The Wrath of God

The Thunder Judgments

Book of Revelation Chapter 10

As we have gotten to this point in the Book of Revelation, the earth has been devastated with destruction. At least half of the world's population has been destroyed. Those that remain are so full of pride and arrogance, that they refuse to repent of their evil ways and in fact still challenge the Lord.

Rev 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

Rev 9:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

These are the same actions that Satan has taken since his episode in the Garden of Eden, when he received the curse of God.

Satan knows he will eventually loose his battle with the Lord, but deep inside his being he still retains that one thought of victory and he has instilled that into his followers.

Satan would rather they all go to Hell than to give up and this is where they are on this day. Losers but still rebellious!

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

You see Satan devours those that follow him, yet they are too blind to see what he is!

He is a murderer on the loose with all his weapons loaded!

The sixth trumpet has sounded, and it is time for the sounding of the seventh trumpet, but just as there was a break between the sixth and seventh seal, there is now a break between the sixth and seventh trumpet.

There will be a gradual transition for the sixth and seventh trumpet and we will see this transition in Chapters 10 and Chapter 11.

So let us get started.

*****Rev 10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

When John last saw the Lord, He was as the Lamb of God and now John sees what he describes as a mighty angel, in fact he says another mighty angel.

John had seen the throngs of angels in Heaven and no doubt some appeared to be of higher rank than others, so who is this mighty angel?

This could very well be an angel and a mighty angel, but it could also be the Lord from what we already know.

In the Old Testament the Son of God was called the Angel of the Lord.

Exo 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Then we find that this is the great I AM of the Bible.

Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

When God appears upon the earth, He is the Son of God or Jesus the Messiah.

Seven times in the Book of Revelation we see an angel clothed with a cloud and each time it is our Savior.

The cloud is a symbol of the Lord’s "Majesty"!

Exo 16:10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

He had a rainbow upon His head which leads us to the throne room of God.

Rev 4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

His face was as the sun.

These words take us back to Revelation 1, which we know to be the Lord Jesus.

Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

His feet as pillars of fire also to Revelation.

Rev 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

In Chapter 11 we see a curious Scripture.

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

They could only be witnesses if they proclaim the Word of God, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

As we go through the next two verses there should be little doubt that this must be the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is not an angel, because He is the Creator and the Creator of all the angels!

*****Rev 10:2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

Rev 10:3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

If this is indeed the Lord Jesus Christ, then He has two books.

Notice His right foot is upon the Sea and His left foot is upon the earth. This is a visible sign of "ownership"!

Psa 24:1 The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

He is the Angel of the Lord.

He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

He is the Mighty Angel.

He is set apart from all the angels in Heaven.

He is “the One” who speaks, and this world speaks to Him, and to Him only!

This time the "Seven Thunders" uttered their voice.

When the Lion of the Tribe of Judah roars "His" Created world responds!

We met these thunders in Chapter 8.

Rev 8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 

Here again, these seven Thunders are in full agreement to the destruction that is about to happen, but they speak in words that we cannot understand.

John heard what they said, and he was about to write those things down, but the Lord stopped him.

*****Rev 10:4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

What was John told to do by the Lord?

Rev 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

We do not know how much John heard from these seven Thunders, but we see he was told not to write these things down.

Are they secrets?

The Lord promised not to keep any secrets from the Church.

Luk_12:2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

Amo_3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

We can only say that the words that John is not to reveal to us, these Seven Thunders will reveal themselves when that time comes.

These are things that cannot be understood at this time.

You know some things may just be too terrible for the Church to witness during the Great Tribulation.

Remember, if Jehovah had given Noah control of the door to the ark, Noah would have let those people who were drowning inside the ark because it was a terrible thing.

Some things will be much more terrible in the last days of the Great Tribulation and the Church does not need to see them!

*****Rev 10:5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

Rev 10:6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

We should clearly understand that this announcement is made toward the earth, as "time" has never existed in Heaven!

