"Precious Stones" - Too

 "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and homour." (Ecclesiastes 10:1 KJV)

  ""The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"" (Matthew 13:44-46 NLT)

 If you have been saved for many years, and if you have taken the opportunities to go to retreats and conferences, then you should have some experience in what it is like to share in spiritual discoveries within the Scriptures. I know it might not be everyone's favorite thing, because there are certain times when you can get called out and put on the spot; but if you could just allow the Spirit of God to work in you, it might change your life.

 As to the passages from Matthew 13, Jesus is showing the disciples something, which is concerning the parable of the wheat and the tares. He first explains the actual wheat and tares, which is simple enough to understand; but then He opens up to the Kingdom of Heaven; which may or may not as easy to understand. 

 In the instance of these two discoveries, there have been teachings based upon the ones finding the hidden treasure and the great pearl, as to this actually being Jesus Christ, who gave up His place in Heaven to save us: His precious treasure and pearl of great value. And then, there have been teaching of this person being shown the discoveries, as being of you or me, who discovered the Savior, Jesus Christ, and gave all that we had, in order to hold onto and purchase these special treasures. 

 Having learned what I have learned, over these 40-plus years, it has been my understanding that we cannot purchase something that has been freely given; although, there are many people that pretend to do just that! More than that, if this Salvation to which we have been given, could be purchased, what price would it be, and from where would we get something that might of value to God? 

 There is really only one thing that we have, that really isn't our property to begin with; and that is our lives! Yes, He already owns you, so how is it that you can give Him something He already owns? And how can you purchase something that is given freely? 

 Solomon was just a man who asked God for wisdom! When we ask God for wisdom, we are asking Him for something that only He alone can give: the kind of wisdom that is from God; not the wisdom of this world, because the world's wisdom is foolishness. And, thankfully, He loves to hear us ask for wisdom, because that means we are wanting to do what He wants, not the foolish things the world wants to do. 

 Not to change the subject, but God not only gave Solomon wisdom, but He blessed him with great wealth and honor! Doesn't that sound a lot like the Tree in the midst of the Garden? Before there can be redemption, there needs to be a fall...

"For we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it is to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose - to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, "'As surely as I live,' says the LORD, 'every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.'" Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall." (Romans 14:7-13 NLT) 

"Precious Stones"

 "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour." (Ecclesiastes 10:1 KJV)

  "But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led away by their hypocrisy." (Galatians 2:11-14 NLT)

 For the moment, just pretend that this is something that has to deal with a person's testimony and the special life that they have been given, having been blessed with great wealth, wisdom and honor. Who do you see filling in the picture of that situation? There is one particular person that I had in mind, as it fits Solomon's life, to a tee. 

 There are so many, men of God, that I have listened to over these last 40plus years, who make the prediction that they will not be seeing Solomon in Heaven. Every time I hear that declaration I have to wonder where they have been schooled and what Bible they are reading out of, because this might have been a man of great illustration of what happens when good men get corrupted by the world's pleasures, but, then have a U-turn back to God!   

 Besides that, there is nobody that has lived a perfect life, except Jesus Christ! We all sin and behave as if we are spoiled children; judging one other as if we don't do anything wrong, ourselves. Most of the time we don't even see the bad things we do, because we are looking for the bad in others, which makes us think we are better than we really are, compared to them. 

 Well, sad to say this, but even that is sinful and unloving, something which can cause you to be judged, just as you would for unforgiveness; and where do you think that will go with the Lord? The way I see it, we see a man that blessed thousands of people, never set out to harm anyone, and always judged others rightly. Yet, because of his reputation of having too many wives and horses and chariots; having been swayed by the exceptional riches and pleasures of this world, he has caused a stink over much of what he had done that was right. 

 That said, God did judge him, at least by the powers and conditions of this world; but in Heaven, this man, Solomon, is a precious stone...

