"The Great King"

 "There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:" (Ecclesiastes 9:14 KJV)

  ""I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could explain to you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel - the Messiah - has already come." They replied, "We have had ne letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here. But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere."" (Acts 28:20-22 NLT)

 Whether or not this, "great king," was an actual person, or an actual king from a local country, or from afar; this specific encounter might seem to be a little over the top; if that is, it was happing as Solomon shows it to have happened. On the other hand, if it represents something else, like something that represents a spiritual context or that embodies a sinful nature, then it takes a little bit of wondering to figure it out.

 One thing is for sure, whatever it is that Solomon is speaking about is something great: which really doesn't mean it is either bad or good, but that it is large in magnitude; something of great importance; loud and older; of God Himself! In other words, it is higher and greater than we might know.

 By the way, I was thinking about those four Advents: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. There is something about where they come from that reminded me of something I might have heard or believed, but that had somehow slipped my mind: He is our HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE; therefore, we absolutely must keep abiding in Him; if we want to experience all that is has for us, it is found in Him... 

""My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."" (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT) 

"Important Things" - Too

 "This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:" (Ecclesiastes 9:13 KJV)

  "Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up in the LORD'S presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried: it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins." (Isaiah 53:1-4 NLT

  As I was thinking about these next few verses, I had to wonder where Solomon saw this particular incident take place; or whether or not it might have been something the God showed him, which he seemed to take great interest in. This would have been about a thousand years before Jesus was born; at least 300 years before Isaiah had written that which we see in Isaiah 53 above. 

 We must understand how vulnerable it was for Jesus to come down as a little baby, because as Isaiah puts it: "like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground." In other words, He wasn't born in King's castle, or with much to keep Him safe and secure. He was raised as child without rich parents, or surroundings that would have been fit for a King. 

 Instead, He grew up poor and once He left home, He lift without anything but the cloths that He wore, setting out to save the entire world! A world that needed to be saved, as everyone that lived upon it was held in bondage to sin and death.

 His own people rejected Him, believing the Massiah would have to come as someone of great stature and yielding the power to deliver their nation from Roman rule. What a pity that they missed seeing who He really was, because the stature that He held and the power that He yielded did more than they could ever know! 

 There is something that is great, to which we will see; the wise, poor man, who saved the little city, although he wasn't thanked for doing so, he was pleased with what he had done...

"But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous." (Isaiah 53:10-11 NLT) 

"Important Things"

 "This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:" (Ecclesiastes 9:13 KJV)

  "I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do want is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it." (Romans 7:15-20 NLT)

 You may have heard this before, but it is true and something that we must accept as our condition, under the sun! "We are not sinners because we sin; we sin, because we are sinners: We are born in sin, straight from the start, we are sinners at birth!" 

 Crazy to think how that is, seeing there appears to be such innocence in a little baby's life. But then they grow up! They actually really don't need to be taught how to sin, (as some people might not believe,) because they have a sinful nature; one that has been handed down for thousands of years, from Adam, the father of all mankind. 

 Again, read your Bible; and as you read it, do it slowly and carefully, and believe what you read; making sure that you don't set anything aside as if it might not be true! If in doubt, ask God to help you understand and accept what He has done, no matter how hard it might be to comprehend. God can do anything, and He has created everything! 

 With that, I need to make sure to address that Baby Jesus had something about Him which was quite different from all of us, that are born in sin; meaning that we all are born sinners. You see, Jesus did not have an earthly father, in the order of Adam, that had power of the curse: the seed inside of Mary was of the Holy Spirit, not of man. 

 Yes, Jesus was born in the flesh, tempted as everyone else; but He did not sin! Oh, there are some that try and say that He did; believe me, I know, because I grew up believing that He did. Trust what your Bible says, because there is prophecy about this, and there are testimonies that make it true. 

 That is one thing that puts the Bible as more important than any other book: There are prophecies of what would happen, and there are real proofs that they came to pass...

"When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died - from the time of Adam to the time of Moses - even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:12-17 NLT) 

"Thoughts on Wisdom and Folly"

  "There is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him. So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.

 "Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king.

 "Better to have wisdom than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good." (Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 NLT)

  "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." (2 Peter 3:14 KJV)

 Yesterday, we had the Advent of Love, with which Pastor Chris gave a message on, showing us how that love is the most important of all four of those elements; because without love, there is no hope, or peace, or joy. It took a minute to let that sink in, because there is more to this love we have been given, then the ability we have to give it back.

 Thinking about what all four of those elements represent, each and every one of them are not things we can produce on our own. We might think that we have the responsibility to pull it off, but without God's Spirit dwelling within us, none of them will yield the power that we need; especially the power to love.

 Our love comes from knowing that God loves us; without us believing that He loves us, no matter what, we have no ability whatsoever to realize our great difficulty to love others; let alone, the obvious lack of consistency we have to love God as we should. 

 In my humble opinion, each and every one of those for elements are only made possible when we die to ourselves! Hope is one that some might think is a little more complicated; but if you are putting your hope in anything this world has to offer, then it is not the right hope! 

 Then we consider how peace works, as to die to yourself really doesn't bring about peace; well, I beg to differ; because if you are worried about yourself and the cares of this world, you really will not find the right peace! 

 Okay then, what about joy? As difficult this might be to understand, but joy is based upon the life that you have been given; which might contradict the whole patten of what it means to die to yourself; if that is, this life was about living with the comforts of this world. But Jesus never promised us that our life would be easy and comfortable; but that it would be abundant and eternal!    

 And then, the greatest of these is love; from which is the most important of all for us to die to ourselves and let God love through us...

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit." (1 John 4:11-13 KJV)

"Whatever, Whenever" - Too

 "For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them." (Ecclesiastes 9:12 KJV)

  "In this life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony." (Colossians 3:11-14 NLT)

 My whole point in this, somewhat upside-down logic, is that those who are not saved or truly committed to the Lord, there fate, when taken unexpected, is what Solomon references being in an evil time. That is not the same for those who are saved and committed to Christ Jesus! We that look forward to being with the Lord, although we need to want to be able to do what God has given us to do, whatever that might involve, we truly believe that we could be with the Lord in any moment, knowing full well that our departure from this earth is not an evil thing, but that it will work towards the good, in God's timing, and for His purposes. 