But this message also clearly states that "time has run out for the people of earth to repent"!

The One who made this decision is none other than the Creator and His decision is not to be questioned!

Our Lord Jesus Christ is announcing that He is taking possession of all His creation, all of this tiny spec of dirt in the middle of nowhere from a galactic view. This place He had first created as a Garden where mankind needed only to dress the Garden.

Gen 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Gen 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

It was sin that drove man out of the Garden!

It was sin that cause man to have to work to provide for his family.

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

It was sin that destroyed the Garden.

It was sin that would have destroyed man then if not for "Grace".

It is sin that would have destroyed each of us without God’s “Grace” that comes by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Gen 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Gen 6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Gen 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

It was because of sin that God sent His Son, again to show His "Grace".

Rom_3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

1Jn_2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1Jn_4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Even this was not enough because much of mankind will always rebel against our Holy God no matter what He has done, because they have another father!

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

This time, at the announcement of this Mighty Angel an age-old question will be answered!

2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

2Pe 3:4 And saying, "Where is the promise of his coming?" for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 

This time, there will be an answer from Heaven that is so terrible that our Holy Father decided His Church did not need to know about it.

The Seven Thunders exists, but we do not need to know about those judgments!

*****Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

There will be no more delay in the coming of Jesus Christ to this earth!

There will be no more delay in removing Satan, who has convinced these who are left that it is he who owns the earth.

There has never been a war between God and the Devil!

There has never been a war between good and evil!

There has just been a time that God has allowed His created beings an opportunity to spend eternity with Him and even though God knew what we all would choose, He has given us this time to choose for ourselves as we watch all others choose for themselves.

This is time, that is the time, that is over, as this Mighty Angel proclaims to those upon the earth.

God has given us all these revelations throughout the Prophet Scriptures, and they have been ignored by so many.

Some say there is no God, but most have chosen in their own minds a god that they would serve.

When you choose to ignore the Living God, you have said that you are better than God!

There has never been but one acceptable choice in Heaven!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, "and the way ye know".

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

These that are left have been told the way and they chose to reject this truth and have chosen their own way.

*****Rev 10:8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

Rev 10:9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 

John was given his instructions.

Don’t get too caught up in where these voices are coming from and forget the Triune God, the Holy Trinity.

We must never forget we have always had just one duty given to us by the Lord!

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

God's Plan has been flawless right up to the time that John receives this little book, and His plan will remain flawless right up till the time the Lord says that it is "done", near the end of this Book of Revelation.

All the Word of God is sweet, but when we read these judgments, we all wish it did not come to this.

When we are filled with the love of God the wonderful things we read about the Church, missing out on the wrath of God just make us aware of the benefits of giving our heart to the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are too many rewards for being Christian to ever complain that the Word of God is not sweet, because it is!

Col_3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

We must cling to the Lord Jesus all our days to be sure we do not lose rewards that we could have gotten.

2Jn_1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

We also know that the Jews, the Hebrew people, will one day give all their heart to the Lord and all those will join us in Heaven to complete the gathering of the Church.

Rom_11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

We should be saddened that they go through the Tribulation years, but they will repent, and they have caused their own problems.

Jehovah has always been the solution to those problems, but the solution came in the form of the Lord Jesus Christ!

If there is any bitterness to the taste of the Word of God, it is for those who refuse to repent!

Many of those will be some of our family members and even some friends.

We should never feel good about anyone going to Hell!

We should never feel good about anyone standing before God at the White Throne of Judgment!

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

We should never feel good about these people, because in many cases they may be emblems of our own failure to tell them about Jesus!

We cannot force feed anyone the Word of God, but we should at the least do everything we can to spread the "lifesaving" Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We cannot even be good Christians, unless we take the Word of God and ingest it and digest it, until it becomes a part of our everyday lives!

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

If we ever feel good about the death of any living soul, then we need to get on our knees and beg forgiveness!

It is a most terrible sin!

Our Heavenly Father hates the fact that there will be some who will always reject Him!

