1 Corinthians 1:19

1 Corinthians 1:19 states, For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.  I believe Paul was stating that we can never come to God thorough the wisdom of the world, but the world's wisdom is what will ultimately fail.  There are many very intelligent people in the world today who not only do not believe in God but attempt to discredit His very existence.  One day, though, all their wisdom will be destroyed, but the God that they denied will still be God.  Verse twenty adds, Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?  Paul was asking a question that should have been answered that those who would not accept the salvation of Christ were nowhere spiritually.  All their wisdom and teachings amounted to nothing.  There is only one way to salvation, and that is through faith Christ, which is so simple that even a child can understand it.  Verse twenty-one continues, For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.  We can never find God through the wisdom of the world, and I believe that the more a person accepts the wisdom of the world the harder it becomes to accept the gospel.  Paul stated that it was by the foolishness of preaching that God chose to reach the world.  God has unlimited methods to bring about salvation, but He chose accepting Christ as Savior and Lord through faith.  This is nothing complex, so to many in the world it is foolish for this reason.  Many people do not want to admit that salvation is not something that they can obtain by their own abilities. Verse twenty-two states, For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:  The Jews in Paul's day were looking for a sign that the Messiah was here, and missed the sign when it came.  They were not looking for a suffering Servant but a conquering King, so they missed the sign of the cross. The Greeks were seeking wisdom, and the cross seemed foolishness to them as a way to victory over the world.  Verse twenty-three declares, But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;  Unfortunately, this remains true today.  For the Jew today, Christ is still a stumbling block, and for the unsaved of the world, salvation through a crucified Savior is still foolishness.  Verse twenty-four adds, But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.  Paul declared that to those who accepted salvation through Christ that Christ was the power and wisdom of God.  This is a truth that we as followers of Christ can never doubt.  Christ's crucifixion revealed both the power and wisdom of God.  It represents the power because sin and spiritual death were defeated for all time.  It represents the wisdom of God since it represents the only way to salvation and is based only on faith in that fact.

1 Corinthians 1:10

1 Corinthians 1:10 says, Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  Paul was asking those who made up the church at Corinth to be united through their faith in Christ.  We are to be the same way today.  Some people can almost become so proud of their church, their local body of believers, that they feel that they are superior to other bodies of believers.  We must never feel superior nor inferior to any group of believers, but we must all be united through Christ.  Verse eleven adds, For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.  Church problems are nothing new but began almost from the time the church was formed.  Paul said it had come to his attention that there were contentions among the members of the church at Corinth.  Paul did not just help establish churches and forget them.  He remained in prayer and concerned for them.  We should have that same concern for not only our local church, but for churches everywhere.  There is no room for contention in the body of Christ, which is what we as believers are.  Verse twelve continues, Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.  Some of the believers were claiming to be more important because of the person who baptized them.  When they began to do this, they were missing a key concept of salvation, and that is that we are all equal at the cross.  The way we came to salvation is not what is important.  The only important thing is that we came to salvation through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  Verse thirteen asks, Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?  The first question was whether or not Christ was divided.  I believe this was asking if Christ was a greater Savior for some than for others, making them greater in the eyes of God and their fellow believers.  Paul asked if they were being baptized because he had saved them.  The answer was that only through Christ could there be salvation and that no one was more saved than another.  Verse fourteen adds, I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;  Paul was thankful that he had baptized very few, and in the next verse he gives the reason.  Verse fifteen continues, Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 

Paul didn't want anyone to think that he was baptizing people in his own name.  The act of baptism itself was what was symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, not the one who was performing the baptism.  Verse sixteen says, And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.  I believe Paul was simply continuing to emphasize that it was unimportant who baptized those who were followers of Christ.  Paul himself did not want anyone to claim that they were better because he had baptized them.  Verse seventeen adds, For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. Paul said his calling was to preach the gospel, and even in that he was not called to convince people with eloquent words, but simply with the message of the cross.  This is still our message and purpose today. We are to lead people to a knowledge of salvation through the cross, and who we may have been baptized by is not to be a point of pride or contention.  Verse eighteen continues, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  The gospel indeed sounds foolish to those who refuse to believe it, but to believers it is the power of God. God calls us to salvation and unity through Christ, so no one has a reason to feel superior or inferior to any other Christian.

