Further FOLLY with WISDOM on the side from FACEBOOK

Craig Tavani ... wise enough to play the fool?

April 1st at 12:25am

Craig Tavani

I turned my mind to understand, to investigate, to search out wisdom and the scheme of things. I turned my mind to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly. Applying myself to the understanding of wisdom as well as of madness and folly, I learned that this is a chasing after the wind.

Today at 12:26am ·

Nick Tavani

The fool hath said in his heart "There is no God".

11 hours ago ·

Craig Tavani

I am a fool for Christ; whose fool are you?

11 hours ago ·

Nick Tavani

"Do not answer a fool according to his follly"

11 hours ago ·

Craig Tavani

ME: You may think I am a fool and so I am. I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness.
YOU: But, we are already doing that.
ME: You, however, are looking only on the surface of things.
YOU: Some here are saying, as wordy as you are, you really are unimpressive in person;even if you are Lazarus, all your talk doesn’t amount to much.
ME: I may not be a trained speaker, but I do know what is what. Don’t deceive yourselves: If anyone of you think you are wise,by what standard are you making such judgment?
If by the standards of this age, then you, too, should become a “fool” so that you may become wise! The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.
YOU: So what are you doing here? It surely looks like some boastful masquerade.
ME: What I am doing here is not intended to be some boastful masquerade. I make no deceitful claims; this is no mere act. Let no one take me for a fool.
YOU: It’s way too later for that.
ME: But if you do, then receive me just as you would a fool,
so that I may do a little boasting myself.
YOU: You’re starting to sound a bit worldly as well as wordy.
ME: Since so many out there are boasting in the way the world does, I’ll boast, too.
YOU: You expect us to put up with that?
ME: You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!
In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face. To my shame I admit that I am too weak for that!
YOU: Point well taken.
ME: Yet, what anyone else dares to boast about – I am speaking as a fool –
I also dare to boast about.
YOU: Do you know what you are up against?
ME: Whatever they say they are, I am more.
YOU: You’re out of your mind!
ME: I am out of my mind to talk like this.
YOU: But look what they have going for them.
ME: Are they servants of Christ? Are they “Christ’s ambassadors”? I am.
[breaking into song.]
We are Christ’s ambassadors, and our colors we will unfurl.
We all wear a spotless robe, clean and righteous before the world. We know we’ve been cleansed from sin, and that Jesus dwells within. Proving duly that we’re truly, Christ’s ambassadors! Proving duly (slap knees, snap fingers, clap hands) that we’re truly (repeat slap, snap, clap), Christ’s ambassa -, Christ’s ambassa-, Chri-i-i-i-st’s am-bas-sa-do-o-o-o-rs! [Pause for applause … or not.]
YOU: So, what else can we expect from a true ambassador of Christ?
ME: You can expect me to be BOLD, … especially toward those people who think it’s fine to live by the standards of this world.
YOU: Don’t forget that you still live in this world.
ME: However, just because I live in this world, I don’t go about waging war as the world does. No, the “weapons” with which I fight are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, I have the power to demolish strongholds! I demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God; I take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
[Pause]
In this self-confident boasting, I know I don’t sound like one following the true way …
YOU: You sound like a fool.
ME: If I sound like a fool, so be it. And do you know why?
YOU: Because you are a fool?
ME: No! Because of the Gospel message! The message of the cross!
YOU: So that’s your excuse?
ME: The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God. God was pleased through the foolishness of the gospel to save those who believe, since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom cannot know him.
YOU: You are beginning to sound a bit ant-intellectual.
ME: Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? Did not God say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of the intelligent will I frustrate”?
YOU: What about those who came here expecting to be shown something?
ME: Some of you may demand something spectacular, some demand a witty show of wise words. But what I have to say is simply this: death is overcome through Jesus Christ.
YOU: That sounds simple enough.
ME: This simple message is a stumbling block to those demanding miracles,
foolishness to those wanting wisdom.
YOU: But what is it to us?
ME: To those of us whom God has called, just as Jesus called me from the grave,
Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
YOU: That’s not fooling around!
ME: Indeed – for the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
YOU: So we go around looking like weak fools and that’s supposed to be good news?
ME: It is good news, because in our weakness God is strong.
YOU: And we end up troubled on every side!
ME: Yet not distressed.
YOU: We become perplexed!
ME: But not in despair.
YOU: We’ll be persecuted!
ME: But not forsaken.
YOU: Cast down!
ME: But not destroyed.
No, while we live we can expect to always face death for Jesus’ sake,so that the life of Jesus might be manifested in our own mortality.
I know that, just as the Lord Jesus raised me from the dead,
God raised Jesus after dying on the cross, and so shall all who receive His Spirit be raised up in the Resurrection.
YOU: So folly and death becomes a daily part of life?
ME: It already has. Now, however, because of the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, instead of expecting deadly folly,everyone of us can fully experience His Resurrection as a Way of Life.
[singing]
I am the resurrection and the life.
He that believeth in me though he were dead,
Yet shall he live, yet shall he live;
For whosoever liveth and believeth in me
Shall never, never die!

[Pause.]
Do you believe this?
[exit.]

PAUL [1 Corinthians 1:18-31]:
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. … Consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen,the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,so that no man may boast before God.
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,so that, just as it is written,
"LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."

10 hours ago ·