P.O. Box 640109

El Paso, TX 79904

27 April, 1997

Dear Children,

I would have never guessed that last week’s message could stir up so much controversy (opinions that oppose mine). It seems that much of the world thinks that I didn’t owe my boss any apology. They actually think I had every right to do what I did, and that my friend can only mean one thing; much of the world doesn’t agree with the Good Book (Holy Bible). And if they didn’t agree with last week’s sermonet they certainly won’t agree with this week’s either. But what the heck, I’m not here to make people happy, I’m only here to tell the truth.

And that brings me to the subject for today. Have you ever heard the expression "fool crazy"? Taking a look at the individual words separately: the word "fool" means a person who lacks judgment, wisdom, or common sense, and the word "crazy" means one who is mentally unbalanced, deranged, or insane. So to actually put these two words together and use them to describe someone is pretty harsh to say the least. No one in their right mind would want to be called this but yet as Christians we should be willing to accept the fact that this is probably what the world will think of us. You see if we live our lives for Jesus, if we build our lives based on the Word of God (the way He intended for us to), the world will consider us nuts, loony, out of our heads, and furthermore, nothing less than "fool crazy". And why might you ask do I say that?

Reading the words of the great apostle Paul to the Corinthians, from I Corinthians 3:18-21, "Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise."

Now for some of you who don’t know Paul, please allow me to introduce him for what he is; he’s God’s best double talker. Paul’s writings can have you going around in circles if you don’t prayerfully "chew on them". In the statement just made he said that if you think you are someone with wisdom then you had better become a fool so that you might not just think yourself to be wise but actually become wise. And does he actually mean to become someone who lacks judgment, wisdom, or common sense? Does he actually mean for us to become fool crazy?

In order to answer that question let’s dig just a little deeper into the Scriptures. Continuing on into verse 19, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men..."

The answer to the question (are we to actually become fools for Jesus?) is both yes and no; it all depends on who’s making the call. You will find in life that the same question asked to many people will get many different answers; it all depends on who the person is that’s analyzing (figuring out) the question. Do you understand?

To help you with this very deep subject let’s turn back a few chapters to I Corinthians 1:18-31. "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believeth... Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

So Paul says that "the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness". The people who are perishing (dying, lost, doomed to everlasting destruction in the eternal fires of Hell) are dying because of the fact that they don’t believe... and likewise they haven’t accepted the death of Jesus as their only way to Heaven. It’s only through His blood that any of us can become "good" enough to escape being thrown into that garbage dump called Hell, and unless we are washed by the blood of Jesus we are nothing but trash in the eyes of God. But they (the world) don’t believe it, they think they are too smart (wise) for such "fairy tales", and furthermore they believe it’s the Christians who are the fools.

But in reality, as far as God’s concerned, it’s just the opposite. You see it doesn’t matter what the world thinks... they are not in control. They think their superior intelligence has allowed them to understand the ways of God but unless they understand and follow the plan of God, the Word of God, they are dead wrong. In the eyes of God they are the fools.

And why doesn’t the world follow God’s plan? Why don’t they become wise in the eyes of God and see that they are the ones who ain’t too smart? Picking it back up with verse 26, as Paul gives us the reason why, "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

The reason that more people are not Christians is that it’s not popular to be labeled as "fool crazy"; it just don’t make you feel good. But this all goes back to the fact that if we think we are smart in the world then we had better become foolish for God because that’s the only way to be saved. This life that we live is really just one great big long test and there’s only one question we have to answer on that test: HOW MUCH DO WE LOVE GOD? And the answer to that question is not only given with words but also through our actions. How much do we love God? Are we willing to be considered "fool crazy" by the world in order to pass the test?

Once again, the reason why we have to be fools to the world is because they think they know it all. Even though I write these messages as plain as I know how there are many who don’t understand what I’m trying to say about what God has to say. And why is this? Why don’t they understand God’s truth as found in the Holy Bible?

Paul does a beautiful job of explaining this and it’s found in his writings to the Corinthians. Reading from I Corinthians 2:9-16, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."

There is only one way to understand God’s message and that’s through His Spirit. There’s no way possible through the intelligence of man (or woman for that matter) to understand the thinking of the All Knowing God unless you have the mind of God. And this mind of God can only be gotten through the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God. There’s just no other way! He has to show us what He means in His Word. And that’s the reason why the people of the world think that us dedicated Christians are fool crazy; they just don’t understand God; they just don’t understand the Bible.

And like I said before, referring to the test of life, it ain’t easy. That one and only question of "How Much Do You Love God?" is not a question that you answer only once. This life is very deceiving (tricky) and it’s so very easy to think you are loving God when in reality you are loving the world. It’s easy to live like the world and do it without really knowing it. So the question that will clear up any confusion on the matter, the one that will help us understand just who it is we are serving, is "Am I A Fool For Jesus?" Ask this question constantly because even though you might be doing everything that seems right the proof of the test is in that one question; "Am I A Fool For Jesus?"

You see it’s even possible to be a member of a great big beautiful church, maybe even be one of the big shots on an important committee, but in the eyes of God you ain’t nothing if you ain’t a fool for Jesus. It happens and it does so all too often because Satan is good at deceiving. You can be a member of a church and still go to Hell!

And this was the point that Paul was trying to make in his writings to the Corinthian church (the group of people gathered together in Corinth to serve God). This was a church that he made happen and he did it through his teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul established it but Satan was always there trying to destroy it. Paul wasn’t living in the city of Cornith but he knew what was going on and that’s why he was writing.

Reading from I Corinthians 4:1-21, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man is found faithful. But it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord... And these things brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hast not received it? Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us..."

Paul was the one who had taken the message of Jesus Christ to these people in Corinth. He had showed through his example this relationship of being a fool for Christ, but it was in his absence that things were starting to change. The church was no longer being a fool for Christ but instead becoming great and mighty in themselves. They were becoming puffed up like an old bull frog and they were starting to believe that they were God.

So Paul goes on to warn them about the way they should be. Picking it up with verse 9, "For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to the angels, and to to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. I write these things not to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me... But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?"

We, just as the Corithians, have to live in the world but we don’t have to be like the world. It should be the number one priority in our lives to continue on as fools for Jesus and I have to remember it as well as anyone. When the world starts saying "how great thou art" then we had better take a good hard look at ourselves. To become wise and glorified in the eyes of the world is to become a fool in the eyes of God.

So if you think I’m fool crazy for following the word of God then you had better think about your own safety; you had better think again. Any way you look at it we are all going to end up as fools, the only difference is who’s making the call. Who’s on the other end of the name calling? Is it the world or is it God? To be a fool to the world means we are wise to God or to be wise to the world means we are a fool to God. The first choice will take us to Heaven and the second will take us to Hell. What’s your choice? Who are you going to be a fool for?

In closing I’m sorry to say that some of you won’t be receiving this letter anymore (not unless you write and request it). The mailing list has gotten very long and the cost of postage has likewise skyrocketed. I spend my time putting together this weekly message but I need the help of others to get it out through the mail. There have been a few who have requested that I not send them the letter, and likewise I have obliged, but the weekly cost is still more than the very few financial supporters can handle. So for those of you who won’t be back, who I won’t be writing to anymore, I pray that you will open your Bibles and search the Scriptures for yourself.

Ask God to bring the Spirit of God into your heart so that you can understand the Word of God, the Holy Bible. Don’t try to impress the world with the wisdom of the world. Live your lives for God, become "fool crazy" for Jesus, and don’t worry what the world thinks.

Keep the faith!!!

Love,

Dad (Bruce Hallman)