 This is not just something I feel, this is something that I know that God has promised and has given us as a special hope for those that we care for and those that get ministered to by our departure. We really shouldn't worry over or fear what might happen when we die, because our death is a doorway to enter into everlasting life; a life that began when we accepted Jesus Christ into our heart! 

 Hopefully, if you are saved and reading this, you share this same understanding, because this is why we are still here in the first place: To show others that sin and death has been defeated at the cross of Jesus Christ...

"As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died. It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God's peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. From now on, don't let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus." (Galatians 6:14-17 NLT) 

"Whatever, Whenever"

 "For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them." (Ecclesiastes 9:12 KJV)

  "Then he told them a story: "A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, 'What should I do? I don't have room for all my crops?' Then he said, 'I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I'll sit back and say to myself, "My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!"' "But God said to him, 'You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?' "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."" (Luke 12:16-21 NLT)

 Much as the previous verse, speaking of, 'Time and Chance,' as it goes with success and winning, this takes it to the next level: Death and Dying! We really don't know when our time is up; but God does! He knows when you arrive and when you will depart; he knows everything there is to know about us: If He knows how many hairs there are on your head, then He knows when your time will be to depart this earth! 

 The question we must ask ourselves, is, 'Are we prepared to go, when that time might come?' We need to know that we are ready, whether think it won't happen or feel as though we have been good enough. The main thing we need to prepare ourselves for is to be with Jesus, and will He know you! 

 Last night I went to the performance they had a Pathway, and it really had a good message about being prepared for death. The whole point of the service was about Jesus and the three gifts that were given at His birth by the three Wise Men. Each gift acknowledged Him as KING! Is He your KING? 

 In preparation for coming to this earth, Jesus first had to take off His Majestic Godliness, in order to become one of us. This was a form of humility and giving away His rights in order to do that which needed to be done. 

 In order for us to be able to be prepared to be received by our KING, we must make Him our KING, giving up our rights, and taking on the form of godliness...

"The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4 NLT) 

"Paradigm" - To

 "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, not yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." (Ecclesiastes 9:11 KJV)

  "God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under authority of Christ everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan." (Ephesians 1:9-11 NLT)

 Sometimes we get hung up on trying to figure out what went wrong, or why something might be taking place in our lives, while we forget to think about the big picture: God is good and loves us; He has good plans for us, and even though we are feeling defeated or as if we are losing a battle, He has made a way for failure and weakness to become victory and strength! 

 If you don't know what 'Paradigm' means, there are several ways that it is used to be an example or pattern, such as might be discovered in a theoretical framework. If we could think for a moment what is shown by the law of gravity, it basically shows that there is force the will take you to the ground if you jump of a cliff; without wings, you do not affect that pattern.

 In this same theoretical framework, faith tells us that God is for us; as His children, we are cherished and protected; and regardless of which type or trial or tribulation we might go through here, we will always fall up into His loving arms! This is not a really a theory, it is our faith and hope! If we believe God's word, then it becomes more real than the law of gravity.

 By the way, as fast as this earth is spinning, and as quick as it is traveling around the sun, there should really not be anything that is secure on this earth; it should be flying off in all sorts of directions. But God makes things that work! Even the bad things that happen, God can make them work for good...

"Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. But is we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)" (Romans 8:18-25 NLT)  

"Paradigm"

 "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." (Ecclesiastes 9:11 KJV)

  ""All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, 'What do you mean by doing these things?"" (Daniel 4:35 NLT)

 It might seem as though this might be random, but there is a pattern in Solomon's thought prosses which is countering the last thought, 'Whatsoever you do, do it well.' There are no guarantees in this life that all will be well, no matter how hard you try, or how strong you might be, stuff happens, lives get cut short, and things don't go the way that you planned. 

 That said, we must always do our best, even in the time of failure, we must not give up; especially when it comes to doing that which you believe God has told you to do! Sometimes, what we think is meant to be happening is only door to what God really wants for your life. We might think God want's us doing one thing, based upon the direction or the road we are on, but it is really just something totally different that He has in mind. 

 Besides that, the whole "time and chance" thing pertains to this earth, where there are no guarantees for anything except what God has promised or determined to be. He is the one who rules over everything; there is nothing that He can't do, and there is no way to stop His plans! You would think by now the powers to be, here on earth, would have figured that out. But that is the point the Solomon is trying to make...

""Don't store up treasures here on earth where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."" (Matthew 6:19-21 NLT)  

"Do it Well!" -2

 "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." (Ecclesiastes 9:10 KJV)

  "Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what I should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT)

 Sorry about yesterday, that was a pretty bad morning. I went to bed with cold sweats and woke up feeling as tired as I was before I went to bed. Went to the doctor yesterday, got a big dose of antibiotic something in a place where it hurts to sit down; and now I have to get a prescription for more, to take for ten days. I think the doctor was having fun with my diagnoses, as I heard him after he left the room, saying, "That's an angry ear!" 

 Well, 24 hours of feeling bad is more than I can take! It's time to get back to work and quit feeling sorry for myself. There are certain things in life that a cold or infection of the head should not stop; work and taking care of your family are two that others depend upon. 

 When I was working for someone else, back in the 80's, no matter how much I didn't feel like working, I would go to work anyways. I remember one day I was so sick, when I inspected the subarea of the house, I placed my head on a wastepipe and took a nap. The owner of the house thought I must have died under her house and called 911. I was woken up by paramedics screaming at me through one of the vents. 

 In this line of work, people count on you to show up! In almost 44 years of doing this, I think I might have taken only a handful of days of canceling appointments. When a Real Estate Agent schedules an appointment, they are counting on it happening; sometimes they only have so many days for finalizing the offer, and my inspection is what they are making the decision on.

 Anywho, Paul is making a case about training his flesh, not about physical training. This type of training is something that requires the Holy Spirit and discipline in doing all the things needed to be prepared to minister, in season or out of season, you are denying the desires of your flesh, and you are doing all you can to feed and mature the new man, to run the race.

 I actually know some Christians that are on anti-depressants. As strange as that might sound, it really is something that is happening. They want to get off them because it messes with their mind; but when they stop taken them, they get really badly depressed, almost suicidal.

 I asked someone, who shared with me that they were taking them, "Do you read your Bible regularly?" and they said, "No I don't. I hardly ever read my Bible." So, I suggested that they get started right away. If you are going to end your depression you need to have something better to take its place; the Bible is the best, there is. 

 I haven't had a chance to speak with this person again, put I am praying for them every day...

