WW3, R3volution in U.S. ? October 19 2014

This week's Bible study will be 1st Corinthians chapter six (part one)

Of Lawsuits And Judgments

[1^st Corinthians 6, verses 1 through11]

In today's chronological study of the writings of the apostle Paul, we will examine the first half of First Corinthians chapter six. We'll tackle the second half next week because there is so much in this chapter that to breeze through it in one lesson really can't do justice to this passage of Scripture. Paul had just finished telling the Corinthian congregation to expel a certain member who was apparently openly sexually immoral in a particularly revolting way. Paul then continues this train of thought, but he is now changing his focus from internal to external, apparently regarding certain lawsuits from within the congregation that were being litigated outside the church in the court system of its day. Although the original reason for these lawsuits have long since been lost to history, what matters here is what Paul has to say about it, beginning at verse one.

“If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother goes to law against another – and this in front of unbelievers!” (I Corinthians 6: verses 1-6 NIV)

Paul wants to know in verse one why the church is having an internal matter brought before the legal system right in front of ungodly pagans. Is it not wiser to settle a dispute within the church between the parties involved, out of sight of nonbelievers? And is it not wiser, Paul is asking, to have Christian believers considering such matters rather than godless, corrupt and unprincipled people, many of whom have no conception of true spirituality? In the next sentence, when Paul asks the Corinthian church if they know that saints will judge the world, he is referring to the second coming of Christ at the end of the book of Revelation. All God's children who had been taken away in the Rapture of His church seven years prior to Christ's triumphant return (as it is correctly predicted in the book of Revelation) will come back with Him at His second coming to rule over the earth and over all those who survive the 7 years of tribulation described in Revelation.

Paul then continues by asking why there is no one competent or discerning enough to judge such matters from within the Corinthian church. In modern English, Paul is asking the Corinthian congregation, “Aren't you people smart enough to judge internal disputes? I thought you were. Are you now telling me that I was wrong and that I overestimated you?” In the next sentence Paul asks if they know that the saints – who are all God's children through the blood sacrifice of Christ Jesus – will judge angels. What is he talking about here? Paul was referring again to the second coming of Christ that he had just mentioned. At the second coming, which will be the end of the age we are currently living in and the beginning of a new age of peace, after the Saints have begun the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ, the angels of heaven will be judged. The reason for this is that long ago before the creation of mankind, there was war in heaven (see Revelation chapter 12, verses 7,8, and 9) in the form of a revolt led by Lucifer – who is now called Satan, and he is chief of the demonic realm – which resulted in one-third of the angels of heaven who followed Lucifer and revolted against God being thrown out of heaven and they became banished from heaven forever. Eternal punishment awaits them all, along with all those who refuse to believe in Jesus. To finish this thought, not only will God's children judge and rule over all the survivors of the tribulation – including World War Three which will precede it – but we saints and believers will judge the angels as well. God will bring Lucifer and all those demons who followed him in revolt against God before God's judgment throne, and they will be convicted and condemned to hell forever by a jury of all the saints.

So Paul is saying that if we are wise enough to judge angels and tribulation survivors in the sight of God, since He implanted us all with sufficient spiritual wisdom to accomplish this, then there should be no problem with settling disputes between church members that are of little importance. In closing this passage of Scripture, Paul does not try to hide his exasperation with this church for what they are doing, telling them that they are setting a bad example for new believers and pagans alike. When Paul writes, “But instead, one brother goes to law against another – and this in front of unbelievers!”, he is jumping into their business for making a spectacle of themselves in front of unbelievers who might otherwise be won over to Christ. Telling people that any church is worshiping Jesus Christ in Spirit and in truth while at the same time being unable to get along with each other – not to mention suing each other – is a glaring contradiction if ever there was one. Paul concludes this train of thought starting at verse seven.

“The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves not the greedy nor drunkards nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (I Corinthians 6: verses 7-11 NIV)

Paul is clearly telling the Corinthians they are already defeated and their faith is meaningless so long as they continue litigating against each other over trivial matters. He is reminding them that the foremost commands of Christ Himself were to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Paul is warning them to return to the basis for their faith practiced in love, which is no less than the salvation of Jesus Christ, crucified, resurrected and ascended into heaven only to return in our present time for His church. He is reminding them of Jesus' teaching at the Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew chapters 5 through 7. Jesus said we are to bless those who curse us, to love our enemies, and that when one is struck on one side of their face they are to turn the other side towards their assailant also rather than fight back. I can tell you from personal experience that this last commandment is not an easy one to follow, particularly for someone like myself who formerly had issues with anger and with my temper before getting saved and acquiring the peace of Christ, a peace which surpasses all human understanding and comprehension. Anyone reading this who has similar issues should take heart, because Jesus is real and He wants to heal you. Let Jesus take that anger away, especially if it's hard to let go of it.

Paul's diatribe against immoral people – and there's lots of them today just like back then – still rings true today for the most part. I'm not sure why Paul singled out male prostitutes instead of either gender, it's hard to tell in this particular passage. Given the tough economic times in which we are living, I can see why a few people might be attracted to this lifestyle. I don't condone it, but I can see why people would resort to such desperate measures as that. But the other things he mentioned, such as idolatry – which can take on many different forms such as a spouse or significant other, cars, houses, watching too much TV or constantly playing video games while the rest of people's lives go straight down the toilet – exist today in even greater proliferation than it did back in Paul's time. Homosexuality is also mentioned, but since I have already posted at length about gay people and why straight people have no business condemning them, I will save that discussion for later.

Paul's main point remains as a command to live at peace with each other. If we fail to do so, our Christian faith can easily deteriorate to the realm of sniping, gossiping and backbiting. We all have the built-in ability to acquire this peace of Christ if we ask Him with a glad and thankful heart, claiming by faith the peace of Jesus Christ. Simply pray to Jesus to send you His peace today. Let's pray together,” Dear Lord Jesus, I want to learn how to live in peace with everyone, starting with myself. Teach me your inner peace so I can be a more effective Christian that will lead to my becoming a better person. In Jesus' mighty name, amen.”

