ECCLESIASTES 11
Diversify investments verse 1- 2
Cast your bread upon the waters – for you shall find it after many days
give a portion to seven – and also to eight
for you know not what evil shall be upon the earth
Laws of nature verse 3- 6
If the clouds be full of rain – they empty themselves upon the earth
AND if the tree falls toward the south – or toward the north
in the place where the tree falls – there it shall be
He that observes the wind shall not sow
AND he that regards the clouds shall not reap
As you know not what is the way of the spirit
NOR how the bones do grow
in the womb of her that is with child
EVEN so you know not the works of God who make all
In the morning sow your seed
and in the evening withhold not your hand
FOR you know not whether shall prosper – either this or that
OR whether they both shall be alike good
Life divided between good and bad days verse 7- 8
Truly the light is sweet
AND a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun
but if a man live many years
and rejoice in them all
YET let him remember the days of darkness
for they shall be many
All that comes is VANITY
Youth need to enjoy Godly life verse 9- 10
Rejoice – O young man in your youth
and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth
and walk in the ways of your heart
and walk in the sight of your eyes
BUT know you that for all these things God will
bring you into judgment
THEREFORE, remove sorrow from your heart
and put away EVIL from your flesh
for childhood and youth is VANITY
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Cast your bread upon the waters: for you shall find it after many days. (3899 “bread” [lechem] means grain, food, nourishment, fruit, loaf, meat or victuals)
DEVOTION: Solomon is concerned about the proper use of money or goods. Those who have money are not to love money. Those who don’t have money are not to envy those that do. Money is just a means to purchase things.
This verse has been translated as “send your grain across the seas, and in time you will get a return.” Our bread or grain is talking about how we invest what we have.
These first six verses deal with the fact that when we invest, we have to diversify. If we put all our eggs in one basket, we could lose everything. Solomon is instructing those who are listening to be adventurous. Put some of our money in sure things and put some in something that is not sure.
Life is a risk when we are dealing with money. Sometimes we spend wisely and other times we don’t. He wants us to invest wisely but take risks. What are we investing in for our future? What are we investing in at present?
Are we investing in the things of the LORD? There are many ministries that are struggling because God’s people are not giving their tithe to the LORD’S work. Some of the ministries are not worthy of our investment but others are and should be supported by God’s people.
There are many pastors who are struggling with insufficient funds to pay their bills. Remember that if a pastor takes more than he needs then he will have to answer to the LORD but if a church doesn’t pay their pastor properly, they will have to answer to the LORD.
There are people around us who are struggling and a little gift would encourage them. Individuals can give a gift through the church or anonymously in a person in need’s mailbox or in a book or use our imagination.
We have received many gifts through the years from people of groceries, money, fresh garden produce and letters of encouragement. True friends are friendly. Invest wisely.
CHALLENGE: Part of proper investment is to encourage those who love the LORD. Be an encourager.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 “As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
DEVOTION: On three occasions Solomon speaks to his readers and informs them of their ignorance when it comes to the things of the earth and of God. We do not know what evil will be on the earth, the way of the wind, or the works of God. With those statements made he (Solomon) challenges the readers to continue to do what they can while living here on this planet. Solomon becomes very sensible and states that the individual must work regardless of the appearance or temporary hindrances may be. The things we have no control over we must work around and the things we can do we must be diligent to accomplish!
It is important to get up and go to work each day, it is necessary to be a reliable worker for the company you are employed by. The variables in life will occur that we have no control over and we are responsible for those things we can do!
CHALLENGE: Sow seeds, cultivate the weeds, harvest the crops. Leave the other things to the Lord! Trust Him for your life and your future! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 8 But if a man lives many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity. (2821 “darkness” [choshek] means obscurity, night, blackness, or dim)
DEVOTION: When you are young you think you have the whole world in your hands. Solomon instructs those who are young to enjoy their times during their youth. They are to rejoice in the strength of their youth. Each day is a new adventure for those who are young.