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

The most bitter words in the entire Word of God are these:

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity".

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

We should remember John had been sent to the Isle of Patmos to live out the remainder of his days.

John had already outlived all of the other Apostles.

In fact John had already lived longer than most all others in his day.

What did John learn from this encounter with this Mighty Angel, who I believe to be the Lord Jesus Christ, who is certainly no Angel but our Creator.

He learned his preaching days were not yet over!

*****Rev 10:10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

Rev 10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

There are many thoughts about this little book.

Some believe that it could be the book Daniel was told to seal up:

Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Dan 12:5 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.

Dan 12:6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

Dan 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Dan 12:8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

Dan 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

John would go on to write all these words of the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

John would go on to preach the Word of God with even more emphasis upon the end times.

We must understand that we have this same responsibility!

We may think things are terrible right now, but it is not the end times and it is not the Tribulation years.

We may be in that time of sorrows, but it is not time to quit on the Lord no matter our situation!

The Word of God is a "two-edged" sword and both sides of the Word of God must be understood and then taught!

Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

This "rest" for the Church, is the next thing on God's time clock.

Then this same "rest" for the Children of Israel.

Then the "unrest" for all those who have rejected the Lord, and this is part of the message we are to share.

The main message still being that Jesus Saves!

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Let us all get busy about the work the Lord gave John to do and the work the Lord has given us to do.

That work has not changed!

Amen

Son of God

The Son of God

Book of John Chapter 5

We as Christians sometimes forget why Jesus did all the things that He did.

We sometimes make Him small when He is Great.

We sometimes forget the reason that Jesus Christ was upon this earth.

Jesus Christ was led to do all the things He did because of the love of our Father in Heaven!

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

This is why Jesus did all the things He did when He was upon this place called Earth.

There was this great pool of water called Bethesda and at certain times of the year an Angel would stir up the waters and the first one who entered the water after seeing this would be healed of their infirmities or we would say disease.

This sounds like a wonderful place and a great thing for those who were sick or lame, but it was not a fair place!

Those who were truly in need could not get to the water because of those with stumped toes or more simple things that maybe would have healed on their own would step over them to be the first to get in the water.

We can doubt that such a pool existed but then we would be rejecting the written Word of God.

Even today Christians are much the same. Those who truly have need of our Pastor sometimes do not get the attention they need because someone with a minor problem had taken the time of our Pastor and he could not get to where he needed to be.

Jesus knew what was going on and there was this one man who had been trying to get in the waters of Bethesda for 38 years and he would have never made it even if he lived to be 100 years old.

His chances decreased with every passing year, but God sent His Son into this world to make some changes to this world.

One of the many things that Jesus does every day is that He provides opportunities for a changed life!

If we understand the Words of Christ, it seems that this man was in the condition, he was in, because of the sin in his life.

You want to know the truth, all those that doubt the truth of Jesus Christ and deny His Deity are taking a stand with those who were His murderers.

When we doubt the Word of God we are calling God a liar, so do it to His face and quit hiding behind social issues.

*****Joh 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

We should realize that many of the ailments we have late in our life are due to the sin in our life or that was in our earlier life before we invited the Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts.

By this time this man who was healed by the hand of the Lord had taken his bed home and in doing so was confronted by certain Jews who were probably Pharisees scolding him for doing this work on the Sabbath.

What was the law of God?

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The truth is, what we must observe is that our Righteous God has holy and righteous standards and we should try our best to observe those standards every day!

We begin to understand these things when we allow the Holy Ghost free will in our lives!

The very same God that gave us these wonderful commandments was the very same God who healed this man who had suffered for 38 years and the very same God who told him to pick up his bed and walk.

Which command are we to follow? Both.

It was sin that had brought this bad health to this man. This man was healed, and that sin was forgiven.

It was not sin for him to pick up his bed and take it home because it was not work by which he would be paid to do. He was taking care of a piece of personal property but more than that he was obeying the Word of Jesus Christ.

