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The World’s Wisdom Is Foolishness

The World’s Wisdom Is Foolishness

“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?” (1 Corinthians 1:20 NIV84).

What is the basis of all wisdom? God and the knowledge of God, which means His character, His design laws, His methods, purposes, protocols – how reality works and why

Satan is the father of lies, and this world is his domain. This world is the lair of liars, the domain of deceivers, the fountain of frauds – the dark hole of deceit where God’s kingdom of truth and love is obscured. What this world considers wisdom is foolishness because it is contrary to reality, contrary to the way God’s kingdom works.

Examples of the world’s wisdom being foolishness:

  • There is no God; godless evolution is how life originated.
  • There is no male or female; gender is based on how one feels.[*]
  • There is no objective truth; what I think or feel is truth.

Examples of God’s wisdom being seen as foolishness to the world and how the world is truly foolish:

Giving to Others

Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8 NIV84), and Luke wrote in Acts, “… remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35 NIV84).

God’s kingdom is the kingdom of love, of beneficence, of giving to others. It is the principle upon which our God of love has built life to operate. The more you give, the more you receive – the more we love others, the more we grow in love and the more of God’s love flows through us to others. This is the circle of love, of life, of giving that health is built upon, such as our breathing – we get more air by exhaling and giving away what we have taken in. Every living system only lives as it gives; the more one gives, the more one lives.

But this is foolishness to the world, which is based upon fear and selfishness. The wisdom of the world says that the more one takes, hoards, and stores up, the more one has. To the world, giving away what you have means that you have less, not more. Thus, the world promotes taking from others to advance self. That is why in all kingdoms of the world, throughout all history, the masses are taken from to support a few ruling elites. It is only God’s kingdom where the ruler leaves His throne and gives all that heaven has to uplift the masses.

Dying to Self

Jesus said, “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Luke 17:33 NKJV).

The kingdom of God is the kingdom of love, of other-centeredness, of loving others more than self. Satan’s kingdom is the kingdom of fear and selfishness, of survival of the fittest, of me-first, of kill or be killed. Eternal life is found in surrendering self to Jesus and dying to fear, dying to selfishness, of trusting one’s existence to God. This is what the Bible means when it talks about being crucified with Christ. It is about surrendering our need to protect self in trust to God, of dying to the selfish motives that seem so right to this world, and being reborn with heart motives that love others more than self.

Thus, those who lose their sinful, fear-ridden, selfish life in a trust relationship with Jesus will receive a new heart and right spirit and be reborn into God’s kingdom of love and receive eternal life – they find their true life. But those who, consumed by fear, cling to selfishness and continue to advance the survival drive of “me first” and refuse to die to self – but instead are willing to coerce others, dominate others, control others, take from others, and ultimately kill others to “save” their own lives – will lose their lives because they will remain infected with selfishness and die eternally.

The world’s wisdom is truly foolishness to God.

Most Christians have no problem acknowledging the wisdom found in the Bible stories and taught by Jesus and applied to the people of His day. Where we struggle is in taking those same Bible principles and applying them to ourselves – to our situations and circumstances. In the next section, we are going to do just that: apply God’s wisdom to expose worldly foolishness regarding recent events.

Judging Others

Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1, 2 NIV84).

And God said through his spokesman Samuel, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1Samuel 16:7 NIV84).

Over the past several years, I have seen a lot of Christians writing and speaking about judging the “character” of a certain political leader. I have been frustrated to watch this because it has had the appearance of wisdom and, therefore, many honest-hearted seekers of truth have listened to them. But was it the wisdom of God or the foolishness of this world?

I purposely chose not to address this issue prior to the recent election because I was concerned that my words would be too easily misconstrued as being political, advocating or promoting a particular political candidate, which I had and have no intention of doing. Despite what I saw going on, I have waited until now to address it so that my comments will be taken in their intended light: to help people develop discernment skills and become efficient in applying God’s methods.

In the next four sections below, I breakdown why it is foolish to think that we could know the character of a politician and how to apply godly wisdom to discern through the hyperbole.

Public Persona

One of the principles of God’s kingdom is that man looks on the outward appearance – the behaviors, the deeds, the history – but God looks on the heart. This means we cannot truly judge another person’s character or heart; only God can. But more than this, we cannot know a person through the media, we cannot know someone through the reports of others, and we cannot know someone without actually knowing someone.

During the recent election season, many Christians conducted lectures and wrote articles about the character of one of the candidates, but as far as I know, not one person doing so personally knew him. This means that they were making their conclusions based on a public persona filtered through various media outlets with imperfect and partial information; these conclusions were often further distorted by the biases of the reporters.