As we age, we realize that our bodies start breaking down. There are times of obscurity in relation to our jobs or homes or even at church. When you are young you are so active that nothing seems to slow you down in any area just mentioned.
In Ecclesiastes 5: 17 we find that Solomon refers to this same time period as times of sorrow and sickness. Our bodies continue to not have as much endurance. Sickness can cause us to not be able to do what we could when we were younger. Disappointments in life take their toll in our life. Our children aren’t living for the LORD the way we would like. Our marriage might not be the way we would like. We can’t find a church that encourages us. Life seems to get harder as we age.
Many commentaries state that Solomon is talking about death. We need to enjoy life for a short time, which will be followed by death which last a lot longer. He is not talking about the afterlife, just the fact that we stay dead longer than we live. If we live to be ninety years old, we can be dead a lot longer.
Our years of service here on this earth can be productive. There comes a time when we just happen to do less than we did the year before because of age. Solomon wants every individual to use their strength as long as they have it to serve the LORD.
We can grow stronger in the LORD as we mature. We need to use that strength to encourage younger people to use their strength to serve the LORD. There is no retirement age in the service of the LORD. Death is the time to stop.
CHALLENGE: What can we do now for the LORD that we won’t be able to do later? Start doing it.
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: 10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. (3708 “sorrow” [ka’ac] mean vexation, a vague unpleasant emotion akin to worry that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune, provocation, or frustration.)
DEVOTION: Life can be frustrating at times. Here we find the LORD warning us not be worried about what is happening in our life we are trusting HIM to take care of our needs.
It seems that these types of things effect children more than adults but sometimes the same worries or frustrations happen to adults who have a habit of worrying while they are children.
God wants us to know that we can trust HIM to do what is best for us if we are one of HIS children. If we are not one of his children than we have things that we can do that will make us part of HIS family.
Children can have a habit of worry and doing things that don’t amount to much but once a person becomes an adult, they need to trust the LORD and do what HE wants them to do with their life if they are going to receive blessings from HIM.
The LORD makes a distinction between when we are young and foolish and when we are old and foolish. We are not supposed to be foolish as adults who know the difference between what it means to serve the LORD or to serve the devil.
Yes, children can become believers but they need the help of adults to teach them what being a genuine believer is all about, so that, when they become an adult they will serve the LORD faithfully.
CHALLENGE: Maturity is supposed to be found in adults. Childhood is a learning time and needs the help of genuine believers to help children mature in faith.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 5, 9
Works of God verse 5
Creator verse 5
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Way of the human spirit verse 5
Child verse 5
Old man verse 8
Days of darkness verse 8
Young man verse 9
Ways of the heart verse 9
Childhood verse 10
Youth verse 10
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Evil verse 2, 10
Lazy verse 4
Lack of wisdom verse 5
Vanity verse 8, 10
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Be a giver verse 1, 2
Wisdom verse 5
Work ethic verse 6
Remember verse 8
Rejoice verse 9
Remove sorrow verse 10
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Judgment verse 9
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DONATIONS:
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QUOTES regarding passage
11:9–10. Solomon reiterated his advice to enjoy life (cf. v. 8), emphasizing that a person should do so in his youth. Elsewhere Solomon had said that enjoying life consists of eating and drinking (2:24; 3:13; 8:15; 9:7), wearing nice clothes and pleasant lotions (9:8), enjoying marital bliss (9:9), and finding satisfaction in one’s work (2:24; 3:22; 5:18). Now Solomon encouraged his readers to do whatever their hearts desired (“follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes,” 11:9; nasb). However, those desires should be tempered with an awareness that God will judge.