"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, "I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced."" (1 Peter 2:1-6 NLT)  

"A Little Foolishness"

   "As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor. A wise person chooses the right road: a fool takes the wrong one. You can identify fools by the way they walk down the street! If your boss is angry at you, don't quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes." (Ecclesiastes 10:1-4 NLT)

  "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." (PSALMS 103:1-5 KJV)

 This little portion that starts chapter 10, appears to be a slight continuation of that last section of chapter 9, which was verses 13-18, tagged: "Wisdom and Foolishness", in my KJV Bible, and is tagged: "Thoughts on Wisdom and Folly", in my NLT Bible. Either or, neither one of them have any tag above the beginning of this chapter 10; so, they must be set as a continuation, in one way or another. 

 Hopefully you are going to start this year out right! Whoever you are, who somehow keep tolerating my strange way of thinking! I will blame it on the drugs and the strange way that I grew up; but that would just be wrong to even associate those past conditions, because I was changed, made New; given a whole new reason to live and die on this earth! 

 Yes, I absolutely am aware that my mind wanders off the page from time to time; but that is truly the way I feel God has made me. I still remember, (exactly,) the first time that I ran away from home. I was five years old. I filled my pockets with penny's and set out on my tricycle, before my parents were awake; then, began my five- or six-hour journey. As I road down the sidewalk, a man was spraying the ice or dew off of his windshield; and as I road past him, he said, "An early bird out to get a worm," and I replied, "Yes! I'm a bird!" 

 There are certain things that make perfect sense, and then there are things that might boggle the mind; but God's Word is never-ending and ministers to everyone, sometimes in bits and pieces, and sometimes in giant waves of amotion, filled with desperation and remorse. But one thing is sure: God will always magnify His Word above His name...

"I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD. Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou will revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands." (PSALMS 138 KJV)  

"The Selah" - TO

 "Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good." (Ecclesiastes 9:18 KJV)

  "For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth be their false teaching. And they do it only for money." (Titus 1:10-11 NLT)

  Nothing that we can do cannot be forgiven; everything we mess up, can be turned into something that is put back together! If you have walked away from God, know, you can always, without a doubt, walk back to Him, and He will except you with His arms opened wide and smother you in His loving arms! It really doesn't matter how hard you have fallen; if you still have breath in your lungs, there is still hope! 

 Now then, about this word, "Selah," and what some think it might mean: "to lift up, and Exalt," is one that is put out there, as we stop and give praise to God, between the portion of Scriptures; another is, "the end, or a pause," as we might stop to think between the lines, what it was that we have just read. Here is a little thought, if it might be something to think about: It is the beginning of something new and worth your time to think about, like; PSALM 3:2: "Selah. O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise against me!" or PSALM 46:6: "Selah. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

 The main thing that is apparent is that makes us pause to consider that He is the answer to all of our lives; whatever we are dealing with, and no matter how bad things might appear, He is the ANSWER for all of life's issues and circumstances: Period...

""Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father."" (John 15:5-8 NLT)  

"The Selah"

 "Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but on sinner destroyeth much good." (Ecclesiastes 9:18 KJV)

  "You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God's command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death. Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling." No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the one who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!" (Hebrews 1218-25 NLT)

 Sorry for taking up too much of your time, but this is rather important! Looking up the meaning of this word, "Selah," it is obviously clear that nobody has a clue what it might actually means; the only real clue to the meaning, is that it must be a musical notation, indicating a pause or break in the music or singing. 

 This word, "Selah," is shown 74 times in the Old Testament: 71 times in the Psalms, and 3 times in the Book of Habakkuk. Personally, if it is true that it must be a musical notation, then in my humble opinion, it is actually meant to take out a musical note, causing the person singing or reading, to, "Take Note!" 

 Anywho, yesterday I heard an interesting message from 'To Every Man an Answer,' as it was a recorded conversation with Pastor Chuck and Pastor Mike answering a man's question about someone losing their salvation, (or something in that arena.) I didn't hear the question, but I heard the answers, which were very good and caused me to take notice. 

 As it was, Pastor Chuck was sharing about a man that was once quite powerful in being an evangelist, almost in the ranks of the late Billy Graham. But he turned away from God and even wrote a book about his awakening that there is no God, and that the Bible is just made-up stories and fables. 

 This reflected the one who turned away, and quit believing; but then, Pastor Mike shared another little bit of a story, one from the Bible: One from the Master, which deals with those who do believe, but who do not care to obey the Master...

""Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. You must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected." Peter asked, "Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?" And the Lord replied, "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant thinks, 'My master won't be back for a while,' and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful. And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn't prepared and doesn't carry out those instructions, will be severely punished."" (Luke 12:39-47 NLT)  

"The Interlude" - Again

 "The words of wise men are heard in quite more than the cry of him the ruleth among fools." (Ecclesiastes 9:17 KJV)

  ""Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. I will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction."" (Isaiah 42:1-4 NLT)

 Before I go any further, I will try and express the importance of this word, "Interlude," with a slightly different point of view. First of all, God is watching you, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that He sees our every move, our thoughts, our intensions, and He can even see the dreams that we dream; some of which, are all together ungodly.  

 Secondly, He loves us! It is really hard for us to understand why, since we are so easily turning away from Him, by the silly and stupid things that we do or think or say; but, nevertheless, He loves us anyway, because He is the One who created us! Maybe that doesn't prove anything to some; but to the God that gave life to you, He, is also the God who will judge the life you lived!

 Changing the subject, for a moment, I was thinking about this Scripture which is obviously speaking about Jesus Christ and His ministry here on earth. Specifically, the point about Him not raising His voice in public. I can think of a few times that He did raise His voice; one in particular was as He was chasing out the Moneychangers from the Temple, saying, 'You have made my Father's house a den of thieves!' 

 There is another that comes to mind, as He was grieving over Jerusalem, I believe He cried out, "O Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, 'Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!'"" (Matthew 23:37-39 NLT)

 And then, we know for sure that He cried out on the cross, shouting out: "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" (Matthew 27:46 NLT) Some teach that this shows the God had to turn His back on Jesus, His one and only Son, because He was at the point in which He had taken on all the sins of the world. That may be correct, as He was meant to do what the Father asked, even though it was something that would tear them apart; or is that what actually had taken place? 

 I have also heard some say that God cannot look upon evil, because He is so Holy that He must not see that kind of stuff; but based upon the 6th chapter of Genesis, as well as many other Scriptures, He sees everything, the worst of the worst, there is nothing that mankind can hide from His view, because He sees absolutely everything that we do! 

 Well then, what caused Jesus to say, or shall we say, cry out, what He did? It was an Interlude, to get those who are paying attention to see the truth...

"My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced. But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, "Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!" (PSALM 22:1-8 NLT)

  

  

"The Interlude"

 "The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools." (Ecclesiastes 9:17 KJV)

  "If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boosting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind if wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:13-18 NLT)

 Call it a little pause, where you have a chance to ponder what was being said, applying what is most important to your life, and trying to understand the heart of God. In the King James, this would be shown as, "Selah", as in Psalms 66 it is used to get the reader to think about what was said, and picture it as if it were happening. Such as verse 4 says, "All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah." This pause is meant to have to reader envision what that might look like, and to experience a little glimpse of what has been said. 

 In several other translations, it is called, "Interlude", which, although very similar in nature, where one might mean to pause and reflect, interlude is more of an event between segments of a theme or event, much like an intermission. In the case of what this might mean to someone who is wanting to know what is being said, it is more like what you might think about between portions of a story. Like, if they stopped the show, to allow people to use the facilities or get refreshment, which also allows those interested to think about what was just performed, wondering what might be coming next. 

 In essence, this is the meaning of Solomon's point of the words of wise men being heard in quite; because in quite there comes an opportunity to understand, to discern, to harken, and to obey! Sometimes it really counts to just sit and listen as you pray and petition God, considering what He is wanting, focusing less upon your wants and needs. 

 With that, I will share that which is pressing hard upon my heart. My current position with my work has been lacking for several months; and I fear that it is either one of two things: First of which is my desire to retire from working with Termites and take an opportunity to take my wife out on the road, making our story known and trying to motivate couples to stay together, no matter what. 

 Secondly, there is this matter of dealt. I have no desire to rollover and suffer whatever might happen if I turn away from being responsible, in paying off my debt; but I do also believe that with God's help and another year or so of work, I could get this debt taken care of and paid off: Lord willing! 

 Therefore, I have laid out a fleece before the Lord, that if things have changed for the better by the middle of this month, I will hold off retirement, (66 and 8 months,) until I am 68, making this business the best that I possibly can; training someone to take over and continue it serving others; just as I have always tried to do. 