We cannot know a person’s character from the media; even when we see that person speaking, it is still a public persona, acted and presented for effect. We still don’t know the heart.

Consider the way some take God’s actions in the Old Testament and God’s own words, which were sometimes thundering and threatening, and have created a false picture of God – why? Because they don’t actually know God.

Remember Moses standing on Sinai when God thundered and all the people trembled, but Moses told them that they didn’t need to be afraid of God (Exodus 20:20). Why wasn’t Moses afraid when God thundered? Because Moses knew God personally, knew His heart, character, methods, and motives, and the people had only heard about God – they didn’t yet know Him for themselves.

When we come to know God personally, we will become friends of God, and like Moses, we too will no longer be afraid of Him even when He thunders. We will be able to read all the stories in the Old Testament and see a God of love acting in mercy to save all who will let Him.

Or consider the actor Bill Cosby before his public trial and conviction – what was the common public perception of his character? But peoples’ views of him were all based upon a carefully crafted public persona, which the evidence presented at his trial exposed as false.

Historic Facts

Let’s now consider taking historic facts of confirmed sin as evidence of someone’s character today; for instance, confirmed visits with a prostitute.

Is it wisdom or foolishness to think we can use someone’s historic sins as evidence of their character today?

Many Christians during this last election cycle thought it was wisdom to use past sins as evidence of character. If this were truly wisdom, what if we had a case of a confirmed murderer? Wouldn’t that be proof positive of bad character and reveal that we should not accept the murderer as our leader? Then what about when Moses returned to lead the Hebrews out of Egyptian bondage; should the Hebrew captives have rejected him for having “bad character” because he was a known murderer? Or what of King David, after Bathsheba and Uriah? When was David’s character the most godly, the most mature – before or after the Bathsheba and Uriah incident? It was after! That incident brought him to the point of true repentance, and it was then that he became a man after God’s own heart.

The Christian who looks to past mistakes, without asking the question of whether there is evidence of Christian repentance and maturing of character, is being foolish.

Interpersonal Style, Demeanor, Conduct

What about when we see with our own eyes that someone is being rude, blunt, insensitive to others; wouldn’t that be reliable evidence of bad character? After all, the Bible says that the fruits of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22, 23 NIV84); thus anyone who is blunt, direct, doesn’t seem to have a lot of empathy, or says things that come across as hurtful or rude must have bad character, right? Not necessarily – again, if you don’t know them personally, if you don’t know their heart, you simply don’t know.

What if the person has Asperger’s syndrome? I have many patients with this disorder, and they are good-hearted people who have high morals. They want to do the best job they can, but they have brains that don’t see interpersonal cues. They don’t empathize like others do, so they are direct. In their mind, it is important to do things right; to them, it is about the tasks, the fixing of problems, the solutions, the goals, the outcomes, or the mission; they don’t process feelings or the importance of relationships or how others will react. In their mind, if the goal is achieved, it is a win. And most of the time, with good hearts, intending to help, they come across to others as blunt, rude, uncaring, and even mean, when they are not meaning to be so – and the higher their intelligence, the worse their interpersonal style typically is, even when their motive is to help people because they care about them.

Have you ever seen the television program Bones? The main character, Temperance Brennan, is an anthropologist who is very compassionate but who is depicted as someone with Asperger’s-type syndrome, and even though she intends well, she frequently speaks bluntly, without regard to feelings, and comes across as rude and offensive.

To judge someone else’s character without actually knowing them personally is foolish – yet many Christians get caught up in doing this and, thus, are easily manipulated by the media and others.

When choosing people to do certain tasks but with whom you haven’t built a personal relationship over time, a better approach than foolishly thinking we know their character is to assess the person’s ability for the position for which they are being considered, based on the evidence of their effectiveness to fulfill that role.

For instance, consider that you need a heart surgeon for one of your parents who needs emergency bypass surgery, and the two surgeons available the night you must consult one are:

Surgeon one, who has a proven record of the lowest post-surgical infections, shortest hospital stays, fewest days on a ventilator, and highest percentage of survival in the region. But he is also a known philanderer. He has been divorced three times, having had multiple affairs, and it was even reported that he had visited prostitutes; he is also reported to be blunt and rude to the nursing staff.

Surgeon two, who has higher post-surgical infections than surgeon one; his patients spend an average of five days longer in the ICU and a week longer in the hospital; and his patients have a slightly lower survival rate. But he is also an elder in his church and, by all accounts, is happily married to his only wife for 30 years; the hospital staff also rave about how kind he is to everyone.

