enables us to believe. “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been [already!] born of God,” (1John 5:1). “[We] were born, not . . . of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13).
Let us pray that thousands of people who speak of the unconditional love of God would discover the biblical meaning of what they say. If that happened many would find their feet on solid ground.