The 'mark of the beast' is already here. Can the Antichrist be far behind? Better watch out!

Nine Scary New Technologies That

Big Brother Wants to Implant Inside You

by Rev. Paul J. Bern

The world we live in is finally starting to catch up with the book of Revelation in the back of the Bible. Thousands of years ago, God declared through His prophets that in the last days there would be an explosion of knowledge, and that the sealed books given to the prophet Daniel would be opened. "But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many shall go here and there to increase knowledge." Daniel 12:4 He also said that as this was happening, a man of dark countenance would rise and deceive the whole world. As you read this, we stand poised on the razor's edge of prophetical history. One group, the blood-bought redeemed of the Lord Jesus Christ, wait in anticipation of the Blessed Hope found in Titus 2:13, as it is written: "... while we wait for the blessed hope -- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." Everyone else is unwittingly waiting for the Man of Sin, the Antichrist in the flesh, to step out of the shadows and onto the world stage. Our question to you is this - which group are you in? "He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name." Revelation 13:16,17

Implantable everything is right around the corner, there is no stopping it. Wearables will have their moment in the sun, but they're simply a transition technology. Technology will move from existing outside our bodies to residing inside us. That's the next big frontier. Here are nine signs that implantable tech is here now, growing rapidly, and that it will be part of your life (and your body) in the near future.

1. Implantable smartphones

Sure, we're virtually connected to our phones 24/7 now, but what if we were actually connected to our phones? That's already starting to happen. Last year, for instance, artist Anthony Antonellis had an RFID chip embedded in his arm that could store and transfer art to his handheld smartphone. But what takes the place of the screen if the phone is inside you? Techs at Autodesk are experimenting with a system that can display images through artificial skin. Or the images may appear in your eye implants. Researchers are experimenting with embedded sensors that turn human bone into living speakers. Other scientists are working on eye implants that let an image be captured with a blink and transmitted to any local storage (such as that arm-borne RFID chip)

.

2. Healing chips

Right now, patients are using cyber-implants that tie directly to smartphone apps to monitor and treat diseases. A new bionic pancreas being tested at America’s Boston University, for instance, has a tiny sensor on an implantable needle that talks directly to a smartphone app to monitor blood-sugar levels for diabetics. Scientists in London are developing swallowable capsule-sized circuits that monitor fat levels in obese patients and generate genetic material that makes them feel "full". It has potential as an alternative to current surgery or other invasive ways to handle gross obesity. Dozens of other medical issues from heart murmurs to anxiety have implant/phone initiatives under way.

3. Cyber pills that talk to your doctor

Implantables won’t just communicate with your phone; they’ll chat up your doctor, too. In a project named Proteus, after the eensy body-navigating vessel in the film Fantastic Voyage, a British research team is developing cyber-pills with microprocessors in them that can text doctors directly from inside your body. The pills can share (literally) inside info to help doctors know if you are taking your medication properly and if it is having the desired effect.

4. Bill Gates' implantable birth control

The Gates Foundation is supporting an MIT project to create an implantable female compu-contraceptive controlled by an external remote control. The tiny chip generates small amounts of contraceptive hormone from within the woman's body for up to 16 years. Implantation is no more invasive than a tattoo. And, "The ability to turn the device on and off provides a certain convenience factor for those who are planning their family.", said Dr Robert Farra of MIT. Gives losing the remote a whole new meaning.

5. Smart tattoos

Tattoos are hip and seemingly ubiquitous, so why not smart, digital tattoos that not only look cool, but can also perform useful tasks, like unlocking your car or entering mobile phone codes with a finger-point? Researchers at the University of Illinois have crafted an implantable skin mesh of computer fibers thinner than a human hair that can monitor your body's inner workings from the surface. A company called Dangerous Things has an NFC chip that can be embedded in a finger through a tattoo-like process, letting you unlock things or enter codes simply by pointing. A Texas research group has developed microparticles that can be injected just under the skin, like tattoo ink, and can track body processes.

6. Brain-computer interface

Having the human brain linked directly to computers is the dream (or nightmare) of sci-fi. But now, a team at Brown University called BrainGate is at the forefront of the real-world movement to link human brains directly to computers for a host of uses. As the BrainGate website says, "using a baby aspirin-sized array of electrodes implanted into the brain, early research from the BrainGate team has shown that the neural signals can be ‘decoded' by a computer in real-time and used to operate external devices." Chip maker Intel predicts practical computer-brain interfaces by 2020. Intel scientist Dean Pomerleau said in a recent article, "Eventually people may be willing to be more committed to brain implants. Imagine being able to surf the Web with the power of your thoughts."

7. Meltable bio-batteries

One of the challenges for implantable tech has been how to get power to devices tethered inside or floating around in human bodies. You can't plug them in. You can't easily take them out to replace a battery. A team at Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is working on biodegradable batteries. They generate power inside the body, transfer it wirelessly where needed, and then simply melt away. Another project is looking at how to use the body’s own glucose to generate power for implantables. Think the potato battery of grammar school science, but smaller and much more advanced.

8. Smart dust

Perhaps the most startling of current implantable innovations is smart dust, arrays of full computers with antennas, each much smaller than a grain of sand, that can organize themselves inside the body into as-needed networks to power a whole range of complex internal processes. Imagine swarms of these nano-devices, called motes, attacking early cancer or bringing pain relief to a wound or even storing critical personal information in a manner that is deeply encrypted and hard to hack. With smart dust, doctors will be able to act inside your body without opening you up, and information could be stored inside you, deeply encrypted, until you unlocked it from your very personal nano-network.