1 Corinthians 1:1

1 Corinthians 1:1 says, Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,  As always, Paul identifies himself to those he is writing to .  We do not know much about Sosthenes, except he was with Paul and accepted by Paul as a brother in Christ.  When we read things today that are written about God, we need to make certain that we know who it is that is writing them.  Not everyone who writes about Who God is and what He wants from us is a born-again believer in Christ.  Paul said he was called to be an apostle, and we need to be sure that if we are reading things written about God that they are written by someone who is God's servant through a call and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  If what is presented is not consistent with the teachings of the Bible, we need to avoid it.  That would include what I write.  If anything that I say goes against the teachings of the Bible be certain that what I write is wrong.  Verse two adds, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:  Paul's letter had a specific group that it was addressed to, but it had a universal message.  Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, those who were sanctified in Christ Jesus.  This is what the church always was and always will be, and that is a group of sinners saved by grace.  Paul expanded his audience to include all who called upon Jesus as Savior and Lord in every place.  That would include us today as followers of Christ.  Verse three continues, Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. There is only one way that we can find peace, and that is through the grace of God.  When we are living under the Lordship of Christ, we can really know peace, no matter what may be going on around us.  Verse four states, I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; Paul was always thankful for his fellow believers.  This should be our attitude as well.  We should always lift each other up in prayer and never let little disagreements come between us.  We are to be united in our love for Christ.  Verse five adds, That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;  Paul's prayer was that they would be enriched in everything by their salvation and the lordship of Christ.  We today should always be enriched by our relationship with Christ.  This does not mean materially enriched, but spiritually enriched.  Verse six continues, Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: Paul prayed that their salvation might be confirmed. Salvation is more than just saying the right words.  Salvation brings a change of heart that should be confirmed in our lives always.  Verse seven says, So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:  Paul prayed that the followers of Christ around him would use their spiritual gifts.  When all believers use the spiritual gifts that God has given them, then the gospel can be spread effectively.  We are called to be at work for God while we await the return of Christ.  Verse eight adds, Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, when He returns, will confirm us for all time, and if we are following Him obediently, He confirms us daily.  Again, this does not mean that one day we are God's and the next day lost to Him, but that we can be effective or ineffective in our witness for Him.  Verse nine continues, God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  We can always rely on God to be faithful to us.  We have an everlasting fellowship with God through Christ.  This alone should cause us to rejoice every day.

Joel Review

We need to review what Joel has to say to us today, because as always, if we do not see the relevance of God's written word to us, we are missing the importance of it.  First, we can never rely on the powers of this world to protect us.  No matter how powerful we may be as a nation this is not where our security lies.  As followers of Christ, our security comes from God alone.  Also, we need to acknowledge that God does not need military power to destroy a nation.  He used insects in Joel's day, and He can use anything today to accomplish His purpose.  I read a few years ago about a man who said that he now believed that the world could end because with nuclear weapons man for the first time had the ability to accomplish it.  He missed the point though.  The ability to destroy or sustain the world does not rest with man, but with God.  We need to acknowledge that when those who call themselves God's rebel against Him, He will allow punishment to come upon them.  We must also acknowledge that we can only be God's through a covenant relationship with Him.  For us today, that covenant relationship comes through Christ alone.  If we claim to be God's people through any other means, then we are deceiving ourselves.  We can also be certain that if we are really followers of Christ, God secures us to Him forever.  Just as salvation is not of our own merit, neither does everlasting security come from our own actions.  We have God's promise that nothing can separate us from Him once we are born again into His kingdom.  If we stray from His will, though we may lose the joy of our salvation, we do not lose our salvation.  God waits ready to restore that joy as soon as we repent and return to Him.  This should make us a rejoicing people.  We are God's forever.

