Life-Giving Foolishness 
By Mike Rule

This week seems to have gotten away from me, and rather than trying to pull together a formal article I thought I would just take a moment and share informally as I occasionally do.

Last night I was reading from the Jewish New Testament as a change from reading my usual New King James Version. I turned to 1 Corinthians 1:17 and began to read. I was profoundly struck by these words.

"For the Messiah did not send me to immerse but to proclaim the Good News - and to do it without relying on "wisdom" that consists of mere rhetoric, so as not to rob the Messiah's execution-stake of its power. For the message about the execution-stake is nonsense to those who are in the process of being destroyed, but to us in the process of being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:17-18)

While I have heard these words many times in the context of believers and unbelievers, recently the Lord showed me how many believers are also in the process of being destroyed. In other words they are being brought to the end of themselves, to a place of brokenness. Many are being brought to the destruction of his or her own kingdom, glory, pride, and righteousness. As I read the JNT last night I was struck again by this truth. Many believers are still in the process of being destroyed and learning the truth of what Christ has done on the cross. Only He can lead us into the process of being saved from the hell of daily life. Total reliance upon Christ for ALL things is foolishness when you still believe you have something to contribute to the work of God. But thanks be to God for His Holy Spirit Who leads us into ALL Truth - and Jesus is the way, the TRUTH, and the Life.

Think about it a while, and listen to what the Lord may be saying to you......

Shalom for this week, my friends. Shalom.