9. The verified self

Implantables hammer against social norms. They raise privacy issues and even point to a larger potential dystopia. This technology could be used to ID every single human being, for example. Already, the US military has serious programs afoot to equip soldiers with implanted RFID chips, so keeping track of troops becomes automatic and worldwide. Many social critics believe the expansion of this kind of ID is inevitable. Some see it as a positive: improved crime fighting, universal secure elections, a positive revolution in medical information and response, and never a lost child again. Others see the perfect Orwellian society: a Big Brother who, knowing all and seeing all, can control all. And some see the first big, fatal step toward the Singularity, that moment when humanity turns its future over to software.

This week's Bible study will be 1st Corinthians 5

You Can't Have It Both Ways

[1^st Corinthians chapter 5]

In today's Bible study we will move on to First Corinthians chapter five. In this particular chapter the apostle Paul gives the church at Corinth a real good scolding for putting up with evil and immorality within their church. This passage of Scripture is just as applicable to the church today, and probably even more so, than when these words were first written nearly 2,000 years ago. With all the molestation scandals ongoing (mainly, but not limited to, the Catholic church), all the financial improprieties both visible and hidden, as well as all the cliques and internal politics that are present in every church I've ever seen, the modern Church in general has developed a credibility problem with fairly large segments of the population. If you think that is bad, what was going on in the early church at Corinth was equally so or worse. Paul takes up this uncomfortable topic without hesitation beginning in verse 1.

“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not even occur among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature will be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.” (I Corinthians 5; verses 1-5 NIV)

As you can see, a member of that church had apparently divorced and remarried, and his son from a previous marriage was having an affair with his new wife. I think we can all agree here that this situation was a little bizarre even by modern standards. It is easy to see that Paul was truly outraged about this. It is also apparent from what has been written that the members of the church at Corinth were active in their faith and spent much time talking about the Lord and recruiting new members. Paul is demanding to know how everybody at the Corinthian church was going around acting really religious and spiritual while they knew that this little love triangle existed within their congregation. He is admonishing them that they can't have it both ways, and that if they are serious about living for Christ then it is their responsibility to keep their lives and their church free from sin. Paul then uses baking bread to illustrate his point starting in verse 6.

“Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through a whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast – as you really are. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.” (I Corinthians 5; verses 6-8 NIV)

When Paul rebukes them for boasting he was referring to his earlier rebuke about them being proud without cause (“And you are proud!”). He then compares evil within the church to a small amount of yeast in a batch of flour. It only takes a little yeast to make the bread rise when it bakes. In the same way it only takes a little evil within the human heart to make it swell up with pride and boasting, and to lose sight of all humility while losing touch with Christ. Paul then finishes the chapter beginning in verse 9.

“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people – not at all, meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 'Expel the wicked man from among you'.” (I Corinthians 5; verses 9-13 NIV)

Paul isn't finished chewing this congregation out just yet. As you just read, he takes it up a notch instead. It is not enough, Paul writes, to keep sexual immorality and all that goes with it out of the church. All the brothers and sisters in Christ have a Christian duty and a moral obligation to stay away from and avoid sexually immoral people and other persons of ill repute. It would be hypocritical for those professing to believe to behave in any other way. Paul warns them not to even sit down and eat with such people. Instead he quotes Deuteronomy 17, verse 7, from the Old Testament, “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

We all need to follow Paul's example as he followed Christ and steer clear of all things immoral, malevolent, crooked, unseemly, perverse and off-color. If we fail to keep these kinds of things out of our lives during our walk with Christ, we compromise that walk with Him and compromise our faith as believers. And if we are using our faith to be a witness to non-believers while evil exists within our own lives, then our preaching and witnessing to them loses much of its credibility and we become poor witnesses for Jesus.

Let us therefore examine ourselves, our hearts, minds and motives, and see if the way in which we lead our lives is compatible with Christ. This means we are to be mindful of everything we say and watchful of everything we do, knowing full well as we go about doing these things that we are emulating Christ. If the sum of our lives comes up to anything less when we examine ourselves, then it is up to us to make the necessary corrections. The day to start doing this is today, and the time to start is right now. You know, Jesus is coming back soon, and I'm not writing that just to seem more spiritual or because I'm a conspiracy theorist. I'm writing that to say that since He is returning soon for His Bride, his Church, how then should we be conducting ourselves? If we find that we are talking Christ but walking in our own way instead of His way, then we have our work cut out for us. Let's be sure and not be like some of the early Corinthians by claiming to be good while tolerating evil. Instead let's all constantly practice becoming examples of Christ and so let our lights shine in this dark world in which we live. By doing so we can be beacons in a dark world for those who are seeking the right path. We can all be good examples and witnesses for Jesus, starting today.

8 Ideas For Turning America Around

The USA Is Becoming A Failed State: 8 Simple Steps to Turn It Around

by Rev. Paul J. Bern

As I look around me today, I see the United States of America as a failing country. There are just too many things going wrong with our country today. Failing to adequately tackle the problems in our economic system: Failing to reflect on the deep flaws in our system of government: Failing to repair our image abroad: Failing in education, in health care, in human rights, in religious tolerance. In fact, we look a lot like the USSR in 1990 - except with more big-screen TV’s. And we all know what happened to them. And so I have written this article listing what I view as the worst problems, followed by some helpful suggestions for solutions to the mess that we Americans find ourselves in today.

You may well take issue with my central contention. You may say that we are prosperous because our GDP is so large. Or that our government works properly (though I don't really expect many of either political persuasion to seriously consider that notion), or even that we have a great health care system? I respect anyone's right to those opinions – freedom of expression is one of the few things our country hasn't managed to screw up in the last couple of hundred years. But in every case, the data backs me up. Allow me to try and substantiate my claims first, before suggesting a few possible solutions.

First, let's take a look at the economy: in 2009 alone, 131 banks failed. The 2008 bailout granted billions of dollars – with strings attached – to private companies who then used the money to short-sell the market, make countless billions more, hand the government back its money (removing the strings) and pay out lavish bonuses while Americans lost their jobs. It is estimated that by 2016 our national debt will exceed one year's Gross Domestic Product. Meanwhile, the median family income is less today than it was a decade ago.