As previously noted (cf. comments on 2:24–26; 3:17; 7:15–18), there is no reason to believe from either explicit or implicit arguments in this book that Solomon believed this judgment would take place in the afterlife. Instead, like other wisdom writers of his era, he emphasized a temporal judgment within a man’s lifetime (cf. comments on 2:24–26 and see 7:17). This may even be indicated in 11:10 where Solomon said a person should banish anxiety from his heart (psychological) and cast off the troubles of his body (physical). These imperatives are obviously the opposite side of the advice to be happy (v. 9) and contrast with the psychological gloom and declining physical vigor depicted in 12:2–5. Yet such passages as Proverbs 5:7–14 and Psalm 39 show that a means of avoiding these effects is a wise lifestyle lived in the fear of the Lord. (Glenn, D. R. (1985). Ecclesiastes. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1004). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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The goodness of life is light. To see the sun is to be alive. 8–9 Enjoyment is to be life-long. It involves joys both internal (the ways of your heart) and external (whatever your eyes see). But warnings are added: days of darkness refer apparently to days of calamity and trial; that everything … is meaningless reminds us that the perplexities of life continue, and its joys only come with effort. There is a future assessment of all human works. The definite article is used (the judgment) referring to a specific future event. The pursuit of joy must keep this in mind. 10 As far as is possible the problems that beset heart and mind are to be resisted. (Eaton, M. A. (1994). Ecclesiastes. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 618). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.)
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Rejoice (11:7–9). What a joy it is to anticipate each new day and accept it as a fresh gift from God! I confess that I never realized what it meant to live a day at a time until I was nearly killed in an auto accident back in 1966. It was caused by a drunk driver careening around a curve at between 80 and 90 miles per hour. By the grace of God, I had no serious injuries; but my stay in the Intensive Care Ward, and my time of recuperation at home, made me a firm believer in Deut. 33:25, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” Now when I awaken early each morning, I thank God for the new day; and I ask Him to help me use it wisely for His glory and to enjoy it as His gift.
Solomon especially instructed the young people to take advantage of the days of youth before the “days of darkness” would arrive. He was not suggesting that young people have no problems or that older people have no joys. He was simply making a generalization that youth is the time for enjoyment, before the problems of old age start to reveal themselves.
My middle name is Wendell; I’m named after Wendell P. Loveless, who was associated for many years with the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, especially radio station WMBI. He lived into his nineties and was alert to the very end. During one of our visits with him, he told me and my wife, “I don’t go out much now because my parents won’t let me—Mother Nature and Father Time!”
Young people have to watch their hearts and their eyes, because either or both can lead them into sin (Num. 15:39; Prov. 4:23; Matt. 5:27–30). “Walk in the ways of your heart” (NKJV) is not an encouragement to go on a youthful fling and satisfy the sinful desires within (Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:20–23). It is rather a reminder for young people to enjoy the special pleasures that belong to youth and can never be experienced again in quite the same way. Those of us who are older need to remember that God expects young people to act like young people. The tragedy is that too many older people are trying to act like young people!
Solomon’s warning is evidence that he doesn’t have sinful pleasures in mind: “God will bring you into judgment.”