"So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do." (Ephesians 5:15-16 NLT)  

"Do it Well!"

 "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thy goest." (Ecclesiastes 9:10 KJV)

  "I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign LORD. I will tell everyone that you alone are just. O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me." (Psalm 71:15-18 NLT)

 I know it might seem as though this is about ministry, because it is! Only what's done for Christ will last; or so it goes. Sorry for my last start, but I had cold chills last night and could hardly sleep. As a matter of fact, I think I will cut this short, as I feel as though I need to get back in bed. So much for well...

"Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically." (Romans 12:11 NLT) 

"Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do"

  "Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy." (Ecclesiastes 9:10-12 NLT)

  "The angel of the LORD encamped round about them that fear him, and delivered them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him." (Psalms 34:7-9 KJV) 

 Some call it luck when you prosper, and fate when you don't; but there is something to this little bit of wisdom, something that no one can predict or make happen on their own. I know that might fly in the face of those who believe in setting goals and making plans for a successful business venture: but things just don't work out the way everyone plans them to be; stuff happens! 

 When my wife and I moved to Northern California, we came to start a business and make a life here away from Los Angelos and the big city living. I thought it would be a good chance to relax and change from the hustle and bustle of Southern California. Working for myself seemed harder than working for someone else! 

 When we lived in L.A., we had chances to get away as a family, at least once a month. There was more freedom to do whatever we wanted, without having to worry about work. After about seven years of building a simi-successful business we started making time to get away. We learned how to play golf; my wife and I had a membership at a local club, playing almost three times a week.  

 Things were going pretty good for several years, until Marianne started getting sick. We never planned for that, but who would...

"Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." (James 4:13-15 KJV) 

"Happy Wife, Happy Life"

 "Live happily with the woman you love though all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil." (Ecclesiastes 9:9 NLT)

  "Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth." (Malachi 2:14-15 KJV)

 Sorry if I might have made a mistake, or so it seems; but since we were talking about joy and happiness, I thought it only fitting to add verse 9 into the mix: after all, if you have a wife that is happy, then you will have a happy life! But, on the other hand, if you don't treat your wife as you should, your wife will not be happy, and your life will be missing out on the happiness you would have enjoyed as being one! 

 This passage from Malachi might seem a little bit twisted and hard to understand; but there is something very important about the man and woman becoming one. As most of us know, when the husband and wife are joined in Holy Matrimony, they take on more than just their vows; they are making a covenant before God, to which God responds with joining the two together, as the two bodies become one.

 There is really a lot more to it than that, but for the most part, it is something special: when the one hurts, the other hurts also; when the one is happy, the other is also happy: at least that is the way it was meant to be! This word for treacherously is pretty much the same as transgress, which, if you know what it means in reference to our attitude towards God's law, we know we are stepping over the line, but we do it anyways, as if we really don't care. 

 Basically, it means that you do whatever with intent, deceitfully, and faithlessly. Please give up doing anything that you do that might offend one another; especially you men! You are the one who is given the responsibility to love first, as Paul instructs us: "love your wives, just as Christ loved the church." (Ephesians 5:25) Your wife will respond to that love, just as the church responds to the love of Christ...

  "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and see that she reverence her husband." (Ephesians 5:25-33 KJV)  

"Enjoy It While You Can!"

 "Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 9:9 KJV)

  ""Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, 'Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.' "But the master replied, 'You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn't plant and gathered crops I didn't cultivate, why didn't you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.'"" (Matthew 25:24-27 NLT) 

 All these years of being a Christian, I have probably heard a teaching on this passage of, "The Three servants", at least a dozen times. I was saved in 1981, most likely around the middle of September; I don't remember the date, but I do remember the day and the time: Sunday at around 11:00am. 

 The one teaching I remember most, dealing with these Three Servants, didn't have to do with actual money, as this parable gives reference to, but it had to do with time; as in, we are all given so much time on this earth, and we shouldn't waste it or think we can count on it tomorrow, what we can do with it today!    

 Whatever you think of that, it is more about family and friends, then it is about making money or running a business. We don't get second chances to do the things we should have done, once we lose the chance to do them, due to death or a critical injury. By then, we just look back and think about all the things we should have done, and all the things we wish we hadn't done.

 Matthew Henry gives a plug for this, saying, "It is all thou canst get from this world: That is thy portion in the things of this life. In God, and in another life, thou shalt have a better portion, and a better recompence for thy labours in religion; but for thy pains which thou takest about the things under the sun this is all thou canst expect, and therefore do not deny this to thyself." 

 I can honestly say that I love my wife deeper now than I did before her accident. I can't explain it, but it has taken on a deeper, more intimate, kind of love, one which causes me, or should I say, allows me to sing to her; which is something I had never done before. You really don't appreciate what you have been given until it is gone...  

"Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly." (Colossians 3:19 NLT) 

"Joy and Cheerfulness"

 "Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment." (Ecclesiastes 9:8 KJV)

  ""Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready."" (Luke 12:35-38 NLT)

 Just a quick little recap from verse 7, with a brief note from Matthew Henry: "We must serve God with gladness, in the use of what he gives us, and be liberal in communicating it to others, and not suffer ourselves to be oppressed with inordinate care and grief about the world." This was made clear to the children of Israel by God, as He instructed them not to mourn when they celebrated their special Feast's Days, but to be joyful and full of cheer, blessing God for His goodness. (Deuteronomy 28:47) 

 I know that there are days when it might not feel like dancing for joy; maybe more than most, I can find myself feeling depressed or discouraged because of my life's situation. But that is just because I am in patch of fogginess, where there is self-pity or worse, I could have unconfessed sin. We all should know what it feels like, when we are not feeling the joy of the Lord; and then, we must make absolutely sure that we don't stay that way for very long! 

 This reminds me of the 'wedding feast,' the one where Jesus speaks about a banquet when those invited didn't show up; so, He had the servants go out to the streets and invite strangers and random people. In this story, Jesus mentions the man being called out for not wearing the wedding garment, which was obviously a garment that was given to everyone as they entered the door. 

 We our given something exceptionally special, a special kind of joy that is like a garment we wear to express the honor of being a part of the Lord's banquet! When we don't feel that joy, it most likely is because we don't feel worthy of being in the banquet; or worse yet, we feel as though we don't belong to the celebration...