Our government, meanwhile, is no longer run by competing ideologies but by corporate interests (I include both parties in this category since both are moneymaking enterprises). There are good Republicans who would prefer that your cancer-stricken child had health insurance. There are responsible Democrats who are horrified by our country's spend-now pay-later approach to finance. But since they are beholden to a higher power – the almighty dollar – they have convinced themselves to vote with their wallets, not with their conscience. At the Federal level, AT&T and Goldman Sachs have contributed over $75M over the last 20 years, and the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, plus the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, aren't far behind.

Across the world America's reputation is tarnished, perhaps irrevocably, and yet we find our President – in the words of former vice-president Dick Cheney – following the 'Bush Doctrine' of a surge in forces occupying a foreign country with seemingly little chance of categorical success. We are seen as an economic and religious bully, and we don't seem to care. We vilify our political enemies for their human rights records, and import cheap goods from countries we know to exploit child labor. We are, to much of the world, intolerable hypocrites.

Apologists for the American health care system, not to mention 'Obamacare', will continue to defend those systems at all costs, claiming that so-called 'socialist' states such as England, France and Sweden (which, incidentally, is actually a constitutional monarchy governed by a center-right coalition) kill their citizens at will in order to save money, or make you wait thirty years for a kidney transplant. Deflecting (especially with such utter garbage) doesn't make our system any better, and it's always bad business practice to spend too much time putting down the competition. When our own kids can't get health care because mom and dad have no money to pay, something is terribly wrong. Any anthropologist will tell you that we took care of our young when we were Neanderthals – so what's changed? For one in six of our citizens to be uninsured is a national disgrace. We deny basic human rights to our own people! Whom you choose to marry is not a matter for the government to decide, it is a matter for the individual (“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord”). So it is for what religion to follow, if any (although I will continue to vigorously preach pure Christianity as the only true way to eternal salvation). Some may not like our choices, but they are inalienable rights and you should be free to exercise them as you will. Our US Constitution says you can (search: first amendment).

As far back as 2005, statistics showed that hate crimes against Muslims were increasing 50% year-on-year (although one 2013 report shows that the numbers are falling again). Even so, the FBI reported that in 2008 hate crimes against homosexuals had increased 9% from 2007, and those motivated by religion had risen by 11%. This is outrageous in the extreme as far as I am concerned. The track we have taken over the last fifty years has been the wrong one (I use that figure deliberately - the USA in the 'fifties was probably the happiest and most prosperous state that ever existed). We have let corruption, greed, fame, intolerance and a stubborn refusal to acknowledge our problems almost ruin our nation. We are failing to live the American Dream, and if we don't start now our children will never even know what it was. I have a couple of fairly radical ideas. I'm sure you have some of your own, and I welcome them in the comments below. I have chosen not to expound on what I personally think the consequences of these actions would be, as I would be diving headlong into speculation that could easily (and should be) challenged.

1. Immediately and totally stop all corporations from giving money to political parties.

2. Acknowledge that politics and religion do not mix well, for good or for bad, and that the most powerful religious leaders tend to be the worst ambassadors for their faith.

3. Make a promise to our children: you will be well-educated, and you will be treated when you are sick.

4. Change the game. Capitalism is broken and must be replaced. Any time you have less than 1% of America's population controlling the upper 99% of the cash flow, some legislated redistribution is clearly called for (or maybe an executive order to that effect). We can start with worker owned businesses instead of shareholder ownership. Public business ownership will still exist, but smaller – such as a cooperative – will be better in many cases.

5. Take a page out of the Bible and just treat everyone else with some genuine respect. If it was good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for you. Leave the gays alone. Leave the blacks alone. Leave the Muslims or the Christians alone. When respect departs, enmity is the next train along.

6. Pay for it. Child labor is inexcusable. If it costs an extra ten bucks, or extra hundred bucks, to buy something that was made by willing workers, pay it. And the same goes for government. You want health care? Pay for it. More troops? Pay for them. Tax breaks for corporations? Not a chance, they have way too many of those already.

7. Form coalitions based on issues, not parties. Not every NRA member is anti-abortion. Not every tree-hugging hippie thinks that owning a gun is wrong. When a party tells you how you should think, and what issues should be thrown together into what bucket, you're a lot closer to communism than you think you are.

8. Buy American whenever possible. From what I can tell, the great empires of yore – from Egypt to Rome to England – were 'first-to-market' with some manufacturing innovation or other, that led to more innovations, and greater strides, that in turn led to them becoming the largest producers of goods in their region. This happened to the USA from the dawn of the twentieth century until the 'fifties. Then we began to transform into a service economy, just as those others did. Producing goods is what is making China become a world powerhouse, and if we are to compete, we must produce our own. American goods are always equal to the best even though they are almost never the cheapest, but if we are to reinstate our status as the world's greatest country, we need to start by supporting our own businesses and workers.

Why Palestinians Want This Video Removed

This week's Bible study will be 1st Corinthians chapter four

Waiting On God's Judgment

[1^st Corinth. 4]

In today's Bible study we will explore First Corinthians chapter 4. This chapter is actually a continuation of the apostle Paul's train of thought, where he was taking the early church at Corinth to task over multiple divisions from within. He makes the point that it doesn't matter which individual church the early Christians belonged to because they were worshiping the same God having been saved by the blood of the same Lamb of God. St. Paul then goes on to state that these things are not up to him anyway. After all, it is God who is in charge of all things, with Paul regarding himself as a mere servant rather than an overseer.