God does give us “all things richly to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17), but it is always wrong to enjoy the pleasures of sin. The young person who enjoys life in the will of God will have nothing to worry about when the Lord returns. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Satisfied (pp. 129–130). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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11:9 Rejoice … judgment. The two terms seem to cancel out the other. How can this be explained? Enjoy life but do not commit iniquity. The balance that is called for insures that enjoyment is not reckless, sinful abandonment. Pleasure is experienced in faith and obedience, for as Solomon has said repeatedly, one can only receive true satisfaction as a gift from God. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ec 11:9). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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Ver. 9. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, &c.] This advice may be considered as serious; and either as relating to natural, corporeal, and temporal delight and pleasure, under due limitations; that as mirth and cheerfulness, or a free use of the creatures of God, with moderation and temperance, is allowable to all men in common, and is spoken of throughout this book as commendable, and is healthful and profitable to men; so it is particularly suitable to the youthful age, whose natural desires may be enjoyed, and their outward senses may be gratified, in a lawful way, so far as is consistent with the fear of God, and the expectation of a future judgment: or it may be considered with respect to religious and spiritual exercises; as young men should remember their Creator in the days of their youth, as it follows; so they should rejoice in God their Maker, Psal. 149:2 they should rejoice, not to do evil, to which human nature is inclined, especially in youth, but to do good; should rejoice, not in the ways of sin, but in the ways of wisdom; not in any outward attainment of beauty, wit, strength, or riches, but in the grace of God; not in themselves, or their boastings, but in Christ, his person, righteousness, and salvation; not in the things of time and sense, but in hope of the glory of God. And let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth; here is a different word for youth than the former, which Alshech distinguishes thus; the first designs the time to the age of thirteen, and this from thence to twenty. Or, let thine heart do thee good, so the Septuagint. The Targum is, “and let thine heart be good in thee.” Symmachus renders it, and let thine heart be in good; the thoughts of thine heart be employed about that which is good, spiritual, heavenly, and divine; the affections of thine heart set thereon; and the will and desires of thine heart be drawn out after such things: let thine heart prompt and put thee on doing that which is good, with delight and pleasure; but, in order to all this, the heart must be made good by the spirit and grace of God. And walk in the ways of thy heart; being created a clean one, sprinkled, purged, and purified by the blood of Christ; in which the fear of God is put; the laws of God are written; where Christ is formed, and his word dwells richly, and he himself by faith, where the Spirit of God and his graces are: and then to walk in the ways of such a heart is to walk in the fear of God, according to his word, as Christ is an example; and to walk after the spirit, and not after the flesh. The Septuagint and Arabic versions are, and walk in the ways of thine heart unblamable: the Targum, “and walk in humility in the ways of thine heart:” which all agree with the sense given: so Alshech interprets the ways of the heart; of the ways of the good imagination of good men. And in the sight of thine eyes; as enlightened by the spirit of God, directing and guiding in the way in which a man should walk; looking unto Jesus, all the while he is walking or running his Christian race; and walking in him, as he has received him; pressing towards him, the mark, for the prize of the high calling. The Targum is, “and be cautious of the sight of thine eyes, and look not upon evil.” The Septuagint and Arabic versions insert the negative; and not in the sight of thine eyes. Most interpreters understand all this as an ironical concession to young men, to indulge themselves in carnal mirth, to take their swing of sinful pleasures, to do all their corrupt hearts incline them to; and to gratify their outward senses and carnal lusts to the uttermost; even the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life, which young men are most addicted to: do all this, as if it was said, and see what will be the issue of it; or, do all this if you can, with this one thing bore in mind, a future judgment; like those expressions in 1 Kings 22:15; Matt. 26:45; Lam. 3:21 and to this sense the following clause is thought most to incline: and the rather, as the above phrases are generally used in a bad sense. But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment; not temporal, but eternal; not in this present life, but in the world to come; the judgment that will be after death, the last and awful judgment; and which is certain, may be known; of which a man may be assured from the light of nature, and from divine revelation; see the note on ch. 3:17. into which all men will be brought, even whether they will or no; and every work shall be brought into it, good or had, open or secret, ch. 12:14. Wherefore these things may respect either; and the consideration of a future judgment should influence the lives of men, and engage them both to perform acts of piety and religion in youth, and throughout the whole of life, and to shun and avoid every thing that is evil. Herodotus speaks of a custom among the Egyptians, at their feasts; that, just at the close of them, one carries about in a coffin the image of a dead man, exactly like one, made of wood, the length of a cubit or two, shewing it to all the guests; saying, look upon it, drink, and take pleasure, for such shalt thou be when dead. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, pp. 622–623). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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9 So the young man has vitality at its fullest; and if he cannot feel the sense of fulfillment in it, something is wrong. To older people it may seem to be too risky to advise a young person to walk in the ways of his heart and the sight of his eyes. Yet the advice is coupled with a reminder of responsibility before God. This is not to take away with one hand what is given with the other because a sense of responsibility belongs to youth just as vitality does. Though crushed or warped, a sense of responsibility to the group, society, or humanity is something all have at some time or another. The Teacher adds the further reminder of responsibility to God, who is the Supreme Assessor. Taken by themselves, the words could present a picture of God as a grim condemning judge, but this would be out of keeping with what the Teacher says elsewhere of God’s approval of our enjoyment (e.g., 9:7). Rab, a Jewish teacher of the third century a.d., commented, “Man will have to give account for all that he saw and did not enjoy.” (Wright, J. S. (1991). Ecclesiastes. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 1191). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House)
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11:9–10 The exhortation to follow one’s inclinations (v. 9) does not endorse the reckless following of every impulse. Awareness of divine judgment turns the pursuit of joy away from crossing over into sins. The meaning is that one should not be weighed down by vexation over the human condition to the degree that carefree happiness is impossible (v. 10). The days of youth and vigor are few. (Garrett, D. A. (1993). Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs (Vol. 14, p. 340). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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FROM MY READING
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Hannah dedicates Samuel to the service of the Lord.