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon." (Philippians 4:4-5 NLT)

"A Good Heart" - Too

 "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works." (Ecclesiastes 9:7 KJV)

  "Oh, the joys of those who trust in the LORD, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols. O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand - you don't require burnt offerings or sin offerings. Then I said, "Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart."" (PSALM 40:4-8 NLT)

 Just in case you might have missed the whole point of what was said, we are not given the gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love, just to hold those inside our hearts and feel good; they must be put to work, by letting those around us see them, especially when they show up in times of hardship, trials, and tribulation.

 If you have a chance to show off the hope you have been given, then don't waste it by acting as if you have no hope, just because your temporary life has been stripped away, or health is failing. Focus on the life of eternity you have been given; on what is ahead, not what is being left behind. 

 If you have a chance to express the great peace you have been given, then make sure your fear is only in pleasing the Lord, not in things that can destroy your body, but on the One who holds your soul. You would be amazed how much peace you actually have, once you put your full trust in the Lord.

 If you have a chance to be joyful, even though your being crushed or torn apart, then think upon the cross that Jesus died upon, which was not a cross of death and destruction, but was the means of Salvation and deliverance for all mankind. Oh, what joy we can know and express, even in our sufferings! There is not a single thing on earth that could compare to what Jesus did, yet for the joy that awaited Him, He did it willingly and as a humble Servant, obedient to the Father!

 And then, the greatest gift of all, is love...

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us." (1 John 4:7-13 NLT)  

"A Good Heart"

"Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works." (Ecclesiastes 9:7 KJV) 

  "They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity - all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved." (Acts 2:46-47 NLT)

 Something to think about, if you are looking for ways to express these gifts the Lord has given us, we must be willing to open up and express the good heart that we have been given! Really, that's the only way we can make it all real and know the changed heart is within us, by putting it to work and making it come alive, by doing good works for the Lord.

 We need to get past the point of thinking that works do not matter, because we have no reason to be selfish, thinking that our works are just filthy rags; they are filthy rags only when we are doing them in order to try and gain something from God by doing them. 

 James, the half-brother of Jesus, knew what it was like to properly serve the Lord, because it wasn't about what we gained that mattered, it was what we gave away that mattered most. Jesus has given us such riches, beyond measure; more than we could ever use up in a single lifetime; we just need to put them to use; the more we use them, the greater they grow and multiply.

 We are not talking about money, because money can't buy what the Lord is selling; He gives us gifts freely and with only one requirement: that we use them to further His Kingdom! Some only have little, and some have much; but each have the portion they need to do a little or a lot. 

 It might not make a whole lot of sense, but if you have a good heart, your works will not be rejected...

"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well" - but then you don't give that person and food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." (James 2:14-17 NLT)    

   

"Undeniable" - 2

 "Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 9:6 KJV)

  ""For in death the wicked cause no trouble, and the weary are at rest. Even captives are at ease in death, with no guards to curse them. Rich and poor are both there, and the slave is set free from his master."" (Job 3:17-19 NLT)

 For those that might not understand, we really only have one chance to get this right! Solomon might have done some things that were over the top; but one thing he wasn't, he never set out to harm anyone, to kill anyone, or to be a wicked king. And, when he came to his senses, this is what he understood: once we die, we have no more portion to do anything, here, under the sun! 

 This might be the reason there are tears in heaven, because we still remember those we wronged, those we didn't try hard enough to save, and those we should have loved more than ourselves. This life is for us to be a vessel for the Lord to work through. If it was just about us getting saved, the Lord would take us home as soon as we accepted Him as Lord.

 As I said several posts ago, we most likely have all experienced each and every one of those things that have caused the seeds to fail: taken up by the enemy, have no roots to grow due to lack of faith, and be choked out by a love for the things of this world. It is just life here under the sun; the longer we live here, the more chances there are to be taken off guard or go down a wrong path. 

 We could find a mirrored image of the normal Christain life, by looking at the life of Israel, and all the different paths that they followed, which led them away from God. That's not to say that we can't be as good as we should, because we can, if we die to ourselves and seriously do all that the Spirit tells us to do! 

 Life happens, whether you know it or not, just thinking about doing those things, that is portion enough to sin, just by living them out in your mind, they take a part of your heart...

""You have heard the commandment that says, 'You must not commit adultery.' But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."" (Matthew 5:27-28 NLT)    

"Undeniable"

 "Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 9:6 KJV)

  "Praise the LORD! Let all that I am praise the LORD. I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath. Don't put your confidence in powerful people: there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever." (PSALM 146:1-6 NLT)

 Just an interesting note about yesterday's title, it might have had something more to do with Holden's message yesterday, than it did with the verse I shared on yesterday. Holden shared on 'Peace,' describing the whole notion of peace as something that is unrecognizable, if you are trying to find it; because it is not something that you look for, it is something you are given! 

 All four of the Advent qualities are given, because they come from the Lord! You will not find hope, because there is nothing here to really place real hope in; everything here will soon pass away. You will not find peace, because the peace the world gives, really doesn't last very long; it fades away. 

 You might find some joy, for a season; but then you discover it was only happiness, as soon as someone takes your temporary joy away. If you are looking for real love, hoping to be able to get some, just enough to love people as you should; your most liking going to like some, and love some; that is, until they offend you. 

 All four of these are gifts that Jesus gives with the salvation we accept; we are given these gifts in order to use them, hold tightly onto them, and make them visible for all to see! Each one of those gifts are from the Lord, we don't get to claim them as something we made happen; it was what Christ did when He died for our sins, He rose again, He entered our hearts, and He ascended up into heaven, where we will be joined together with Him! 

 You just can't make this stuff up...

"One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: "A farmer went out to plant seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!" When he had said this, he called out, "Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand." His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: 'When they look, they won't see. When they hear, they won't understand.'""  

"Unrecognizable"

 "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward: for the memory of them is forgotten." (Ecclesiastes 9:5 KJV)

  "Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came. It protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:23-26 NLT)

 Before you start wondering what this title, 'unrecognizable', might be getting at or where it might be going, let me tell you that nobody that is alive can tell you that they have recognized death. I know that there are some who say they have died and came back, having experienced bright lights or dark holes; whatever it is that they went through, they didn't experience death. 

 Jewish custom says that a person isn't really dead till after three days, as they believe the soul of a person that is dead will hang around the body, hoping to be restored. But then, after that, on the fourth day they give up and end up in hell, or wherever they the soul is destined to go.