“So then, men ought to regard us as servants in Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” (1st Corinthians 4: verses 1-5 NIV)

The first thing we notice here is that Paul is setting a very high standard, not only for himself but for all who are called to preach and teach the Gospel. Being trustworthy is absolutely essential to being a servant of Christ because those persons are being “entrusted with the secret things of God”. Notice that this act of being entrusted can only take place after one has placed his or her complete faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. So if we want to serve Jesus, and if we want to be “entrusted” by God, we must learn to place our faith in Him first, and only in Him. The truth of the matter is that God loved us first, and He did so by sending his only Son to suffer and die for our sins, only to have Him rise up from death three days after He was buried. Paul wrote elsewhere to the early church that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. If God is willing to extend His forgiveness to all of mankind, then it is our responsibility as Christians to accept it unconditionally, and so to trust Him unconditionally. Otherwise it is tantamount to disrespect of God.

The apostle Paul then put this into further perspective when he wrote that he couldn't care less about being judged by other people. He does not even judge himself either, but instead leaves it all up to God through the blood of Christ. But Paul then brings up a very important point here when he writes, “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent”. It's easy to be going through life at whatever speed we feel like while feeling pretty good about ourselves. We do not steal, murder, lie, worship false gods, we don't date married people, and we do our level best to not break any other of the Ten Commandments. We try to love God all we can and to love our neighbor as ourselves, just like Jesus said. But just because we can't find any fault with ourselves, and just because we commit our lives to Christ, striving to live as free from sin as we can, doesn't means we will never sin again. For example, it is possible to sin and not know it, or to not realize our mistake until after the fact. All we can do at that point is to confess our sin privately to God and to prayerfully ask Him for forgiveness with humility and a contrite heart. When one is finished with God, the very next step is to go to the person they have sinned against and, as far as it is possible, be reconciled to them. If they forgive you, you both have something to rejoice about. If they will not forgive you, forgive them anyway, expecting nothing in return. Then and only then will God give you the full credit you deserve for asking forgiveness. Paul then continues this train of thought in verse six.

“Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, 'do not go beyond what is written'. Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you did not?” (I Corinthians 4: 6-7 NIV)

In verse 6, Apollos was a reputable leader in the early church at Corinth. Although I don't know the exact position Apollos may have held, he worked with Paul off and on throughout his ministry. But Paul is warning the church, “Do not go beyond what is written”. There is a similar warning at the very end of the Bible in the book of Revelation that says, “I warn who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book” (Rev. 22: verse 18 NIV). This is a crystal-clear warning to stay within the Bible during our walk and our service with the Lord and to not add any additional meaning or superfluous teaching to it. This especially applies to those who preach and teach the Gospel since they all, including myself, will be held to a higher standard when being judged by God after our lives end. Speaking of ending I will now, with God's help, finish today's lesson beginning at verse 8.

“Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings – and that without us! How I wish you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you! For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle for the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children. Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the Gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.” (I Corinthians 4: verses 8-16 NIV)

Paul finishes this chapter by reminding the early Church of what it means to be a follower of Christ. To have Christ is to have everything one could ever need. Paul then repeats the theme that is present in all his teachings, which is to warn the church about being too preoccupied with material things and financial gain. When we have Christ as our Savior, we are rich. We have everything we need to get us through this life and into the next, and the next life is the one that really counts because it will last for eternity. To be a follower of Jesus can mean blessing those who curse us, to endure persecution and to risk being ostracized for His name, and to answer kindly to those who slander us. This is not to shame us but to warn us because we each have a stake in God's kingdom, and Paul is exhorting us all to do all we can to abide in His kingdom and grow in our faith. As Paul wrote, we have ten thousand guardians in Christ in the Spiritual realm, and he was that church's spiritual father. In this ministry I assume the role of spiritual father to all my friends, followers and groups that receive these messages. And we can do this together by imitating Paul as he imitated Christ, who is the head of the Church. We will all be better off when we start doing this individually and collectively as a church as we jointly build up the body of Christ. Let's all start doing this today while we give all the glory and praise to Jesus.

The whole world gets taken to school by a Pakistani teenage girl

Building on Malala's foundation: Jesus and all God's children

by Rev. Paul J. Bern

As I scrolled through the morning news on my computer Friday, it gave me pause when I saw who had won the Nobel Prize for Peace. The Web news said it all:

(provided courtesy of CNN) “You have to love Malala. The 17-year-old Pakistani advocate for girls' education who, on Friday, became the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize told "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart last year what she would do if she were confronted again by a member of the Taliban. 'I'll tell him how important education is and that I even want education for your children as well,' she said. 'I'll tell him, 'That's what I want to tell you; now do what you want.' ' This from a girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban. For exercising her right to go to school. Malala Yousafzai was only 14 years old at the time -- and just 11 when she started blogging anonymously for the BBC about the struggles of life in Pakistan's Swat Valley. Stewart's response was priceless as well: 'I know your father is backstage and he's very proud of you, but would he be mad if I adopted you?' It's not just him. The world has adopted Malala.”

We don't just love Malala. She has captured our hearts and minds. A teenage girl who has the internal fortitude to say what we adults can't – or won't – “Why not just stop all the fighting? Why not just end all the killing?” The solution is so simple, and it's been right in front of our faces all this time, but humankind has yet to successfully implement it. If a teenage girl from Pakistan can understand this without our assistance, having apparently weighed the significance of world peace and everything that it implies, then why can't the rest of us? Of, sure, we maintain peace throughout the world by way of various treaties and demilitarized zones, but things would come unglued across the world if all that framework were to be destroyed somehow. Upon further contemplation, it occurs to me that there is ample Bible scripture to back up the achievements and winning spirit of Malala and others like her. (For example, the accolades of King David: “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise”. Psalm 8, v2). By her words and deeds, Malala merits our praises as we praise God for her and what she is doing with her life. By the same token, she and others like her praise God by the way they live their lives, and by the example they set for others to follow. In another way, winning the Nobel peace prize puts many of the grown-ups of the world to shame. Malala wins the Nobel Prize while many of the rest of us are still shooting at each other. This is mostly occurring in large American cities like Chicago, Houston, Detroit and Atlanta, but this phenomenon has begun to work its way into rural communities in much the same way. Malala has put us all to shame by her example. Looks like we Americans have some catching up to do. Like how to live in peace with our neighbors, for instance.