Jesus says it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath!

Luk 6:9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

Since the Lord Jesus Christ went about doing good 7 days each week, we should know that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, on Sunday and on every other day of the week.

By this same line of thought, it is not lawful to do bad things on the Sabbath or any other day of the week and certainly never lawful to destroy a life on the Sabbath.

Which means animals had to be fed and watered.

Which means animals had to be milked.

Which means the sick had to be cared for.

Which means children had to be cared for.

Which means the people had to be fed even though fasting was also encouraged.

To the Jew, this Sabbath would begin Friday at 6 PM and last through Saturday until 6 PM.

The seventh day of the week to the Christian is Sunday, which is the Lord's Day to be observed by the Church and it should be obvious that we are to take note of what God has said here.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

These are not things open for discussion, they are settled by the Word of God.

In fact the Word of God is not open for discussion or for a vote, the Word of God is settled in Heaven and this is all we need to know!

God rested on the seventh day showing us that our own bodies need physical rest and Spiritual fulfillment(Worship) at least one day of the week and as time passes and we see this world getting worse then we are to gather more often to worship the Lord and not less often.

Heb_10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Many modern so-called places of worship have abandoned the Wednesday night service and also the Sunday evening service ignoring Hebrews 10:25.

There may be some real reasons in some nations but not in America.

Before we worry about the Sabbath or the Sunday worship service, we should concentrate on the more important things in the Scriptures.

The Jews choose the Sabbath or Saturday and they are right. They follow the laws given specifically to the Jews by Moses.

The Church chooses Sunday, the first day of the week, the Lord's Day(Day of Resurrection) and the Church is right.

Rev_1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.

When we have been made whole by the Lord Jesus Christ then we should put forth the effort to sin no more!

Before we go any further let’s look at this word Jews.

1) There was the Jews, the race of the people of Judah and then all of Israel.

2) There were Jews, who were the hard line observers of the Law(legalism) and these same Jews rejected all things of Jesus Christ the Son of God. These were the same ones who in their customs and manners despised, persecuted, and hated all those who did not follow the written and the oral(tradition) laws of Moses.

*****Joh 5:15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

Joh 5:16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

We may not understand it, but it was a very serious matter to break the laws of the Sabbath and this man, having never met anyone like Jesus did not realize the harm it would cause to tell these supposed men of God about what Jesus had done and then point Him out to these hypocrites dressed as the men of God.

In this day the people could not travel but for a short distance, they could not cook or even draw water and certainly not open their businesses on the Sabbath.

Even a doctor could not make any attempt to heal unless that life was at stake.

A person could not even be caught thinking about his work for the next day!

Those that broke the Sabbath Law could be put to death by stoning.

These things may seem to be ridiculous to us today but after the return of the Jews from Babylon it was the commands of God that had kept this nation together.

Ezra had brought them back to the Word of God from which they had strayed. This tiny nation had been dominated by many nations over the years and at this time they were under the tyranny of Rome and the Jewish leaders had not followed in the lines of David or Solomon.

Herod was just as much their enemy as was Rome. Herod was a descendant of Ishmael.

The High Priests were selected by how much they could bribe Herod or the Roman rulers.

God had not spoken to these people by a prophet for 400 years until John the Baptist.

It was now only their God, Jehovah, that was the force that kept them together as a nation of Jews.

They refused to be swallowed up by the other nations and demanded that Jews marry other Jews to keep their national structure in place.

They were beginning to realize that Jesus had a whole new line of thought that included not only Jews, not only sinners, not only Gentiles, but also mixed marriages such as the Samaritans.

They had decided that Jesus was just some evil man using sorcery to control the people and work miracles by the power of Satan.

The religious leaders other than those appointed by Herod, were very concerned about this man named Jesus, claiming to be the Messiah.

They rejected God's way of righteousness.

They rejected God's Messiah.

They rejected the Son of God because they rejected the Word of God!

They allowed tradition and ritual, ceremony and rules, to become more important than meeting the basic needs of human life.