 Jesus waiting to go to Lazaras was probably based upon this Jewish tradition, as He arrived to call him out of the tomb on the fourth day after he had died. We can see this mentioned by Martha, after Jesus told them to roll away the stone: "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible." (John 11:39) 

 What I believe we can see from Solomon's illustration, is that the only thing we can take for certain is death will come, in one form or another, everyone living body will die. Yes, every living body, even those who will never die, still don't go into glory with this temporary body. That dead body will be no more, it is basically part of this earth and will remain part of this earth.   

 The point about having no more reward, basically means that it will decompose, no more care or sustenance needed; nothing but decay and rot to look forward too. There have been so many different ways people have tried to preserve the body; but that dead body isn't coming back...

"For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:53-57 NLT)   

"Where There is Life There is Hope!" - Too

 "For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion." (Ecclesiastes 9:4 KJV)

  "For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch there of will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?" (Job 14:7-10 KJV)

 Having a little bit of hope, is better than no hope at all! At least that is what I have experienced over these last 21 years of taking care of my wife. Yes, she may not be able to do much; she can't walk or talk or enjoy certain things that normal people might do. But she still keeps going, from day to day, seemingly waiting for something. 

 The title of this post is something I was told while my wife was in the hospital. There was a brain doctor that came in to check on my wife, who had nothing but negative things to say, seemingly trying to get me to have me put out of her misery. I rejected his words, telling him that there is hope, and that God can do anything.

 He didn't like my diagnoses of the situation and scoffed at everything that I said. And then, another doctor came in, this one being a lung doctor, seemed to see things a little differently. He looked at my wife and saw a soul; that there was still life in her, saying, "Where there is life there is hope!" From that time on, I asked him to be the doctor that would help with the orders for Marianne; and he accepted. 

 Those who were the main doctors involved were her heart doctor and the doctor that operated on her heart, there role was just monitoring her daily functions and the level of the nursing care. After three months, they told me there was nothing else they could do for her, and that I needed to place her in a facility; giving me a list of places to go look at. 

 After many different choices, only one seemed to be good enough; and the process was started to get her placed in that facility. The day before she was going to go, they received her orders and saw that she had a trech, so they refused to accept her, because they had no RN's on duty at night.

 When this happened, I told her doctors that I would take her home and take care of her myself. They told me that was not possible, because she really wasn't a candidate for a home care situation. But I did not give up; and they finally decided to help me get the help that I needed. 

 This is something that I am very much concerned about, the way that they just want to place people in certain facilities, where they get forgotten and seem to give up trying to live. My wife had Cobra, so that would have paid for her care in a Rest Home. But when I took her home, Cobra was shut off and I had to pay for everything on my own. 

 Long story short; ever since she has been home, she has never been checked into a hospital again...

"Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desire. Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you." (PSALM 37:3-5 NLT)     

"Where There is Life There is Hope!"

"For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion." (Ecclesiastes 9:4 KJV)

  "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 1:12-14 NLT)

 The other night Pastor Bryan shared a little bit about a king of Judah, one that I have shared about too, maybe within the last few months. This king was the worst king that Judah had ever had; he was also the longest reigning king, having been seated on the throne at the age of twelve, he reigned for 55 years. 

 As the story goes, he was a very wicked king; murdering people, having Isaiah sawn in half, while being inside of a log, establishing all sorts of wicked and cultic things, such as the zodiac, and other evil practices against God; things that are still being put to use as of today. But, with all of that wickedness, he still ended up finding grace with God!  

 The whole reason I bring this up, is that we should never give up on praying for someone, hoping for a loved one to be restored, healed, saved, or give their whole life to Jesus; as long as they are still alive, there is hope...

"For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved."" (Romans 10:13 NLT)

"One Life to Live" - To

 "This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead." (Ecclesiastes 9:3 KJV)

  "On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man's hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, "Come and stand in front of everyone." So the man came forward. Then Jesus said to his critics, "I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" He looked around at them one by one and said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him." (Luke 6:6-11 NLT)

 There is a connection here, believe it or not. This passage from Luke is meant to show the hearts of the sons of men, being filled with evil and madness in their hearts. You must realize the connection, because many of us were just the same; I know firsthand what I am talking about. 

 Having grown up in a religious, so called, off and on environment, I can remember back to around the time I was 12 or 13, I became very rebellious and really didn't care if I lived or died, as long as I could do whatever I wanted to do. I stopped reading the Bible and gave up on religion, all together. I still believed in God, but I became rebellious towards Him, having drugs and drinking as the god that I followed. 

 By the time I was 15 years old, I had crossed the line; giving all of my time to partying and calling myself a Rebel, who was on the highway to hell. Before I turned 16, I was arrested and charged with 6 grand-theft-auto charges, and numerous breaking-and-entering's. Which sent me into being locked down until after I turned 17. But after only a month or so, I was arrested again, with the judge giving me a choice: go to CYA of leave the State of California. So I went to Texas to live with my grandfather; while at the same time, being kept on probation. 

 I only say this, because the madness part of this evil is real! Once you commit to dying, as if it is the only real hope for your future, you seriously go off the rails! There is really hardly anything you aren't willing to try or do; even if it might seem totally wicked, it really doesn't matter, because death is certain, and life is not; so, you give it all you got.

 Now, think for a second about these 'Teachers of the law and the Pharisees.' These are men of the law, supposably being those who teach the law of Moses, and should know full well that God's laws were given to show man his faults and the things he fails to do. The Sabbath day was a day that honored God, and by resting from your daily work, you were to be dedicating that day to God.

 I hope you can somehow you see the connection, because there is something very familiar with the heart's condition of these men and my condition as a rebellious teenager. Jesus did nothing wrong, yet they treated Him as if He had broken something, that crossed the line, so to speak. Not only did He heal that man on the Sabbath, but He did so in front of everyone, making sure He had their attention. 

 Believe it or not, but they were very closely aligned with me, during my time of rebellion and being evil. There is something that happens in our hearts when we turn away from God; whether you know what you are doing, or not, you actually are taking on a partnership with the devil. 

 And who, pray tell is the devil...