“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” (Matt 11, 25-26). How this eludes us! How do we get along with each other? By following Malala's example, which is actually the example of Christ, since Malala was shot in the head and yet was brought back to life (“better love has no man, than to lay down his life for his friends”) which may very well involve the shedding away of our human pride, our egos and ambitions so we can all help to make the world a much better place without worrying about who gets the credit for the success. The Bible says it perfectly in Matthew's gospel: “He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said, 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles themselves like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” (Matt. 18: 2-5) Malala never sought attention or tried to be in the spotlight, and in so doing made her message that much more authentic. She was not expecting to get the prize, and when she was first told she had received it, she reportedly thanked those who brought her the news and then returned to her classes. Now that's what I call a good example of staying focused, and knowing what is the most important! It's all about priorities, people! This 17 year old young lady has a lot to teach us all, myself included.

Let the children of all ages, from infants on up to 50-something kids like myself, come to Jesus unhindered and withholding no reservations about it. “... Let the little children come unto me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it”. Mark 10: 14-15 If anyone calls themselves a Christian, and yet cannot approach God with the wide-eyed wonderment of a little child, they will never make it into heaven. This is a hard saying, it was even difficult to write, but it is the truth. And, for me to continue to call myself a Christian, and an ambassador for Christ, and a soldier in God's army without making it a point to stand up for real truth and a genuine form of justice, that would make me a hypocrite. And I refuse to even consider becoming that. No way.

Education and equality are basic human rights. I would define education as being the complete and unhindered access to knowledge for the purpose of self-improvement, of wishing to become someone more than we currently are, or to progress or advance professionally. Equality is not only a basic human right, it is also Scriptural, as it is written by the apostle Paul: “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn your plenty will supply what they need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he that gathered little did not have too little'.” (2^nd Corinthians 8, verses 13-15) In the same way education should be free, not reserved exclusively for those whose parents can afford the tuition, or for those unfortunate students who “qualify” for a series of usurious student loans to pay for their education, only to be strapped with debt for much of the rest of their lives. The same thing goes for health care. Just put everyone in the country from the highest echelons of government and the military all the way down to some poor disabled man or woman in a wheelchair on Medicare, then eliminate everything else.

Malala is a true pioneer. She has won the Nobel Prize for Peace at a time when American girls her age are looking forward to their senior proms and the end of high school. If this young lady is what the future of our youth looks like, the future will be very promising indeed.

This week's Bible study will be 1st Corinthians chapter 3

Building On The Foundation Of Christ

[1^st Corinth. chapter 3]

This week's Bible study of the writings of the apostle Paul will be on the third chapter of St. Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is teaching about building on the foundation of Christ as a way to avoid divisions within the church, and he is doing so in the context of the state of the early Church at that time. Paul is addressing specific issues that had been brought up previously by this congregation, presumably regarding certain disagreements and arguments that had sprung up among them. In the early part of this chapter Paul finds himself having to rebuke this congregation for their lack of unity due to disputes among them concerning their views on what it meant to be Christian. We will begin at the first verse as usual.

“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, 'I follow Paul', and another, 'I follow Apollos', are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.” (I Corinthians 3: verses 1-9 NIV)

As you can see, Paul is telling the early Corinthian church to grow up, stop fighting among themselves and to quit acting like children in the faith. Paul is admonishing them to become more mature in their faith as God first intended. But he is also saying that it doesn't matter how they first heard the Gospel being preached or from who they heard it. What is important is that the Gospel originates from God, not from mere men. Jesus is the message, and we are the messengers. Paul then refers to a well-known Old Testament verse, “One man plants, another man waters, but it is God who gives the increase”, stating, “...for we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building”, with another translation of 'building' in this context being 'storehouse' or 'barn'. Paul is saying that all blessings come from God, and He can send even enough to fill up any storehouse. Paul then continues in verse 10.

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” (I Corinthians 3: 10-17 NIV)

When Paul says “I laid a foundation as an expert builder”, he is speaking in the context of himself being the founder of the church at Corinth. He then states definitively that anyone building on his foundation had better not use any combustible materials, referring to the Old Testament, which calls God a “consuming fire”. This was written as a warning to the church against the pursuit of material gain and the hoarding of money and goods. This same warning is just as valid to the church today as it was when those words were first written nearly 2,000 years ago. Paul then adds that putting too much faith in our earthly works and treasures won't necessarily prevent us from getting to heaven when we die, but it will be the same as escaping from a fire with nothing but the clothes on our backs. It was also a warning that Christ is the only true foundation upon which the Church is built, and that anything less is impure at best, and heresy at worst. Finally, Paul compares the early church to a new temple of the Lord in which He can dwell, and he reminds us that, “...God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” Paul then concludes the chapter beginning at verse 18 by completing his warning to keep the church on the foundation of Christ.

“Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: 'He catches the wise in their craftiness', and again, 'The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile'. So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future – all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” (I Corinthians 3: verses 18-23 NIV)

To put this into 21^st century English, Paul is warning the church, “Don't kid yourselves. People who think they are smart aren't as smart as they would like to think. In the end, everything belongs to God. Anything that is not consumed in His consuming fire, will stand the test of time and be permanent. Everything else is just temporary anyway.” And I believe Paul is telling us these things to make sure we keep our values in perspective, so we can be more spiritual and less superficial. This is a good thing for all of us to put into practice, so let's all start to do this today. That way we'll be able to advance the state of all our lives as we transition into tomorrow.

Occupy Wall Street has set up shop in Hong Kong. What took it so long?