The truth of Jesus Christ was about to expose their error and they simply could not allow God's Messiah to change any of these things!

After all they held an office of prestige without God's involvement or so they thought.

The ordinary Jewish man of God and Jewish patriot needed to be released from all these things!

The Lord Jesus Christ brought something new and they rejected it!

1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

2Co_3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Just as what happens to that "Born Again" child of God, we must be liberated from the claws of Satan, so we can be saved.

These Jews needed this same liberation from their own religion before they could be saved but they refused to allow this to happen.

They were bound by the laws they had written themselves and they could not keep themselves and they just could not see it.

Joh 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

Joh 7:20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

Joh 7:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

Joh 7:22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

Joh 7:23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

How did Jesus answer these accusations?

*****Joh 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

Joh 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

There is little doubt that Jesus was saying that He was the Son of God and the Jewish Messiah!

We should all give this same answer, when asked.

God our Father is truly working every day to complete His plan of salvation, but we must not forget that God uses humans to do those things for Him.

Therefore since our Father is at work to complete the promises He has made to us, we should be at work doing the things He has called upon us to do! It is just that simple!

The Lord Jesus Christ is certainly the same as God, but in His ways while He was upon this earth, He is also our example of what we should be!

We cannot be Christian and reject the ways of Jesus Christ!

We cannot be Christian and reject any part of the Word of God!

We cannot be Christian and reject the Will of the Holy Spirit who abides within each Christian!

Jesus Christ speaks with authority because He is the Author of the Word of God and the Author of our salvation.

Heb_12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The truth is when we are approached by Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, we must make a choice. We either accept what Jesus says or we reject Him as just some man.

Either way the choice we make is a choice about life! This opportunity might never come again!

And we must remember that these things Jesus did on the Sabbath did not change the truth of the Scriptures.

Jesus obeyed all the Laws of Moses but Jewish traditions are not part of God's Law!

The Lord said we needed one day each week to rest our bodies and worship the Lord.

The truth is, it is OK to do good things on the day of worship but again we must not just be trying to avoid Church!

Just because the world runs 24/7 does not mean God's people are supposed to.

Some do, because it means life or death. Others do it to make more money and miss the worship service for the wrong reasons.

When we get on up in years, we realize why the Lord said we need to rest one day each week!

Let us not forget Jesus, The Messiah is truly the God of the Bible!

We must also not forget that the theme of this piece of Scripture is "Obedience".

*****Joh 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

Jesus Christ cannot do anything differently from the Father, because they are the same person! We can say the same thing of the Holy Spirit(Ghost).

There is only one time there was any separation at all and it was when the Lord Jesus took on all the sin of the world, past, present and future.

Mar_15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

This onetime, Jesus said "my God" and not "My Father"!

Jesus did this in obedience to the Father and momentarily the human side of Jesus gave up the Ghost and He had already said no one could take His life and if He gave it up He would then take it back up again!

It could be said that the Father shows, the Son sees, and the Father purposes, and the Son executes.

Joh 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

Joh 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

This is the relationship our Father in Heaven is seeking from each of us!

*****Joh 5:20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

Joh 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

Joh 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

Joh 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

Our Holy Father in Heaven is seeking those who will be obedient to Him, not out of fear but out of Love!

There was never one moment that the Father did not love the Son, the Father just cannot look upon sin!

The Father has the power to give life and so the Son will give life to all those that He chooses to do so!

The Lord Jesus cannot be constrained nor restrained from doing as He pleases!

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

No matter what the world says it is the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge this world at a time that He so chooses!

Jesus has already given us an approximate time when we will return to begin all these things and we are command to be watching for Him!

It is because we all are commanded to honor the Lord Jesus Christ that He will be the "Judge" of this world!

1Jn 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

1Jn 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

The truth means nothing if we do not abide in the truth!

*****Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Again Jesus says that it is very important that we understand these things just as it was very important that those Jews understood all these things!

