"Gently Into the Night"

 "For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness." (Ecclesiastes 6:4 KJV)

  "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you." (2 Timothy 4:3-5 NLT)

 Having fun yet? Obviously, there are some people having a blast making up lies and trying to rewrite the past few years! Saying the things they will do, but haven't done anything closely related to those things, over the last three years. As a matter of fact, they have totally and completely done the opposite!

 I have made a vow to myself: I will not hold back from speaking the truth, but I will not be bothered by what is taking place in this world! We must not lose joy and hope over these things, because they are all meant to happen; but for the sake of the innocent people that don't know any better, we must speak the truth and say what we know is right, without being afraid of what it might cost!

 And with that: The price to pay, (which was somewhat changed up yesterday, because I choose to share about the opposite situation,) is before us today. Regardless of what you might think of Solomon, if you make it into Heaven, you will find him there; of this I am absolutely certain. God gave Solomon the ability to be wise, and then He threw on him the riches and greatness to be a fool. But God never does anything by chance or without a reason. 

 To make things a little clearer, Solomon started his reign as king in humility and by giving all the glory to God; he was totally and completely faithful, judging rightly, and doing all that was good in God's sight. But then, he got spoiled and overindulged in the passions of living, under the sun! 

 However! As crazy as this might sound, God already knew what he would do, and actually gave him the ability to do it, even though He knew it would happen. Why would He do that? The title of the post today is partially taken from a poem written back in 1951, which actually said, "Do Not Go Gently into That Good Night." 

 We must fight to the very end, not giving up because we might think that God has abandoned us or because we have failed to finish well: if we still have breath in our lungs, we have not finished yet; and God is not finished until judgment day...

""I have told you these things so that you won't abandon your faith. For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. This is because they have never known the Father or me."" (John 16:1-3 NLT)