I Was Just Wondering Why More Christians Don't “Occupy”

or Count Themselves Among “the 99%”

by Rev. Paul J. Bern

In light of all the recent news reports about the rioting in Hong Kong and the civil war in Syria, I have recently concluded that either an Occupy-style political movement, or the formation of active armed militias in numerous countries including the US, will be the next logical step in the evolution of these separate but related events. A more illogical step would be an internal conflict as bad as Syria's has become, provided that the Hong Kong police and military units don't foolishly force the hands of the protesters to take more drastic action. The protesters will demonstrate peacefully provided that they are allowed to do so. But if not, then no one knows for sure (as of this writing) what will happen next. This bears a striking resemblance to the Occupy Wall Street and “the 99%” Movements worldwide. For example, when “Occupy DC” got started on Oct. 6, 2011 at Freedom Plaza (I was there selling books for the first three days), it was a nearly entirely peaceful mass demonstration. It could have turned into a confrontation with authorities, but it didn't. But there is one thing I have noticed since becoming a part of this movement three years ago. Being involved with a couple of different ministries besides this one, it's been my experience that trying to get a conservative American Christian to join the Occupy movement is like trying to persuade an orthodox Jew to convert to Islam. My considerable research on the Web and with local ministries here in Atlanta tells me that conservative Christians from other nations are far more politically liberal than their American counterparts.

Why is there such resistance by conservative American Christians to the Occupy movement? What are they so afraid of? After all, aren't those 99% who are involved in the Occupy movement trying to speak out for those in need while opposing an economic system based on greed? Why would any conservative American Christian not want to join a group that tells us that our future depends on how well we cooperate with each other? The same thing goes for the “We Are The 99%” movement, which I chronicled in my 2011 book, “The Middle and Working Class Manifesto” (yes, it's still in print). I also can't imagine why any rational person would have a problem with people who are protesting against firmly entrenched economic inequality and endless wars. And why would any American Christian not want to join a group that promotes a more participatory and balanced democracy than what we have now? Jesus preached against social and economic injustice, and so we Christians should be doing the same.

Lately, some Leftist writers and social media movers and shakers have attributed the political convictions of American conservative Christians to their faith, as if faith in God and opposition to social or economic injustice are mutually exclusive of one another. I insist that quite the reverse is true, that in fact those who care for the poor and needy, or for the sick or the hospitalized, or for the incarcerated, the institutionalized, and the homeless – the very least of humanity – it is they who do God's will while here on earth, not hoarding for themselves but ministering and empathizing for all of the above! It is they who maintain their only source of faith and grace as being none other than Jesus Christ himself. But what we have instead is a cadre of people mixing their man-made religion with extremely conservative politics for personal gain instead of worshiping the one true Almighty God. The majority of such Christians, however, are not American, which should give us a hint as to why many conservative American Christians are not Occupying today.

The reason for why they are not occupying is not because of their faith but because of something else. But what would that something else be?Namely, that when one is raised as a conservative Christian in America, there are certain associations made with that “brand” of Christian faith. One such association is made between American patriotism and Christianity. We were taught since when we were born that our nation was founded as a Christian nation by Christian Founding Fathers. Therefore, the American way, at least back when America was still a Christian nation, is the Christian way. To criticize our Founding Fathers is, by extension, to ridicule Christianity and Christ. Protesting against any part of this Christian nation of ours, then, must be tantamount to attacking the Gospel and therefore constitutes betrayal of one's country as well as a great sin against God for which there will be sure retribution.

Any attempt at reconciling our nation's history with the notion that America was ever a Christian nation places enormous demands on one's logical skills. While it is true that many of our founding fathers were Christians, the genocide and ethnic cleansing of North America's indigenous people combined with our nation's abuse and persecution of Black Americans, from long before the start of the US Civil War up until the 1964 Civil Rights Act, along with our emerging empire and use of dictators as proxy rulers over other countries, make it problematic to reconcile America's history with Jesus Christ. And even when our history is partially acknowledged by the conservative American Christians, there seems to be an emotional disconnect that protects such Christians from the dissonance that would otherwise be clanging forth. That is, we might acknowledge some of the abuses in the past, but can we still seriously call ourselves a Christian nation and a "city on a hill" without batting an eye? In the end, what patriotic American Christians are saying to the world is that, despite the evidence, they must feel good about themselves and what they have accomplished. It is considered to be the holy imperative of political conservatism in America, Western Europe, Japan, and yes, Hong Kong, where there is rioting in the streets over this very thing. Well-to-do right-wing Christians demand their Constitutional right to self-exalt, forgetting Jesus' warning about this very thing when He said, “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but they who humble themselves will be exalted”.

And what goes for American Patriotism, goes for capitalism. After all, since capitalism is our economic system and we are a Christian nation, logic seems to dictate that capitalism has become God's preferred economy, as if God needed an economic system in which to operate. We supplement this reason with some common sense, reasoning that since the greatest prosperity in the history of the world has been enjoyed by Americans and we practice capitalism, capitalism must also be God's economy. Even if such an argument were true, it still only goes so far. That is, we as a nation have experienced some of the greatest periods of prosperity in the history of the world. But there is a problem lurking in the shadows. For just as we must acknowledge the high level of prosperity we have enjoyed, we must also ask a very damning question. That question is, when in the history of capitalism has it prospered without exploiting large numbers of people? Many times those who were exploited were hidden from the view of most Americans though their invisibility does not contradict the fact that they were exploited.

And so what originally caused the Occupy and the “99%” Movements to emerge in 2011 continues to this day unabated. The fact is that far too large of a percentage of Americans have now become the victims of the same capitalist economy that they helped create. All of our hard work was for nothing. In fact, it has backfired on us all in the worst possible way by making homeless people out of formerly middle class workers. Even people with college or university degrees of various kinds are having trouble finding work, particularly here in Atlanta. This has angered a whole lot of people, and rightfully so since we, the workers who have been keeping things moving daily, are on the receiving end of economic and social injustices every time we turn around. These Occupy/99% Movements are transforming American patriotism and public dissent by opposing endless wars for profit while challenging capitalism by insisting that people and their needs have priority over those same profits. Suggesting that being patriotic includes being capitalistic, which is conservative Christianity's true religion, has spread more evil than good. As before, that's because of the close association many conservative Christians have made between both patriotism and capitalism. They that do this are forgetting the historical reasons for Jesus' crucifixion. He preached against organized government, which infuriated the Romans, and against organized religion, which enraged the Jewish ruling council of that time. If Jesus came back today and walked into a mega-church unannounced, one of two things are guaranteed to occur. Either the conservative Christians, “hawks”, Evangelicals, and Charismatics would crucify him all over again, or the entire church would fall out of their pews face down on the floor, crying and begging for mercy. That's who the real Jesus Christ is!