It is wondrous knowledge to know that our soul will never see death!

We know that Jesus came to save all those who are lost.

Salvation can only come the hearing of His Word and applying those words to our life. It takes commitment and obedience to do this thing!

People will tell you that there are many ways to do this, but this cannot be true because we must do exactly as Jesus says. There is no other way!

Those that think there is another way to get to Heaven are worshiping a false god!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Those that disagree with what Jesus says here will never get to God's Heaven but those that do have faith in what Jesus says, will live eternally in God's Heaven or I should say in God's New Heaven!

Joh 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

It should be obvious that this is a choice that we make for ourselves! God has already made His choice and God has already told us what He is going to do!

We must believe that God has sent His Son into this world to save those that truly believe what God says!

Amen.

Let's Pray!

God's Wisdom In Our Life

Applying God's Wisdom To Life

Ecclesiastes 11-12


Making application in theology, is the act by which the truths of Jesus Christ are transferred to mankind, for his justification.

The pure fact is, that any life that omits the Lord Jesus Christ will indeed be a life that is meaningless!

To deny that Christ Jesus is not God is to reject all the Scriptures!

1Jn 2:22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

Jesus was the Messiah sent from God, this is a fact!

Christ means Messiah.

Messiah means the God-Man.

1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

You cannot become a child of God if you reject Jesus Christ as God!

1Jn 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus "is the Christ" is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

Who are the deceivers in our world?

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, "who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist".

All those that deny Jesus Christ are denying God!

Jud 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, "and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ".

God tells us all these things so we can know the truth.

1Jn 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; "that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God".

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the wisdom of God and we must apply this wisdom to our lives for our lives to have meaning!

*****Ecc 11:7  Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
Ecc 11:8  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 cometh is vanity.

As believers we have the ability to enjoy all the years of our lives.

Every stage of life from young to old offers pleasures that cannot be relived!

The sun rises and then the sun sets everyday and as long as we can see the sun we know we are alive because our eyes are closed at death and there is only darkness.

Even in these days of sunlight we will still have some dark days:

Job 3:20  Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;
Job 3:21  Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

To most of us, we remember the days we were young as the daytime of our years compared to now, since we are old and see these day as the night time of our years.

The truth is, that once we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we really have no excuse not to enjoy every day that we live, even on those dark days.

The truth is, the younger we begin our relationship with the Lord, the more pleasant our memories will be as we grow older.

These things are only meaningless to those who do not know the Lord!

As Solomon was searching the true meaning of life, he discovered the truth of God!

What ever path we choose, to know the Lord as our Savior is a choice, and at the end of every life we will come the judgment of God!

*****Ecc 11:9  Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
Ecc 11:10  Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

In reality, we should have only one thought as we live this life that God has given to us and it is the fact that we all will face God in judgment.

This does not limit rejoicing at any age as some surmise.

Young people have very little time and very few opportunities to enjoy many things while they still have the strength to do them.

Believe me when I say, that in every older person there is the spirit of a young person, who knows that there are so many things that we are not physically able to do, that we wish we had done while we were still young.

We end up remembering all the mistakes we made rather then the joys we could have had!

It is true, that even after salvation we have a tendency to place restrictions on ourselves, that God has never placed on us!

The truth is, God richly provides many things for our enjoyment:

1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

God just expects us to make wise choices and we already know that true wisdom can only come from a close personal relationship with the Lord.

God expects us all to banish sorrow and worry and to put away sadness from our bodies and our minds.

Judgement is not a thing to bring sorrow.

We should look forward to the judgment of God knowing that to know the Lord on a personal basis is to gain the reward of eternal life and the opportunity to earn even other rewards.

There are great benefits in serving the Lord!

The truth is, we will never enjoy a life without Jesus Christ!

If we try to enjoy the pleasures of sin, which can only last a short time, we will be handicapped by the knowledge of the coming judgment.

Job 20:4  Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
Job 20:5  That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

We should never allow the cares of this world, to rob us of the life that God intends for us to have!