Which surgeon would you consult for your parent? Would your concerns about character determine your choice?

Boundaries

Finally, let’s address the issue of boundaries – utilizing information where it is intended to be utilized and not where it was not meant to be used. The Bible gives standards on character for church leaders and spouses. In both circumstances, it is understood that we are able to apply this Bible standard because we have personal relationships with the people whom we are choosing for church leadership or as a spouse. This means we actually know them and can make judgments about their maturity of character for the roles for which we are considering them.

However, the Bible gives no such instructions (standards for character) when choosing a politician for office in a worldly government – why? Because we will almost never know them personally and will not have accurate information to assess their character. Therefore, we are to decide based on the objectives of their public policy platform, track record of accomplishment in achieving what they said they would accomplish, and evidence of possessing the skill set necessary for the role.

So, by all means, use the biblical standards for character when choosing elders, deacons, pastors, and spouses – but don’t be duped into believing you can know the character of people you don’t actually know.


[*] This is not a reference to homosexuality, but male and female gender. Gay men are male. Lesbian women are female. Homosexuality is about attraction, not gender.


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Testimony 52

Your unique way in spreading the truth is what we all need today. Most of us don’t recognize the contamination coming from all the lies and selfishness in the world. Because of our fear of death, we forgot how to live. Lies left and right. I was losing hope and faith, because of so many ideas that are always contradicting each other – so many questions answered by other, more complicated, questions – until I found your channel on YouTube.

You did not just give me answers, you also taught me how to answer new questions that arise in my mind. Now I see things differently. I see God’s mercy, grace, and Love everywhere, in spite of all the chaos that we all have done as humans. I don’t fear death anymore. Accepting the Truth and Love about God is truly a genuine Freedom from all the confusions, sufferings, selfishness, pain, and death.

I just wanted to say, thank you, sooooo much for revealing the real Remedy for our infected life. I have a new hope and now see the world in a different perspective!

Wheinny P., University Place, WA, USA

 

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We really appreciate your views on the judgment and they make good sense considering our free choice.

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Testimony 57

You have helped make sense of thirty two years of confusion. The material you freely provide reorganized so much of my life into such a beautiful pattern that has always been hinted at from within, but misguided with my training and what I was experiencing externally. My filipno parents, who were converted from Catholicism to SDA, were sincere and did their best to raise me the right way and I have deep respect for them. However, being immigrants and not understanding the language made for a difficult transition as I was growing up, which also applied to my spiritual growth as I learned the patterns of religion. I have been listening to as many bible study classes and reading blog posts as my time in a work truck will allow, searching for the practical applications of where spirituality and reality meet, and I thank you for helping me find that. You have helped me reach a point in which I can truly say that I love God, that I believe He loves me, and, like David, I delight in His law. God bless.

Emmanuel V., Calgary, AB Canada

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I truly believe that to know who God really is the first step to understand ourselves in a balanced and kind way, so the healing can take place. Your approach really makes sense – Thank you for your ministry!

A.M., Pittsburg, PA, USA

Testimony 48

I just want to tell you how blessed I have been reading “The Remedy!” It has become a daily part of my devotional relationship with God. In it I have found a God of love and a God that loves me! The bible has come alive for me! It is the first time that I can say that I have felt hope fill my heart as I have read God’s word. This is good news I can share! Thank you, Dr Jennings! Thank you for your heart for others. I can’t put into words how this has set me free! It has strengthened my trust and love for God.

Jason H.

 

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God lead me to your book “The God-Shaped Brain” while I was searching for another book about the brain and then to your interview about your book on HeartWise Ministries [where] I found out about [Come And Reason Ministries]. I’m now devouring the webcasts of your Bible studies. I have been so greatly blessed and I thank God so much for your courage to speak the Truth in love no matter what. Listening to you contrast the two opposing systems (laws) and digging deep to unearth the hidden treasures in the Bible makes me so incredibly happy and I feel very blessed to be part of your Bible Study Group although I live far away. I am just so excited that there is a group of people that is spreading the Truth about the character of God and it saddens me how few realize what our Father in Heaven is really like.

Kessy B., Australia

 

Testimony 37

Hearing Dr. Jennings’ presentations in person came at a pivotal moment in my spiritual journey that began about nine months ago, when the fault lines inherent in my belief system began to crack under questions that most reasonable people end up asking about God and His nature. These were questions I couldn’t find answers to, and they shook my faith. I was unable let it go any longer and be satisfied. My Christian experience became distant. I was afraid; the fear in me rose like thorns, pushing me away from Jesus. And then someone heard my questions and introduced me to this ministry, and my life has totally changed.