"If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NLT)   

"One Life to Live"

 "This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead." (Ecclesiastes 9:3 KJV) 

  "But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God has made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they know God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think us foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused." (Romans 1:18-21 NLT)

 Don't get alarmed by the title, it is only in reference to this life, the one we live here on earth. Surprised by this or not, we all will lose this tent we have been given; whether it will die naturally, and go back into the earth, from which it came; or it will be transformed into something undefiled, when we are raptured from this earth. Either way, this fleshly body will remain here: "For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return." (Genesis 3:19b NLT) 

 Therefore, all this is the result of the fall: death and decay happened when man disobeyed the one and only command that God gave, 'Do Not Eat of The Fruit of That Tree, or You Will Die!' That wasn't too hard to understand, but there was something at work in Adam's heart; something that caused him to be drawn towards that tree, making him want to know more about that which was forbidden. 

 This may be the evil that Solomon speaks about, as it was the thing that caused all things under the sun to die, everything that has life, will pass away, nothing that lives gets a second chance. Under the sun, it is all temporary and combustible! However, we have something that is part of us that will remain forever within the eternal world: Our soul! 

 When God breathed life into Adam, man became a living soul; the body was that which was made from the ground, but the soul was brought forth from the breath of God! And, along with that soul, there came the Spirit of God, which allowed for man to be as God, living forever; or so the story goes...

"Then the LORD God said, "Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!" So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:22-24 NLT) 

"Equality Under the Sun"

"All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and the wicked; to the good and the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath." (Ecclesiastes 9:2 KJV)\

  ""You have said terrible things about me," says the LORD. "But you say, 'What do you mean? What have we said against you?' "You have said, 'What's the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the LORD of Heaven's Armies that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.'"" (Malachi 3:13-15 NLT) 

 Yes, it is as it is; we all suffer the same fate in this life: both the good and the bad get sick; those who serve God, and those that serve themselves will suffer the loss of loved ones. There is no difference to the pain and suffering, as far as pain and suffering goes; but there is an extraordinary difference in the way we react or show off the hope we have in the LORD! 

 Seeing this put out there, front and center, Solomon is making a claim that is based in truth, because there is no real difference in what happens to those living here under the sun, the just and the unjust can be struck down by the same illness, beaten up by cancer, thrown down by brain disorder; you name it, it could happen to anyone, regardless of their standing in this world. This world is broken and fallen; it is not what the LORD made it for; but it is what man has made it to be. 

 Therefore, we cannot blame God! Still, there will be those who do, because they have no respect for a God that would allow it all to happen. Thinking it is wrong for this to go on and trying to put the blame on God for letting it happen; they either reject God altogether, or write Him off, as if He just doesn't care. 

 If you doubt me, just try to share the Lord with someone that doesn't want to believe in Him; you will most likely get that same reaction. But there is a big difference in God's side of the story! God has given man the freedom of choice; yet man choose to not listen to His commands, even though they were the best things for them, they did what they wanted to do. 

 Wild and crazy, the story goes! God sends His Son, knowing full well the man would reject Him, punish Him, and crucify Him on a cross! So, you tell me, who is the bad guy in the story! We must never give up on the LORD; He doesn't give up on us...

 "Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. "They will be my people," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."" (Malachi 3:16-18 NLT) 

"Consider God's Work" - Too

 "For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them." (Ecclesiastes 9:1 KJV)

  "But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames." (1 Corinthians 3:13-15 NLT)

 There really are some things that we cannot be absolutely sure of; but the one thing we must not give up on, is the salvation we know that we have been given: even if we experience a time of testing or we start having doubts, based upon something said, or discouragement planted in our minds from the devil; we must never give up believing, all the way to the very end! 

 Now then, about this thing of feeling angry at God, or thinking He has done something to make you suffer, as if it was punishment for your recent sins; I do not think God's discipline is all about that, because He loves us more than we could ever know. Things happen, (unfortunately, a recent quote from a certain Governor, that shouldn't have been stated,) but no matter what, it is not God causing you pain or severe punishment for your sins: your sins were taken care of on the cross, once and for all!  

 God's discipline for us is all about making us turn towards Him, not run away. If we think that anything going on in our lives that was meant to hurt us is of God, then we will become bitter and doubting that He really loves us. Something that should never happen to a child of God! 

 God demonstrated His love for us by sending His one and only Son, that His Son would take the penalty for our sins; so that was the end of the punishment for sins; Christ Jesus paid that price once and for all; now we can be cleansed from sin. Does it mean that we won't have situations of difficulty or hardship; things that seem as though they are too hard to handle? Absolutely not! 

 It doesn't either mean we won't continue to deal with sin! As long as we are living in this world, sin will confront us, we will sin, and we will be tempted by sins. But the penalty for those sins, even those we will still commit, all ultimately paid for, each and every one. If we don't acknowledge our sinfulness or cannot bring ourselves to ask for forgiveness, God will make a way for us to see we need to repent and turn from our wicked ways. 

 Whatever it is that God allows for us to go through, is not to destroy us, but to give us strength and hope, even in the things that seem overwhelming and might hurt for a short while. If we don't give up, we will see everything from a completely different perspective. There is nothing more valuable than the salvation of our souls! 

 Every one of the disciples went through punishment and almost all of them were killed because they followed Jesus. What do we have going on in our lives that compare to that? If you truly believe in the salvation you've been given, then what can possibly take away something that cannot be take back? Yes, that is what I said; your salvation is secure in Christ forever! 

 Please don't think this is something about, "once saved, always saved", because if you know that you are saved, then you will not really give up; even if you wanted to, He, will not give up on you, ever...

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change or decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while." (1 Peter 1:3-6 NLT) 

"Consider God's Work"

 "For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him." (Ecclesiastes 9:1 KJV)

  "The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. Jesus said, "At my Father's direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?" They replied, "We're stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God."" (John 10:24-33 NLT)

 First off, Solomon is hesitant to explain the things he considered in his heart; mostly because they, at first glance, would most likely not shine a very good light upon God; seeing that both the righteous and the wicked are all in the same boat, so to speak. Here on this earth, the rain falls upon the good and the bad, just as sickness and death; we all suffer through life with the same ailments, some more than others. 

 We can seriously all but pretend that we know how we will react, regardless of your current beliefs; because once you come down with something, or you lose someone you love, you really don't know how you will react. You really cannot plan for it to be as you think, until you are going through it. Will it be something that draws you closer to God, or will you hate God for allowing it to happen?

 That is really not hard to understand, because there are many people that resent God, even though they have served Him for years; but once they have a great loss, they change their heart and turn away from the only one that can actually give them comfort!

 Thus, this little tidbit is added in: We are in the hand of God...