If we begin to live a holy life in our young days, we will not have anything to worry about in our old age!

1Ti 4:11  These things command and teach.
1Ti 4:12  Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

The truth of the Bible is, that if we cannot accept the truth of the Book of Genesis, we will never know the truth of our Creator!

*****Ecc 12:1  Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

What is the most important thing for our youth today?

Our youth need to reject all the teachings of evolution which are all lies, and remember that we have a Creator!

When we realize that we are created, we will also realize we were created with a Divine purpose.

When we realize that our Creator has now become our Savior, it will change our life forever!

Once we accept Christ as our Savior, the Spirit of God will actually live within our bodies!

This means, that no matter where we are, we will always have God's presence to guide us!

1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

A true Creator can make things out of nothing. God made us out of nothing.

By the right of creation, God is entitled to have authority and control over our lives.

In today's language, we would say that God owns the patent on our lives as human beings, and God will never sell us out.

As humans we will all answer to our Creator!

We have only One Creator, who then is our only Judge, who will judge our lives, our words, our thoughts, and all our deeds.

Those that reject these things are doomed to Hell and later the "Burning Lake of Fire".

AND, we must not listen to false religions, who say that there is no Hell because this place certainly exist!

If we will live with the awareness of God throughout our younger years, while we have the desire and energy, we can still enjoy life and the things that life has to offer!

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly".

Knowing Christ is knowing the truth of life!

It is a fact and most all of us up in years, will concede that most of our time is now spent trying to hold onto the life that we have.

There is not much fun in growing old, but that does not mean that there is no joy even in the aged life.

Every age of life will have it's particular joys!

We should all realize, that God is saying it is not much fun getting old!

Solomon will now describe what it is like getting old.

*****Ecc 12:2  While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

For most of us in our latter years, there will be more days of no light and no joy and the good.

More days that grow dark from clouds of problems and the pain of growing old!

As we get older, we have pains and afflictions that just do not go away.

We know that when dark heavy clouds pass by and drop their rain, they will then roll on by and the Sun will then come out.

BUT, this is not the case with the storm clouds of old age!

As we get older, we may find some relief from the aches and pains of the body but it will only be temporary and the aches and pains will always return.

It is best to remember God while we are still young, while we can still avoid some of our foolishness that will be the cause of many of our aches and pains of our old age!

*****Ecc 12:3  In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
Ecc 12:4  And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
Ecc 12:5  Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

Watch how Solomon describes the decay which creeps into the body as we get older.

While we are young, we need to learn to walk faithfully with the Lord because a day is coming when we will not be able to serve God as we would like to.

We see that this passage refers to our body as an aging house that is beginning to fall apart.

The keepers of the house are the hands and the arms.

The strong men are the legs.

The grinders are the teeth.

And those windows are the eyes.

We need to remember our Creator before the arms begin to tremble and we cannot protect our homes, our bodies.

We need to remember our Creator before our bodies begin to stoop over.

We need to remember our Creator before our teeth start falling out.

We need to remember our Creator before our eyesight starts failing.

None of us will be like Moses who at 120 years old, his eyes were not dim nor his natural force was abated!

Verse 4 adds, we need to remember our Creator before our legs become to weak to walk outside.

As we know, many of our aged brothers and sisters our house bound or in nursing homes due to bodily weakness and can no longer get out the doors into the streets.

They have difficulty in hearing.

Difficulty in speaking.

Difficulty in singing.

Along with difficulty in sleeping, because even the pleasant chirping of the birds is a distraction on most days.

Verse 5 adds the the fear of falling from heights or the fear of falling from ladders or even falling down the stairs.

It is that fear that limits the things that we  used to do with ease!

But there is also the fear of just being in the way while others are productive!

As we get older, sometimes we just feel that we just get in the way so we just don't offer to help.

We need to remember our Creator before our hair turns gray as the almond blossoms.