 I know it might sound strange, but I do believe that my wife is still with us for a reason, and I am very sure that our life's situation can minister to others, especially in our age group. The Baby Boomers are in that stage; born in the years of 1946 to 1964, we are quickly leaving this earth; more and more every day! 

 Anywho, that's my Interlude; my pause to reflect what has been and what might be to come! By the way, James has some very good experience in this thing called, "jealousy," as he grew up with Jesus, jealous of the attention He received, the work He performed during His ministry, and the unbelief he had against the person He claimed to be. Wow, what a change the cross and resurrection made upon his life!

 What a change it should also make in ours...

"The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." So where does that leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength." (1 Corinthians 1:18-25 NLT) 

"The Synopsis" - Too

 "Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard." (Ecclesiastes 9:16 KJV)

  "So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, "God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner." "I don't know whether he is a sinner," the man replied. "But I know this: I was blind, and now I see!" "But what did he do?" they asked. "How did he heal you?" "Look!" the man exclaimed. "I told you once. Don't you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?" Then they cursed him and said, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don't even know where this man comes from." "Why, that's very strange!" the man replied. "He healed my eyes, and yet you don't know where he comes from? We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn't have done it." "You were born a total sinner!" they answered. "Are you trying to teach us?" And they threw him out of the synagogue." (John 9:24-34 NLT)

 Anywho; this is something that makes this story altogether interesting; or as Solomon says, "great!" To be totally honest, I had no clue where this was going, but I do believe this must have been something that Solomon envisioned, seeing the injustice of what it might be towards some poor man, with great wisdom, to be despised and his words not listened to. 

 You do know that God does all things in His perfect time, right? Well, as it turned out, the region where Jesus was born was under Roman rule, at just the right time. The children of Isreal were looking for the Messiah to come, hoping for that Messiah came to deliver them from the hand of the Roman's. This Messiah that they hoped for, they imagined to be someone of stature and of great esteem. However, Jesus came as a humble and poor man; even though He actually was more important than what they were looking for, but they couldn't see it, because they were blind! 

 I know, this is something which may not be: but the Bible is more entwined with so many illustrations of Jesus, there are just too many to number or keep track of. I heard Pastor Jon give a message one day, showing all the measurements of the articles to be placed in the Temple. As he had shown it, God gave specific measurements to Moses for each and every item; except for the Water-Basin used by the priests for ceremonial cleansing. That Water-Basin represents the Word of God, of which there is no limit or containment! And, if you didn't know this, the Word is Christ Jesus!      

 Hopefully I haven't overstepped or stretched things too far; if so, I must confess, I'm not sorry! As to the post from yesterday, it was meant to address the unlimited abilities that God can bless those who are faithful in giving. When God says that He was robbed, He surely isn't talking about us robbing Him of money, because that is His, all along! But what we do, is rob Him from blessing us, and allowing Him to make us a vessel that pours out blessings; instead of a vessel that collects trash! 

 By the way, just a little note about my New Year goal setting; by 1989 my weekly tithes were up to $350.00 per week; and my monthly sales broke over $52,000, net. I was able to ask my boss to not pay me so much, because my income was being taxed at really high levels; so, I asked him to just pay me $2,400 per week. and to keep the rest on the books.  

 No one can ever convince me that God does not bless a cheerful giver...

"So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that isn't what Jesus said at all. He only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate. Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written." (John 21:23-25 NLT) 

"The Synopsis"

 "Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard." (Ecclesiastes 9:16 KJV) 

  "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God." (1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT) 

 I can barely remember what it was like living poor; except that we hardly ever worried about money or how we might get through another week: as it was easy to trust God for providing all that we needed. Don't get me wrong, because I did make money; and we lived in a little house, which needed lots of work; but my boss had spent quite amount of money on me and my family. If I remember right, I think I owed him about $15,000 after I was released from jail; so, spending and buying things we didn't need really wasn't an option. 

 It was about the middle of December of 1981 that I was released from jail; about 6 months after I turned myself over to the L.A. County Jail, on the Friday afternoon in the middle of June. According to my Lawyer, I would be back out on Monday morning in order to go back to work; and then report back to jail of Friday's. They called that Serving Weekend's or Work Furlough; and it was a program that allowed nonviolent offenders to go to work and be with their families during the workweek. 

