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SCRIPTURE- St. Mark 10:15                                                 November, 1994

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

SUBJECT - IT'S TIME TO GET FOOLISH

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The dictionary says that foolish, is a term for an act that shows a lack of good sense. The bible says that the thought of foolishness is sin (Prov. 24:9). So why, you might ask, am I saying that we need to get foolish?

Well, to answer that question, we need to look at what is foolishness, in man's eyes, and what is foolishness in God's eyes. Believe me, there is a big difference.

First, to man, anything that is not founded on what man considers as being acceptable behavior, is foolishness. And how does man come to the conclusion of what is acceptable be-havior? Well, it usually stems from the amount of education, or experience that one acqui-res over the years of their life. After centuries of existence on this planet, man has used what he has experienced, in forming the parameters for what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Education or experience tells us that certain things like sticking a fork into an electric socket, is dangerous. Drinking and driving is dangerous. Playing with a loaded gun, is dangerous. On and on it goes. Now, if a person engages in these activities, he is most certainly labeled, as doing something foolish. But, the danger aspect of it, isn't the only thing that is considered foolishness. It's foolish to throw your hard earned money a-way. Many people do that all the time, by gambling. Investing in a company that is steadily losing money, is the same thing. Now my point is this. Anytime a person, does something that they know is going to cause themselves to be looked at as not having good sense, is being foolish. So, man has determined what behavior is foolish, and what is not.

On the other hand, God, has set parameters on what He considers to be foolish, and what isn't. And let me tell you, it is quite different, in many aspects, from what man says.

First, we see, that rejecting God, by not believing in Him, is foolishness (Ps 14:1 and 53:1). This one point, 'rejecting God' carries with it, the inference, that anything that God says you should do, and you don't, is foolishness. By the same token, if God says don't do something, and you do it, that too is foolishness.

In certain things, man and God agree. Certain things are dangerous and it doesn't take divine revelation to know to stay away from them. Throwing money away, is another thing that is compatible with man and God. However, where man and God, part ways, is when it comes to recognition of God, and obedience, to Him.

You see, when faced with problems in life, man attempts to solve them, based on his own education and experience. That education and experience, usually lacks a recognition of God. This is because, over the past few decades, our educational system (public), has made great strides in removing, what many educators, as well as government, calls 'religion', from our public schools. As a result, our children, and most parents, that were brought up in these schools, have a mindset, that tells them, that they don't need to believe in some, 'ridiculous figment of man's imagination (talking about God)', to solve their problems, because they have a way that works. This, my friend, is rejecting God. This is foolishness, at its height.

When man, becomes wise in his own sight, he has become foolish, in God's sight. Why? Because, if anyone of us, had a life threatening situation facing us, we would seek the most knowledgeable source possible, to get a solution. Right? Well, man thinks he is the most knowledgeable source available. But, man has only been here on this earth, about 6000 years or so. God has been in existence, for eternity. It is He, that made us. He is the one that has control over everything that happens, and He knows everything that will happen in the future. Man, doesn't even know what is going to happen the next second, let alone days, weeks, or years down the road, without His help.

In the subject verse, Jesus is telling the people listening to Him, something a little strange. He is telling them to become as little children, when it comes to receiving the kingdom of God, or they will not enter therein. Well, let's examine what He is telling them.

Take a look at a little child. They don't know too much. They don't know about environmental issues. They don't know about economics. They don't know about politics. They don't know about all of the complex matters that are driving adults bonkers. Drugs, AIDS, teen pregnancy, gay rights, abortion and others, are far from what is concerning them. All they know, is that mom and dad, are there to take care of them. Therefore, their total trust is in their parents. Therefore, if one of their parents tells them to do something, they will most likely do it, without thinking about it. They have no knowledge of anything being dangerous, or being foolish. If a parent puts a child up on the porch, and tells the child to jump off and they will catch them, the child will do it. Why? Because, they put their trust in their parents. They don't stand there and figure out all of the things that can go wrong. Children can do things, that are cute, but if a grownup does the same thing, they are made fun of. Why? Because when a person gets educated, they tend to look at these things as being stupid.

Well, Jesus is saying, in order for a person to enter into the kingdom of God, they have to forget their education, and all of the experience they have acquired over the years of their lives, and put total trust in God. When God says do something, even though it seems to be stupid, do it! When someone does something to you, and you want to curse them out, or go off on them, God says, turn the other cheek. Do it! God says do good to them that do you wrong. Do it! There was a time, when people prayed over their food, before they ate it. Now, many of them have gotten away from it, because it seems silly. But, with all of the chemicals, bacteria and the like going around, you need to get back to it. I dare say, that many of the people that get sick from eating bad food, would not have gotten sick if they had prayed over the food first. Why do I say that? (Mark 16:18) says, ....if they drink any deadly thing (this can also mean eat), it will not hurt them: ... I am foolish enough to believe that.

On the more serious side, God says that the wages of sin is death. You want to know why we are having so much trouble with crime, drugs, teen pregnancy and the like? It is all because we have departed from what God says we should be doing. Fornication and adultery, are sexual sin. Today, a person that calls them that, is made fun of. Man says there is nothing wrong with it. Yet, we wonder how to control unwanted pregnancies and the spread of AIDS, and other diseases. To capsulize it all, obedience to God, is, in man's eyes foolishness (1 Cor. 1:27). Trusting in man's way, is, in God's eyes foolishness (1 Cor. 3:19).

When you put your total trust in God, He will begin to open up the kingdom to you, so you can begin to see, what I am trying to say in this short space. What I am saying, may seem like total nonsense to you. But, look at the record. Everything that man tries to do, that flies in the face of what God says, is falling apart. But, those things that are built on what God says, are still standing. If you ask me, you are going to be foolish in someone's eyes. Why not be foolish in man's eyes? Trust in God's way.
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