INSIGHT
We rarely give God sufficient thanks and praise for the things He does for us, and we rarely give Him adequate worship for who He is and for His significant answers to prayer.
By contrast, notice Hannah’s song of thanksgiving. She prays earnestly for a child, and when the Lord gives her one, she expresses her gratitude in full-blown poetic praise. Her response is fitting for the gift. (Quiet Walk)
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INEVITABLE DEDUCTIONS
He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.
John 5:23
What has the Son of God done to me by coming into this world? What difference has He made? Now it seems to me that there are certain inevitable deductions, and here they are.
My relationship to God is determined solely and entirely and absolutely by Jesus Christ. If you tell me that you believe in God, I say to you that it is of no value if you do not believe in Christ. I say again with Martin Luther, “I know of no God save Jesus Christ.”
“He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.” All things have been committed to Him. You cannot know God without Jesus Christ. “Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsover the Son will reveal him” (Matthew 11:27). I cannot know God as my Father apart from the Son. I would have no forgiveness of sins if He, the Son of God, had not come and if He had not died for me on the cross. But because He has, I know my sins are forgiven. He and He alone can give me life anew; He imparts to me His own life, and He makes me a child of God. He came to do that, and He has done it. My eternal destiny is determined solely by my relationship to Him. I assure you in the name of God and of the Bible that when you come to the great day of judgment—for it is coming; we all have to die and meet God—I solemnly assure you that you will have only one question to answer. You will not be asked about the good you have done, or about your learning and knowledge, or about your political party; none of these things will matter. There is only one question, which is: “What think ye of Christ?”
A Thought to Ponder
I cannot know God as my Father apart from Christ, the Son.
(Walking with God Devotional by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Speak every man truth … that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (Ephesians 4:25, 29)
The Christian minister cannot deny that God has called him to be a prophet to his own generation, for the Church is God’s witness to each generation and its ministers are its voice. Through them, the voice of God becomes vocal!
The true minister, therefore, should know what he means when he says that he preaches “the truth.” It is not enough that the man of God preach truth—suppose he recites the multiplication table? That is also truth. A church can wither as surely under the ministry of soulless Bible exposition as it can where no Bible is given at all. To be effective, the message must be alive—it must alarm, arouse, challenge; it must be God’s present voice to a particular people.
To preach the truth, the prophet must be under the constant sway of the Holy Spirit. He must be driven to God for wisdom. Otherwise, he will not pierce the conscience of each listener as if the message had been directed to him or her alone. Further, it is necessary that the man of God know the people’s hearts better than they themselves do!