 When my Lawyer told me that would take place, I didn't believe it; after all, I was serving time for the crime of selling drugs; so why would they let a drug dealer go in and out of jail! It was really not a surprise to me that Monday came and went; over and over again, month after month. 

 My Lawyer fees were around $7,500 or so; all most all of it my boss had paid to try and keep me out of jail. The house we lived in was also owned by my boss, as at that time he owned about 50 properties, and he allowed by wife and son to stay in the house all the time that I was in jail. She paid what she could, but by the time I got out, we owed him about $2,400 in past rent and expenses. 

 By the beginning of the year, in 1982, my boss added another $5,000 onto my debt, by selling me his Toyota truck; so, starting in January of 1982 in began paying off my $15,000 debt; which I somehow managed to do in about 8 months or so; and then I bought a new Mazda diesel truck, right after my wife and I got married: on July 31st 1982 we were married at Calvary Chapel of Downey, by Pastor Mike; and my boss was my Best Man. 

 Then, in the later part of 1982, around December, my boss approached with a proposition to buy one of his properties; a property that had a main house with three bedrooms and a small house which had only two bedrooms. He proposed this deal with a contingency, saying, 'Currently you only make around $600 a week, but in order to afford the payment on this property, you will need to make $900 per week. 

 Well, that really got me motivated; fortunately for me, I was paid commission, so it was on me to get out there and start selling more jobs. We both set down and figured out what was required to make an additional 50% commission per week: basing the number of appointments, or properties, compared to the number of sales, (including those that didn't sell anything,) which turned out to be around 12 inspections per week. Therefore, I needed to make my goal to do at least 18 inspections per week, and I would be able to produce around $9,000 a week in commissions, based upon those calculations.  

 At that time, I was mostly paying about $60 a week in tithes. But during our six months of Marriage Counseling, I had to read a book, 'Your Money Matters,' which inspired me to change my tithes; and starting in January at the beginning of the year, I started tithing my goal and giving $90 per week. 

 By Easter Sunday of 1983, (actually, on Easter Sunday,) we had closed Escrow on Good Friday, and moved into the house that Sunday. I am sharing this because I feel the need to let anyone out there know, You cannot outgive God! If you trust Him and believe in what He says, you will be blessed! 

 Every year's end I continued to increase my goals; and every year, I would start by giving based upon my modest goals; usually only at least10% or at the most 20% increase, but the more I gave, the more God blessed us. In 1986 we purchased another home and rented out the other two houses.

 However you take this message, I hope that you understand that it involves prayer and commitment to do whatever it is that you believe God is asking of you; even if it means giving all that you have! He is more than able and willing to bless you abundantly more than you could ever realize...

""I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and fail to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "But you say, 'How can we return when we have never gone away?' "Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! "But you ask, 'What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?' "You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies."" (Malachi 3:6-11 NLT) 

"The Poor Wise Man" - 2

 "Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city, yet no man remembered that same poor man." (Ecclesiastes 9:15 KJV)

  ""Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn't heal him." Jesus said, "You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment on the boy was well. Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, "Why couldn't we cast out that demon?" "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there.' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."" (Matthew 17:15-20 NLT)

 Yes, I know, there seems to be something missing in the NLT regarding this passage in Matthew; verse 21 is not there, there is a skip from verse 20 to verse 22; verse 21 has Jesus saying: "But this kind of demon won't leave except by prayer and fasting." There might be something to that, what I do not know; but the whole point to this message it about believing in and trusting God's power; the mustard seed of faith, is made powerful by the faith we have in God! 

 So, with that, I have given some thought to this point about the poor wise man not being remembered for being able, by his wisdom, to deliver the city: If he was wise enough to trust in God, then he would have prayed for God to deliver the city; and with his faith in God, the city was delivered! If this was the case, the poor wise man, most likely went into his prayer closet and by himself, prayed earnestly and with the faith of a mustard seed, he prayed that God would intervene. 