Joel 3:18

Joel 3:18 states, And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.   Joel closes his prophecy with promises of hope.  When God pronounces judgment on people, He never leaves them without a way to return to Him.  Now, we know that in the last days, when people will no longer respond to God's call that He is coming in judgment and all hope for them will be gone, but this is their choice, not God's choice.  The people of Israel were promised that they would live in a land of plenty.  God has promised His people that He will always generously meet their needs. This includes us today.  We as followers of Christ should be living in contentment knowing that God will provide for us forever.  Verse nineteen adds, Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. Those people who oppose God and oppress or kill His people will ultimately be left in complete desolation.  This does not mean that we as followers of Christ are to attempt to leave them that way. What Joel was telling God's people was that God would ultimately destroy those that oppressed Him and protect His people.  Verse twenty continues, But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.  This is the promise to God's people that they would be His forever.  We can rest secure in that promise.  Our faith can never be in the things of this world, but only in the promise of God that we are His through His power forever.  Verse twenty-one concludes, For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.  We know that we as followers of Christ are cleansed through the blood of Christ, and this is the only way to be cleansed before God.  This is the promise of God to all who would be saved.

Joel 3:15

Joel 3:15 says, The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.  There will be little doubt that God is at work.  Even the heavenly bodies will be affected.  We are about to have a solar eclipse, and many people worldwide are anxious to see it, but when God darkens the sun and moon in the day of judgment, the lost will not be anxious to see it happening.  Verse sixteen adds, The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.  Since God spoke everything into existence, we should not be surprised that His voice can shake the world.  No matter how many or how powerful the weapons we have may be, they are no match for the simple voice of God.  The second part of the verse tells us that the Lord is the hope of His people.  As followers of Christ, we are God's people, and we can rest assured in that fact.  Even if heaven and earth are shaken, our faith keeps us safe from whatever comes.  We are God's children forever.  Verse seventeen continues, So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.  I believe that God was telling His people in that day and today that when He comes in judgment, there will be no doubt that He is God.  After the judgment, there will be no more hope for salvation, no more strangers will pass through. God will gather those who are His.  It is hard to envision life without the ravages of sin, but in the place that God has prepared for His people, sin will no longer exist.  There will be no division based on nationality or anything else. We will all be brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are now by salvation.  We as followers of Christ should be living with this truth now.  We are not called to live totally in the will of God one day in heaven, but to live under His Lordship now.  I am not sure how we can feel justify hating other people today based on external characteristics and then feel that we will love them in heaven.  We as followers of Christ must live by God's standards today and forever, and that standard is that we love as God loves.

Joel 3:9

Joel 3:9 says, Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:  I believe God is issuing a warning to those who oppose Him.  They need to prepare for war, and even when they bring their best power against Him, it is going to be ineffective.  Anytime we battle against God, no matter if we bring our most powerful weapons, we are going to lose.  I believe that this also tells us that God always warns everyone that if they are attempting to defeat Him that they are fighting a losing battle.  Verse ten adds, Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.  We as followers of Christ are told to beat our swords into plowshares, but here those that oppose God are told just the opposite.  We may have some very powerful weapons in the world today, but they are nothing compared to the power of God.  If a person or a nation is going to war against God, they can use everything at their disposal, but it is not going to be enough to defeat Him.  Verse eleven continues, Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.  Those opposed to God are called on to gather together, but God warns that His mighty ones, His angels, will come down against them.  We know at the second coming of Christ that the angels will be with Him and the powers of this world will be completely defeated.  We also know that since Christ's ascension that His followers have thought that His return was imminent, but all we can be sure of is that it is certain.  We do not have to fight the forces of evil in the world alone, because the Holy Spirit is there to strengthen us for the fight.  Verse twelve states, Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.  There is coming a day of judgment when all the heathen, those that do not believe in Christ as Savior, will be gathered and judged.  Without accepting the gracious gift of forgiveness through Christ, the only verdict can be guilty. Verse thirteen adds, Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.  The harvest was ripe, but it was ripe with wickedness.  We as followers of Christ are told that we are to be busy witnessing, because the harvest is ripe.  Those who are lost in the world today always need to hear the gospel now.  We are to be concerned not with killing them, but instead with converting them.

Verse fourteen continues, Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. There are indeed multitudes and multitudes in the valley of decision today, even if they don't realize it.  It is our responsibility as followers of Christ to make them aware of their need to make a decision to follow Christ also, for the day of the Lord is indeed nearer every day. Whether it be today or a thousand years, for many people it is today. For everyone who dies today, the day of the Lord is indeed here.