Author Archives: Keith West

About Keith West

I'm just another sinner, another mess up person in this world. I know the Power of God and want everyone in this world to know the power of God to.

We Preach Christ Crucified (1 Cor. 1:18-13) Part 3

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We Preach Christ Crucified

(1 Cor. 1:18-13) Part 3

 

Education by no standard is a bad thing to pursue. We can read 1 Cor. 1:18-31 and automatically think that Paul is telling the church not to pursue education. The thing is that he isn’t telling us that. What he is telling us that we can’t put our trust in education. This is a Trust Passage more than a Educational Pursuing Passage. The reason I say that is because of V. 22-23, “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified.”

 

In those days, the Jewish people wanted to see with their eyes to believe what were being said. Jesus gave them many signs. The Greeks, believed in the many gods and they thought that seeking after wisdom would help them find life. In away, both groups of people had a “I’ll believe it when I see it” way of thinking. And today in 2019, there are people who have that same mindset. A-lot of christians don’t believe in healing in this generation, because they will believe when they see, but it doesn’t work that way, it’s your believe and you will see. The christian life has flip the world’s standards upside-down.

 

Now, Jews trusted in Signs, Greeks Trusted in Wisdom and Christians trusted in the Death of Jesus on the Cross. Our trust in something as crazy as someone dying on a cross, is why the cross becomes a “Stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” V. 23.

 

The reason God made it that way is because he wanted to hide the truth in away. Over and over in the bible the words are said, “Those who have ears, let them hear”, we hear that alot in Revelations. Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God being like a hidden treasure in a field, in Matt. 13:44.

 

Why would God want to hide his truth from people? Well, first to be Gloried. Yes God wants to be Gloried, so he hides his truth. We see this in the nature of the little kids to play hide and go seek. In away that is the very nature of God, he has hidden something and then we go seek it. This also has to do with Faith. Not fate, but Faith. Something you can’t see, but you believe is there.

 

God is in the business of being Glorified and one way is hiding things in the most unlikely places. That’s why we see this kid in the old testament rise up and defeat a beast. Then this kid becomes a mighty warrior. 1 Cor. 1:28, “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are”. Truth be told, God only wants to be Glorified to really just be able to walk with Men and Woman again. God wants to have a personal relationship with you and me, he chose to write this love story for us, called the Bible. So in closing, go get your education, but pursue God above all things. Put your trust in him, not in your degrees or whatever knowledge you think you have. Put your trust in God.

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One Head and One Body (1 Cor. 1:10-17) Part 2

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One Head and One Body

Be United in Mind and Judgement (Cor. 1:10)

It is so easy for us to read the letter Paul wrote to the Corinthians and pass a righteous judgement on them, because they were divided. How many times do we find ourselves divided with each other. I’m a Baptist, well I’m a Methodist, that’s find, I’m going to keep on being a Lutheran and then you have the “Oh I’m not sure what to believe, I’m just non-denominational.”. Truth be told, that is exactly what going on with the Corinthian church, that why Paul took the time to write this letter. We are so drawn to this idea that we have to be called something to stand out. What about, “I’m a Christian.”? What about instead of saying you believe this or not denominational standard, you just open the bible and take it as it is? But even that is hard. Truth be told, I try dating a pentecostal believer, our belief systems were so different. She believe you needed to do X Y and Z to be accepted by God, but I just don’t believe that and we both take the bible as a reference. When it comes down to that, you need to return to the basics of the faith. And that is that this is a free gift from God, we are accepted by God not because what we done, but by what he has done, is doing and will do.  

I want to leave this as a Goal, not just for today or tomorrow or once in a live time. Let’s be a people what are known for being One In Christ. As Paul said, “Is Christ Divided?”.