 That is just a thought, so don't hold me guilty of spiritualizing the text, if it might seem as though I am digging for things that do not exist. However, I know full well, by my own prayers for people to be delivered or for marriages to be held intact, that they have no clue who has prayed for them; and I have no desire to try and tell them that I did. This is something, that even if it was because of prayer, I don't want any credit; but it just pleases me to see things happen, thanking the Lord for what He has done.  

 Sometimes there needs to be more effort put into prayer, than just saying a prayer; sometimes we need to get serious and bold, making prayer passionate and faithfully crying out, expecting there will be some kind of deliverance or restoration. The very least, that whatever happens, God's will be done! Knowing that our Heavenly Father knows best, for all situations.

 That reminds me of that joke, the one about the man who fell over the cliff, grabbing onto a root before he was falling to his doom. He cried out for help, yelling out, "Help! Is anybody up there?" And a voice answered, "I am Here." And the man replied back, "Can you help me?" And the voice said, "Yes, I can help you." Then then man asked, "Will you help me?" And the voice said, "Yes, I will help you?" And then the man desperately asked the voice, "What do you want me to do?" And the voice replied, "Let go of the root!" The man yelled out again, "Is anybody else up there!" 

 We have no way of knowing how God will deliver us from anything; but we can trust Him as the loving Father that He is, whatever happens, as long as we surrender to His will, it will be glorious and will make everything work towards the good and for His purpose. After all, His will matters most...

""Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be open. You parents - if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him."" (Matthew 7:7-11 NLT)   

"The Poor Wise Man"

 "Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city, yet no man remembered that same poor man." (Ecclesiastes 9:15 KJV)

  "Jesus said, "How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all the garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade."" (Mark 4:30-32 NLT)

 If I could point to the direction that this might be going, I would say it has something to do with our ability to trust God with our difficult situations that can't be overcome or figured out; or maybe the way it happens that we sometimes forget how God did something with an issue that could not be dealt with, as we carry on with our daily life.

 There are some really good examples of what I mean, by looking at the children of Israel and their journey out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Each and every time they came into situation that seemed critical, they would blame Moses or God, saying, "Did you just bring us out here to kill us?" And then God would do something amazingly spectacular, like part the Red Sea, or bring forth water from a rock, and then in the next critical moment, they would complain again, "Did you just bring us out here to kill us?" 

 There is more to their question that needs to be thought about, because God did what to get Egypt out of His people. Getting them out of Egypt was easy, but getting Egypt out of His people was going to take a little while; and yes, many of them did die in the wilderness! 

 There also might be a reason Solomon does not mention how this poor wise man delivered the city, except that it was by his wisdom. Sometimes I think I might be the stupidest person I know, because I pray for God to help me in difficult situations, and then I think about and plot ways to try and do it on my own...

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. But when you ask him, be sure your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." (James 1:2-8 NLT) 

"The Great King" - 2

 "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)

  "So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul's lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. Some were persuaded by the things he said, but other did not believe. And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: "The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, 'Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes - so their eyes cannot see, and ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.' So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it."" (Acts 28:23-28 NLT)

 Something about this "great king" has me believing that this is about something spiritual and in involves the ability to comprehend; but let's pretend for a moment this is actually a king that besieged a little city, with just a few men, and then went through the effort to build great bulwarks against it. If any of that might make any sense, it must have some buried treasure somewhere, that a great king would waste his time and effort on a little city, with only a few men within it; don't you think?  

 If you think about the reason Solomon has written this Book, "Ecclesiastes," stated in the first opening verse: "The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem." At this point of his life, he had experienced more pleasures than most people could ever have an opportunity to have; yet he had come to a point where his, with all of its glamour and prestige, was meaningless and vanity, of vanities.

 Finding all of this was nothing but emptiness, he finally discovered that only by having God as the center of our lives, would we ever really be satisfied and complete. Part of this may have been a result from his upbringing; having king David as his father, and Bathsheba as his mother, there were certain things that were special about his being where he was and what he had become. 

 Just so you know, his father David was forgiven by God for what he had done with Bathsheba. But he still suffered in this life for what he had done. The forgiveness that we receive from God is to make us right with God; but we will still have scars and difficult times, on this earth, based upon the sins we might have committed. 

 All the more reason to look forward for the hope we have in being with the LORD...   

"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 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 own 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 8:1-4 NLT) 

"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)