""Oh, why give light to those in misery, and life to those who are bitter? They long for death, and it won't come. They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure. They're filled with joy when they finally die, and rejoice when they find the grave. Why is life given to those with no future, those God has surrounded with difficulties? I cannot eat for sighing; my groans pour out like water. What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true. I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes."" (Job 3:20-26 NLT) 

"Death Comes to All"

  "This, too, I carefully explored. Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God's hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners. and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don't.

 It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. That is why people are not more careful to be good. Instead, they choose own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. There is hope only for the living. As they say, "It's better to be a live dog than a dead lion!"

 The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. Whatever they did in their lifetime - loving, hating, envying - is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth. So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!" (Ecclesiastes 9:1-8 NLT)

  "LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as a handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity." [Selah.]  (Psalms 39:4-5 KJV) 

 Again, we must remember that Solomon here is sharing about living under the sun, which, in case you might have lost sight of that, it is referring to those that live on earth, this rotating ball that circles the sun! By the way, just in case you might have not known, but we are traveling in a circle, which takes 365 days to circle the sun, at a speed of 67,000 miles per hour to go approx. 590,000,000 miles. At the same time, this planet is spinning at a speed of 1,000 miles per hour; every 24 hours we have traveled 24,000 miles in a circle, without even knowing we moved! 

 Strange, but oh so exciting! God made this, designed it to function just as it does. Too bad mankind is not wound up like most everything else; we just seem to do what we want, seeing that we have a choice...

 "Surely every man walketh in a vain show: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish. I was dumb, I opened my mouth; because thou didst it. Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thy hand. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity." [Selah.]  (Psalms 39:6-11 KJV) 

"The Work of God"

 "Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it." (Ecclesiastes 8:17 KJV)

  ""My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my way are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."" (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT)

 Sometimes we think we have it all figured out, seeing ourselves becoming something; feeling there is something God is doing, moving, or placing us into, without even knowing the plans He has for us, but seemingly thinking we know all that He is working in our lives. In Solomon's case, God blessed him with the wisdom that he asked for; and then He gifted him with great riches, honor and an abundant life. 

 We can only see the mistakes that the person God is working in makes, thinking whatever about their state of mind, their heart, or where they might end up, after God judges them. But, and what if, whatever happens here, in this world, does not necessarily take place in God's Kingdom? Did Solomon make any difference in this world? Did he usher in anyone into the Kingdom of God? 

 I cannot imagine how many people were influenced by Solomon's life, his songs, his proverbs, his example of God's mighty hand upon his life? Even though he might have overindulged with women, horses, chariots, and massive parties, in the end, he remembered God's great mercy and grace! 

 We sometimes judge people based upon what we see in them, or how we feel they might have lost all fellowship with God; but it is God who will judge, not man; it is man that feels his position with God, knowing full well what is wrong and what is right. It is everyone's duty to judge their own hearts, not the right of those who think they know something, even though they may not even know their own hearts; no one can really know their hearts, because we can change in an instant! 

 There are only so many ways to figure this out, none of which will provide a definite answer, except to say, Only God Knows...

"O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great to understand!" (PSALM 139:1-6 NLT) 

"Divine Dispensations" - 2

 "When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day or night seeth sleep with his eyes:)" (Ecclesiastes 8:16 KJV)

 ""Solomon here records the result of his perplexing inquiries into the affairs of men, and the purposes, providence, and works of God. And when he examined with great attention and diligence into the works of God, he found he could neither comprehend nor explain them; and was persuaded, that no application or capacity would enable a man to fathom the depth of the Divine dispensations in the lower world. How vain, then, are all cavils against Divine providence; when we can neither understand, nor comprehend it!"" (Close-Reference Input on Verse 16 &17)

 Looking up this title, "Divine Dispensations," I found there to be seven Divine Dispensations shown in the Bible: Innocence, Conscience, Human Government, Promise, Law, Grace, and Kingdom. Each of which has a purpose in the overall story, tapestry, and composition of God's majestic plan for man to be conformed to His image. 

 We will not see this masterpiece from our point of view, except for mere glimpses and outlines of the pieces that God will show us; but when we are with Him, all that will change, and we will be all but amazed! If there is one thing to be thankful for, on this Thanksgiving morning, it is that we are a part of this amazing work; and if we are on the right side of this wonderful work, we have nothing to fear! 

 That alone should make your Thanksgiving Day a very thankful one, indeed...

"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:1-7 NLT)  

"Divine Dispensations"

 "When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)" (Ecclesiastes 8:16 KJV)

  "God's purpose was that we Jews who were first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believe in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him." (Ephesians 1:12-14 NLT)

 There is more to this than meets the eye, so to speak: as Solomon was gifted by God with abundant wisdom, he ponders 'the business that is done upon the earth,' as if there is something that God is doing, whether we know it or not, that is all part of His plan. After all, God never sleeps! 

 Looking up that word, 'business', we will discover that is has an evil tone to it, as it suggests that all that goes on here on this earth is of little profit, for us. All that we toil and do, although it might be something we feel is special and of benefit to the human race; in God's eyes, it has no value or significance whatsoever! 

 Just think of the things we have designed and produced over these last hundred years; most of which, will be worth nothing without the power to use them, all of which will one day be useless and able to do nothing. Visit a junk yard and see for yourself; things which were once iconic and amazed the masses, are just piles of junk and ready to be recycled or turned into rubbish. 

 What matters more than anything else is God's design and purposes! We can enjoy our things in the moment, but when it's all said and done, even we get recycled and turned into rubbish... 

"You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, "Don't handle! Don't taste! Don't touch!"? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person's evil desires. Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand." (Colossians 2:20-3:1 NLT) 

"Loving Pleasures" - 2

 "Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 8:15 KJV) 

  "Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 NLT)

 What I believe this means, without being judgmental, is that we enjoy helping others and try hard not to make life seem like such a burden, so that you don't make yourself the doom and gloom person, that no one cares to be around. We have only so many days here, on this earth, we need to be the ones that show forth joy, especially when it counts the most! 

 One of the definitions of 'Pleasure,' is, "a state of gratification." I know that it might be hard sometimes to do, but waking up this morning, is one of my first gratifications of the day! I get to live and do and be, one more day, another day to hopefully shine and be a light for Jesus! 

 That doesn't happen every day, I hate to say, because there are days when I feel sad and alone, which is usually because I forgot to count my blessings. We need to focus upon those things which God has given us to do, knowing that we have a purpose, big or small, it really doesn't matter; God works the same in every situation, even in the smallest expression, such as a smile and friendly hello. 