(A. W. Tozer, Renewed Day By Day, Vol. 2)
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“But I say this, there never was a time, in the history of this country, when intolerance or bigotry of any kind, harshness or bullying of individuals for their opinions, or the persecuting of humble people for their political or religious views, was more generally, and universally condemned. There never was a time when public opinion was more vigilant, when publicity was more searching, and when intolerance in all its forms was absolutely lacking in defenders of any kind. And any attempt to trample upon the political convictions of individuals, whether it be an attempt by a landlord (that happens sometimes), or by a trade union, or by a government (as we are told), or by party whips, or by an employer, or by university cost, or by a plot, or by a bench of magistrates, or by a religious body; any attempt to bully, to persecute, to harry individuals in the tolerant exercise, an expression of their opinions, is more severely censured and condemned; and more effectively obliterated in present time than it ever has been in any other country, or circumstances of which we have any record. There is your safeguard, your only effective safeguard against abuses of this character. It is no good to amend the bill; you will have to amend human nature, if you wish to arrive at any absolute prevention. No doubt occasional abuses will occur in every party and in all circles, but public opinion is the only safeguard. And it is a safeguard whose power is constantly blowing. “ – Churchill: The Power of Words.
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December 11: Faithful Decision-Making
Jeremiah 21:1–22:30; Romans 3:1–20; Proverbs 17:1–28
“I asked God, and He didn’t answer me.” When I hear people say this, I’m often tempted to reply, “Haven’t you read the prophets?” Because sometimes what people are really saying is, “I asked God to do something for me, and He didn’t answer in the way I expected, so He must not be listening or He must not care.” Yet the prophets repeatedly tell us the opposite. God is not human, so He does not make decisions like a human. Instead, He sees all possible outcomes and knows the best route. We simply struggle to understand the wisdom of His decisions.
One particular event in the book of Jeremiah illustrates this point. When King Zedekiah (the last king of Judah) asks Jeremiah to intercede with Yahweh on behalf of Jerusalem against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Jeremiah gives an unexpected reply: Yahweh has refused to do so. He will not intercede for His own people. Rather, He will make Nebuchadnezzar’s task easier (Jer 21:1–7).
Before we view Yahweh as harsh and unforgiving, let’s recall that this occurs after God’s people have been rebelling against Him for hundreds of years. Even so, in Jer 21:8–10, God’s people are given a choice: They can remain in Jerusalem and die—for Yahweh has deemed that the city must fall—or they can enter what appears to be death but is actually life. Yahweh sets up a faith choice for them: “He who goes out and goes over to the Chaldeans who are laying siege to you will live, and his life will be to him as booty” (Jer 21:9).
Even in the midst of unbearable circumstances, Yahweh offers a way of grace. Even when everything seems to fail, we can decide to choose faith. This story mirrors what we experience on our deathbed. It also mirrors the decision we face every day of our lives: Will we listen to the voices of the world, or will we listen to the prophets who proclaim honest indignation and faithful decision-making? Will we stay in the city, or will we go where God calls us—no matter how difficult it may seem or how improbable?
Where is God calling you? What must you walk away from? What faith decision is before you? (Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.)
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Unskilled in the Word of Righteousness
Excerpt
The readers of this letter did not necessarily lack information concerning righteousness; they lacked experience in practicing the information they had. Maturity comes from practice. As we practice righteousness, we will have less difficulty in determining good from evil. Babe is a description of the spiritually immature. Babies have little discernment or self-discipline. They must be constantly told “no.” Mature believers are able to know right from wrong and to control their sinful appetites. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1644). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.
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Life on the Half Shell?
David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers. ACTS 13:36
John Piper, a longtime pastor and author, was skimming Reader’s Digest one day.
He came across the story of a middle-aged couple who had been financially successful enough to retire early and pack their bags for Florida. Imagine the thrill, they said, to do nothing but relax. Just kick back and collect seashells.
John began wondering whether this should ever be the sum game of a Christian’s earthly existence. “At the end of my life,” John says, “I hope I’m mainly preparing to meet the Judge of the earth and give an account of my one little, vaporous life. And I’m pretty sure He’s not going to ask to see my shell collection.”