But there is still another reason why conservative American Christians have still not joined the Occupy movement. That is because the Occupy movement is seen as a protest movement that does not respect authority. From an early age, conservative American Christians were injected with spiritual steroids when being taught to respect authority, mostly from Romans 13 while ignoring the Four Gospels. It is one thing to learn to respect authority, but it's an entirely different matter to be compelled to worship it. To challenge the authorities and the law, as it states in Romans 13: verses 1-5, is to challenge God himself because it is God who has put in charge every authority figure. On the other hand, that command cuts both ways, as it is written in James chapter 5, verses 1-6: “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay your workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.”

We can sometimes have great difficulty in distinguishing between between conservative theologies and conservative politics and between liberal theologies and liberal politics. As a result, some tend to uncritically accept the tenets of conservative politics, not because it is biblical, which it is not, but because it has the conservative label. Likewise others will automatically reject liberal and leftist policies because of their connotation. This knee-jerk acceptance of whatever is conservative and rejection of whatever not conservative is one of the key ingredients that enables authoritarianism. For examples of this we need only look to Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia and Kim Jong Un's North Korea, among numerous others. And just as self-exaltation is the reason why we equate American patriotism and capitalism with Christianity, so self-interest is the reason why we have a hyper regard for those in authority. That self-interest tells us to be good little boys and girls so that those in charge will reward us rather than spank us. And perhaps, it is a desire of some – you know who you are – to remain children that leads us to authoritarianism's embrace over the self-rule that the Occupy and 99% Movements have been practicing. It is the desire to spend more time playing around with what-or-whom-ever than making responsible decisions, from spend more time enjoying our trivial pursuits than being bogged down with the serious issues of life – such as how we relate to each other for the good of all concerned – that causes us to prefer rule by elites over autonomy. The reason why most conservative American Christians won't Occupy isn't because of their faith, it is because of the extra ingredients added to their faith. Meaning, their faith is polluted with worldly things and concerns, another thing Jesus warned us about when he said, “A man cannot serve two masters. He will either cling to one and despise the other, or he will serve the other and reject the former. You cannot serve both God and materialism”.

This week's Bbile study will be First Corinthians chapter two

First Corinthians Chapter Two

This week's Bible study will entail all of First Corinthians chapter two, since there are only 16 verses anyway. Still in all, there are quite a bit of Spiritual nourishment packed into these 16 verses, including what the apostle Paul calls “God's secret wisdom”. So let's begin chapter two, commencing at verse one.

“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.” [I Corinthians 2: verses 1-5 NIV]

Paul is writing this letter after having already established the church at Corinth. That is why the first sentence is in the past tense. The other thing that there seems to be abundant evidence of is Paul's apparent humility, such as when he writes, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Paul was the primary founding father of this particular church. As such Paul could have established a cult of personality around himself based on his authority as evangelist and leader. But he chose not to do so. This speaks volumes about the high level of Paul's integrity, including his marked refusal to abuse his authority even though he probably could have if he had wanted to. Paul then continues his train of thought in verse 6.

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the King of Glory. However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him' – but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” (I Corinthians 2: verses 6-10 NIV)

“We speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” God destined His secret wisdom for each of us since before the dawn of prehistory. From before the time when we were first formed in our mother's womb, God's secret wisdom was imparted to us by God. As Paul wrote, “'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him' – but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” We can achieve all Godly knowledge by the revelation of His Spirit. We come to know the revelation of God's Spirit, first by prayer and fasting, and second by how we treat others. But prayer and fasting, which are of the utmost importance in our walk with Christ, are topics for another discussion. For now, let's continue today's study where we left off at verse 10.

“The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 'For who has known the mind of the Lord, that they may instruct Him?' But we have the mind of Christ. [I Corinthians 2: verses 10-16 NIV]

“'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him' – but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” When our lives are over and we make it to heaven, we simply cannot imagine how magnificent it will be to live there with the Lord forever without end. We will find ourselves surrounded by beauty beyond compare that will last forever. I would not be able to describe heaven to you unless it was revealed to me by the Holy Spirit, and if you try to imagine what heaven will be like, whatever your mind can conceive of is there by the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, not of your own imagination. That is why Paul wrote, “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

But people who do not have the Spirit can't possibly do this, as Paul writes, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” So if you ever find yourself in a group of people who put down Christians or who talk disparagingly about them, you now know where that kind of talk comes from. Remarks such as those go far beyond the mere opinions of humankind. Instead, they reveal an utter contempt for God, and by extension all that God has created, which includes ourselves as well as all others. The Bible also warns us that in the last days there will be “scoffers” among us who will inquire sarcastically, “Where is this Jesus that you said was coming back? Don't you think He would have come back by now?” But we as Christians are to ignore this kind of foolish talk as we keep our eyes on the prize, which is Jesus crucified, risen, and ascended to heaven to be seated at His Father's right hand. Besides, as Paul writes, “we have the mind of Christ.”

To have the mind of Christ is to obtain God's secret wisdom that I started our study off with today. They go hand in hand together. This is a worthwhile goal for any of us to achieve. So I want to encourage each and every one of you to find a way to incorporate this into your life. You won't achieve it all at once, so be sure and give yourself plenty of time to get acclimated to this new way of living. Remember that practice makes perfect. If you approach your Christian values in this manner you will find yourself with a much healthier outlook on life in general. And the peace of Christ, which is beyond all human understanding and comprehension, will be with you all. Amen!