 Has your joy been hidden or taken away? Do you feel as though your life does not warrant joy or happiness? There is a very good reason that we must always be joyful, because we have been saved and no matter what, we have eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord! There is no greater pleasure...

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7 NLT) 

"Loving Pleasures"

 "Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 8:15 KJV)

  "Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer." (1 Timothy 4:1-5 NLT)

 Now, let's think about this for a moment, as we ponder the things which are acceptable, alongside those things that are not. Is it okay to laugh and enjoy times with families? There might be some who say it is not, as if the thought of having a good time is wrong, because brothers and sisters are being persecuted all over the world; so, what gives you the right to be merry? 

 Let me tell you something that I enjoy, more than anything else under the sun, (besides fellowship at church), having meals with my family, with at least 12 or more people sitting at the table. We have a great time of sharing with one another; not that everyone is a believer, but because we are all family. There is hardly a time when the whole restaurant doesn't notice us, because we spend more time sharing and laughing, then we do, eating our food.

 Things seem to be even better when Marianne is also seated at the table. That might be because she is there; giving everyone a reason to enjoy life, while it can still be enjoyed! If you like gatherings, then you would know what I am saying. There is nobody there on their phone, ignoring what is going on, because if they were, they would just feel convicted. Not to say that doesn't ever happen, because there are a few of the family that just want to be alone. 

 If you don't mind, Solomon is, in a strange sort of a way, is making a toast to those times we can be together, celebrating the life God has given us, under the sun...

"Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life." (1 Timothy 6:17-19 NLT)  

"The Blame Game"

 "There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 8:14 KJV)

  ""Why doesn't the Almighty bring the wicked to judgment? Why must the godly wait for him in vain?"" (JOB 24:1 NLT)

 We that have been pressed, (a nice way of saying crushed), are not weary in the journey, because we find it is something to be strengthened by; adjusting to whatever it might be, we make it count towards the good, in any way possible. Like that old saying, "The world gives you lemons, so you make lemonade!" 

 At least that is what I have found, whether it gets hard or harder, there is a way to find peace and joy, in just about every situation. All you need to do is to thank God for everything, even if it might be some sort of thing that seems bad; God can and will make it into something good! 

 Basically, there are only two things that are going to cause the righteous to be tormented and suffer any sort of hardship: either one, is good, if you are willing to allow God to get the glory. You might need to suffer through something, in order to draw closer to God, as it was with Job; or you might need to suffer through something to make something happen, as it was for Joseph. 

 The first of which can be a form of discipline or awakening, either way, it will be good for you, in the long run. That is, if you accept it as such, knowing that you have a Good Father, who doesn't allow you to go through something that doesn't do you good! 

 The second, is mysterious and can be exciting, if you are aware of something that God might be working in your life. Patience is the best way to live through whatever that might be, because the longer it takes, the bigger the work is going to be. At least that is how it usually turns out, unless you give up; and even then, like in the case of Moses, God doesn't quit! 

 As for the wicked, theirs is the fate of circumstance and judgment! They will have no one to blame but themselves, because God gives everyone a chance to turn to him, in one way or another. They might live richly and have everything they could ever want; but that will just make it harder and harder for them to surrender their lives to God. 

 Vanity comes into the equation when we feel as though we don't deserve whatever, however, or without, as if God owes us something! In that case, we need to look towards the cross! Then the blame game, becomes the shame game! Shame on you for thinking God's is to blame...

"Yet it was for our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6 NLT) 

"The Great Divide" - 2

 "But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he feareth not before God." (Ecclesiastes 8:13 KJV)

  ""Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out be the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on the good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as they planted!"" (Matthew 13:18-23 NLT)

 Hope and believing, that is the main divide between those who don't have what it takes, and those that end up walking away; because of doubt and unbelief, they cannot see hope is possible or part of their future. Those who truly believe, don't give up, because we know that He is for us, He doesn't give up on us, and He will get us through this, (whatever this is for you,) and on to the other side! 

 I really don't know if you can understand this, but every single one of those seed illustrations that Jesus had pointed out, we all deal with them, (some just a few, others, every single one,) in some seasons of our walk with the Lord. It just is life, living out our time here in this world, we sometimes can get distracted or taken off the path. But those who endure and don't give up, they are the ones that have learned to accept their weakness and believe that He is greater, and much more faithful than we could ever be, in this life. 

 I hope you can understand what I am trying to say, because it is not about us, it is about Him! Put all your cares on Him, for He cares for you...

"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:12-16 NLT) 

"The Great Divide"

 "But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God." (Ecclesiastes 8:13 KJV)

  ""I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it's here now, when the dead will hear my voice - the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don't be surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God's Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will."" (John 5:24-30 NLT)

 Yesterday I had a conversation with someone about the J.W.'s hold on people that don't know the real Jesus and why faith matters more than doing works. Not to say that works don't matter, because they do, if you are doing them out of love, and not doing them to gain eternal life or salvation. Isaiah 64:6 says, "We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rages. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind." 

 One of the reasons so many people get trapped in cults, is because there are promises of protection given to people for being members and for doing works that benefit the organization. They end up being trapped because they have a sense of security by their works. While, in the case of true Christianity, faith is the thing that matters the most, because without putting our faith in the cleansing power of Christ Jesus, there is no real salvation, we are still lost in our sins. 

 I know it might not seem real to some, only because they haven't put their faith in action; if you are not using the faith that you have been given, then you will not experience the power of the new life in Christ! When you get to a certain point where you don't see any change, you tend to doubt that you have any real salvation. Some will end up looking for something that actually counts on works, membership, or having a person pardon you from your sins. 

 Why I have brought this up, is mostly because there is a great divide in the way people see salvation, on different levels. The one area that stands out the most has to do with those who believe, and those that do not believe; those who want to know God, and those that refuse to know God. 

 Another area are the people who have accepted Christ and believe that He has died for their sins and given them eternal life; and those people who believe in God, but don't see Christ as the true way to be saved. 

 And then we have another area, one that is a little harder to see, and is just as deadly; those who actually believe that they have been saved, but do not fully believe the Bible! Not only that, but there is no real power being manifested in their lives, because doubt so many things in the Bible are either not true, or they are just allegories that show a particular point. 

 You can take it for what it's worth, or you can make it be worth more than you can take...

"Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them run to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously." (Isaiah 55:6-7 NLT)