I’m not saying for one minute that there’s anything wrong with play and recreation, perhaps even a seashell collection. God has designed these things for us to enjoy. But when you dream of your life in retirement, do you see yourself being content with lowering your golf handicap, bagging a bigger buck or traveling the world? Or do you see yourself pursuing a purpose that will outlive you?
As I look at the Scripture for today, I realize that in my latter years, I want to be fulfilling God’s purpose for me in this generation. I want Barbara and me to be living smack-dab in the center of His will.
Do you have a heart that burns for building relationships and using your gifts, abilities and experience, even in the final chapter of your life? Or will you merely be a shell of what you could have been?
DISCUSS When you think of retirement, how do you envision it? How do you think your vision of retirement compares with how God wants to use you? Where is God at work today? How could He use you as a couple? (Moments with you by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
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A BIBLICAL MEASURE OF A CHURCH (Friday Church News Notes, May 20, 2022, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – Instead of “How many members do you have?” or “How many are you running in Sunday School?” or “What’s your Sunday morning attendance?” or “What was the attendance of your last special day?” or“How many kids were at camp this year?” or “How are the offerings?” biblical questions would look like the following: Are we seeing life-changing conversions of sinners? What percentage of those who have professed Christ have gone on to be baptized and to grow in Christ and serve Him? What percentage of our members are real Bible students? What percentage faithfully, enthusiastically attend prayer meetings? What percentage of our homes are holy and separated from the world? What percentage of our homes are effectually raising their children for Christ? What percentage of the husbands are the spiritual leaders of their homes and are modeling a serious walk with Christ, Bible study, prayer, love for souls, ministry in the church? What percentage of the wives are modest and spiritual keepers at home? What percentage of the children in the homes are properly disciplined and biblically educated? What percentage of the church’s youth are on fire for the Lord, meaning surrendered to Christ and separated from the world from the heart and testing their friends, music, and social media by God’s Word and being transformed by the renewing of the mind by being serious Bible students and seeking to prove the perfect will of God according to the path of Romans 12? What percentage of the members are actively seeking to share the gospel and win people to Christ as the ambassadors God has called them to be? Does the church have an aggressive program to reach everyone in the community and beyond with the gospel? What percentage of the members participate? Is the church holding the line against the world’s music and contemporary Christian music? Is the church being properly educated in this important issue? Is the church seeing men called to preach and is it training men for the ministry? Is the church spiritually stronger today than it was 10 years ago? Is the church starting other sound churches? Is it multiplying itself? If these are the type of questions that preachers are asking, they will have different goals, different plans, different programs, different emphases than most churches today. And they will be laying a foundation to avoid the great collapse that we see on every hand. We live in an apostate age, but we don’t have to be apostate. We don’t have to go with the flow.
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Pay Attention
“Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:9)
From earliest childhood, we learn by watching the actions and lives of others. First, of course, our parents, then our peers and educators, politicians, business leaders, musicians, celebrities—the list is nearly endless. We learn by what we receive, hear, and see.
Jesus said, “They shall be all taught of God” (John 6:45). The foundational learning process that enables the receiving and hearing of further truth must come first from God, through His Word and by the born-again believer. Paul’s young protégé, Timothy, first learned from his mother and grandmother about God, and then under Paul’s tutelage from the Scriptures (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15).
But the key to learning is active attention! One must first receive, hear, and see. Paul commended the Thessalonians because they “received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). The Bereans were “more noble” because they “searched the scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11). The wise preacher “gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs” (Ecclesiastes 12:9).
Information, however well absorbed, is worthless without applying that which is learned. The philosophers of Athens were scorned because they “spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17:21).
All of us must first be learners. Soon, however, we must work out our “own salvation with fear and trembling,” since God has chosen to work through us (Philippians 2:12-13).
(HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Keith Overholt writes
Hebrews 13:1-6 NASBS
[1] Let love of the brethren continue. [2] Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. [3] Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. [4] Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. [5] Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” [6] so that we confidently say, “The LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”
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