I can tell you that this new, “present truth” message is far grander and life-changing than when I shifted from being an agnostic and then a nominal Christian. It has radically altered my worldview, because it reveals a God that makes sense. It is a revolution. I believe that Dr. Jennings’ message is the final message that must go to the world. If any message could be called “righteousness by faith,” as abused as that term is by the right and the left, this is that message, because Jennings’ biblical message identifies a God who is different, whose character isn’t an impossible contradiction.

I walk this path now without fear. I see people differently, and the Holy Spirit burns in my heart. Many call Dr. Jennings’ message false and compromising, but it isn’t false, because I’ve seen the fruits within my mind and body. It is not compromising, because in this message is the only road to holiness that makes any sense. No longer do I behold a pagan god who is always angry and suspicious. Instead, I behold a God who is freeing and loving, always working for our good, and giving me every reason to love my enemy even to my own death, just as Jesus pleads with us. God is good.

Anthony L., CA, USA

 

Testimony 18

The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

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Testimony 45

I have been confused for years about what [christianity] calls [its] most disgusting teaching. It has never made much sense to me and for that reason has been evermore empty. I have listened to your class off and on and have struggled determining what is truth, because of the resistance design law encounters in the church. So, I thank God for your ministry. What you teach makes sense. It’s logical and backed up by the power of love. I have never seen that in Christ until now. I am astounded by the insight that is found when we look at God’s ministry through design law. All strength to this message, as I believe it to be the power of God.

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Testimony 28

I have been following your Bible study class for about a year now. I must say I am impressed with how your ministry has grown. I took it upon myself to listen to all your lesson podcasts from the past and they have both enriched me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have learnt a lot from this class. I have also noticed how the class has grown in spiritual strength. One of the things that benefited me is that now I am not afraid of God. I use to be, but now it has melted away. The second thing is that you helped me to have a real life relationship with God. Now He is my friend that was always there and I love having him with me all the time. Thirdly, because of this class, it inspired me to take over and lead a class. I have called it “Let Us Reason Together,” adapting your inquisitive style and creating a class of free thinkers.

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Testimony 54

I had a lot of pressure, as a pastor’s kid, to conform and be “good.” I was good at being “good.” I thought my life was going along well until it all started falling apart and I could not figure out why! In my search for “why is this happening to me, God?” I came across your book, “Could it be this Simple,” and God started revealing to me the many distortions I held about His character, His principles, and how He has designed His universe to operate. I remember thinking, “Wow, I have had this all backwards.” I was happy and angry all at the same time. Happy to have the light of truth break through the darkness, revealing a wonderful, beautiful way of understanding God and His plan for His children, and angry, because I felt deceived and cheated by the church, my family, and myself!

My heart thrills when I listen to your bible study lessons. Literally I have gone from death to life. It is a journey I look forward to every day, as God reveals areas this distortion affects. Praise GOD! I will ever be grateful to God for this ministry and your cooperation with the Spirit!

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Testimony 40

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Then I found Come and Reason Ministries and have come under some extreme pressure when I speak about the ministry. One time a member sent me an internet article titled “Whats wrong with Tim Jennings?” I asked her what she thought of it and she said “I don’t know, I didn’t read it.”

I have always wanted to find out for myself the truth about God, so I stayed with the Design Law construct and have been liberated to understand the big picture. Once we consider Design Law, all other Bible stories and prophecies seem to fit perfectly. It is truly beautiful to see people grasping how God operates this Universe of Love and the liberation it has provided in their lives. It blows my mind to see how consistent Design law is with what our founders believed. I hear statements like “This makes so much sense.”

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Testimony 41

I have been blessed by your ministry. I have experienced personally, and deeply resonate with, the God of love and the beautiful picture of God’s character that you present. I have seen your seminar series on YouTube, read ‘The Journal of the Watcher’ book, used your mobile app, and also listen/study the bible study lesson with you each week. I concur with many of the thoughts and perspectives that you share. I understand your conclusions on natural laws vs imposed law and the legal/penal substitution (incorrect diagnosis). This makes perfect sense to me.

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I borrowed “Healing The Mind” DVDs from a friend and showed them at my home for a small gathering of women friends. Neither of my friends are Adventist, but they both enjoyed and embraced the messages you taught. In fact, one of the ladies prayed out loud in our group and that was the first time she had ever had public prayer.

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Testimony 56

I cannot thank you enough for opening my understanding to the beautiful truth of God’s Law of Love and how it applies to everything. I have been a Christian for over forty years, but I feel like I am only now seeing with my eyes open. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

Tammy Cinzio, Australia