One of you says, “I follow Sha’ul”; another says, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Kefa”; while still another says, “I follow the Messiah!” 13 Has the Messiah been split in pieces? Was it Sha’ul who was put to death on a stake for you? Hasn’t God made this world’s wisdom look pretty foolish? 21 For God’s wisdom ordained that the world, using its own wisdom, would not come to know him. Therefore God decided to use the “nonsense” of what we proclaim as his means of saving those who come to trust in it. 1 Corinthians 1:12-13 y 20-21
The message the Lord showed me this morning is much the same, which is the main problem. Everyone has their own doctrine, even if you follow a certain religion and or man teacher, you still come up with some of your own not agreeing with the man teacher 100%.
There is a church and preacher here called Calvary and his name is Mike. I cannot tell you how many times people have come to me telling me how great Mike is and how I should go to this church. And we did go for a while. And like many churches, this is the same except better at the entertainment part, with good music and a funny preacher. But like all he tells you what your itching ear wants to hear and throws in a few man made commands which in the end they ignore.
I pick on this church today not because it is worse than the others, but because it came to mind. If you read all of the first chapter of 1 Corinthians you will find Paul is telling the same message and spells it out clearly, at least in the CJB version which says it differently than the other manipulated versions. He is making the point clear to not follow any man, and how the men have their own ideas, and how most of those ideas are based on your upbringing.
In Paul’s example he mentions Jews and Greeks, and how they think differently because of their upbringing. But this applies also to catholics and baptists and lutherans and whatever other so-called christian church system you believe in. Or a man teacher you think is the best and we all need to follow. It is NOT about following a certain man or religion. It is about following the Messiah, the Lord Yeshua.
Paul says clearly was I crucified for you? No, so why do you put me or Peter or whomever on a pedestal and worship us and follow us instead of Yeshua? Paul makes it clear that anything you are listening to and following other than knowing and obeying Yeshua is rubbish.
In verses 26-30 it says “Just look at yourselves, brothers — look at those whom God has called! Not many of you are wise by the world’s standards, not many wield power or boast noble birth. But God chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise; God chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the strong; and God chose what the world looks down on as common or regards as nothing in order to bring to nothing what the world considers important; so that no one should boast before God. It is his doing that you are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He has become wisdom for us from God, and righteousness and holiness and redemption as well!
If you are one of the blind leading the blind or one of the blind being led by the blind, this will not make any sense to you. The only way it will start to make sense is when you decide to start seeking the Lord to know him and his will. Not the man made will based on their studying or worldly knowledge of who they believe God to be.
From the beginning of time man has been trying to make God into their own creation or ideology. And since the beginning God has been showing man who he is and what he expects. And over all this time man keeps doing the same things over and over, which is finding men to lead them and tell them what they want to hear and not what they need to hear.
God wants to build us up in strength and wisdom which then translates into a full Holy life, a man of God is Strong and fearless. Except a strong fear of God, which Gods perfect love then overcomes because you walk in his Love and way so you know you have nothing to fear. You still fear the consequences if you decide to not obey him, but you have been made perfect in his Love.
The worldly religious system keeps you weak, sick and poor. In Revelations 3:17 it says “‘I am rich, I have gotten rich,[b] I don’t need a thing!’ You don’t know that you are the one who is wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked!” This explains a lot of the religious people. They think they are right with God but they are poor and naked. They have nothing to do with him.
The last and strongest point God made to me this morning. If you do not know Yeshua, that is to hear him and obey him. You are just playing religion and following the blind. No ifs and or buts about it. Yeshua does NOT give any tolerance for your religious beliefs. He will not and has not made any special covenant with anyone based on their belief system. It is all 100% based on his covenant, take it or leave it. Which is you must receive the Holy Spirit and that means without exception you hear him and obey him.
In John 16:13 it says “However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own initiative but will say only what he hears. He will also announce to you the events of the future.” And in previous verses 8 y 9 “When he comes, he will show that the world is wrong about sin, about righteousness and about judgment about sin, in that people don’t put their trust in me.”
This tells us clearly what it is like when we receive the Holy Spirit. It is not some symbolic ceremony which changes nothing, and you remain in sin. Truly receiving the Holy Spirit means you now hear God and obey his wisdom and light, the wise instructions which then lead you out of sin and bondage and into the light. You will see the judgment is about this one and only point, if you refuse the light because you do not like what the Spirit says and do not want to obey. Or simply believe it is rubbish and a lie, no one can be perfect in God nor can we hear his voice. Then you will remain in your sin and darkness and salvation is NOT yours.
This is the judgment, this is the covenant. This is the way, truth and light, which there is no other way to the Father except through the son, like this. Not claiming to be a “christian” so I follow Jesus so this applies. Yes maybe you follow Jesus, but he never existed, and the true son of God whose name is Yeshua, he demands your obedience “IF” you are going to follow him. You do not have to obey, but then you are not a follower nor will you achieve salvation. You do have free choice but that free choice is not what they teach you in their dark theology that you can make your own decisions and still be saved.
The only free will decision we can make to obtain salvation and the wisdom of God is to give up our right to ourselves and hear and obey Yeshua. If you do not he cannot make you into the man the Father expects you to be which then means you will not enter into his rest or Kingdom. You HAVE to demonstrate that you are willing to obey everything, because in heaven there are no unruly imperfect people who do things their own way, and this is what makes Heaven perfect.
Perfection in God can be summed up as perfect obedience. The results of this obedience will vary from man to man, but you will bear good fruit by obeying.