We need to remember our Creator before even the chirping of the insects is bothersome and as our hearing fades, we hear that ringing in our ears or the jungle in our ears, even when it is quiet and their are no sounds.

We need to remember our Creator before all our desires fail, especially that desire to serve our Lord which we can no longer do because our bodies have become so feeble.

We must remember our Creator before we are placed in that long home and death has over come us, and all life goes out!

The truth is, one day we will move out of our earthly house of clay, and will move into a permanent dwelling in either Heaven or Hell.

That move to Heaven will be the most glorious of our accomplishments, especially if we have remembered our Creator in the time of our youth.

That move to Hell will be a move to everlasting torments if we have rejected our Creator!

We are all just one step away from eternity at all times!

David while he was still young and before he was King of Israel, said these words:

1Sa 20:3  And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, "there is but a step between me and death".

David did not forget his Creator while he was still young!

The truth is, a person is alive one day and full of life and the next day they have been overcome by death!

Solomon had already gotten old, before he realized the same things his father knew when he was very young.

The truth is, if we sow the seeds of sin while we are young, we will painfully reap what we have sown in our old age!

Solomon realized his mistakes and returned to the Lord before his death!

It can be said that Solomon broke all ten of the moral laws of God and most probably all of the 613 commands of the Jewish Law and it is certain that Solomon broke God's commandments given to all the kings of Israel.

We would be wiser than Solomon if we remembered our Creator while we are still young!

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

If for no other reason, we need to remember our Creator because in reality life is certainly fragile!

*****Ecc 12:6  Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
Ecc 12:7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecc 12:8  Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

There are many ways of interpreting this silver cord, by if we keep with the theme of the body, that silver cord represents the marrow of the spine, which is white and precious as silver, to our wellbeing and the strength in our back.

That golden bowl of the lamp, then answers to the skull which is full of all the wisdom we have obtained in our life time and much of it is very valuable.

In the days of Solomon, many a lamp was suspended from the ceiling of the homes to provide light.

Over time that cord would decay to a point when it would snap and that golden bowl would  fall to the ground and that light would be out.

Solomon's point was, that our life can snap or give way at any time because life is fragile and the light of our life will be put out.

When the pitcher is broken you can draw no water from the pool, even though the pool is full.

When the crank is broken at the well, you can draw no water at the well even though the well is not dry.

At our death, it is too late to depend on God unless we have remembered our Creator while we are young.

We cannot draw from the wisdom of God after we have met death!

Life is fragile and death can come at any moment!

Then at that very moment, the physical body will return the the dust from which is was made.

Gen 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

God created man from the dust of the ground and man became a living soul when God who is Spirit, "breathed the breath of life into man".

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Gen 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

And that spirit which was breathed into man's nostrils will return to the Creator who made it!

Even in death we see that God keeps His promise to every human being!

It is what God does with the that "Spirit of Life" after death that has the most importance and that is a decision that God did not make but that we make ourselves!

The molecules of the body disintegrate back to it's basic elements.

Job 20:11  His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

God's life giving spirit does not ever die!

Isa 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Isa 57:16  For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

All those who are part of the Church, those with their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life, will return to the Lord.

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Those who do not have their name written down in the Lamb's Book of Life, will begin their life of torment!

Luk 16:22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

These are the facts of life and we all need to realize we have a Creator while we are still young!

Vanity is nothing.

Vanity is meaningless.

All those that do not know the Lord as their personal Savior are less than nothing, less than meaningless, in the eyes of God.

Psa 62:9  Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: "to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity".

We need to take the time to know our Creator!

Psa 39:4  LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

We must listen to the words of those who preach the truth!

*****Ecc 12:9  And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

As Solomon brings this book to an end, he lists several facts that we all need to listen to.

Solomon had asked God for wisdom and God had answered that prayer and Solomon became the wisest man to have ever lived.

So this great Book of the Bible was written in part to share that wisdom with all those that study the Word of God.

Solomon also realized that he had stumbled greatly in serving the Lord and he wrote this book so we could avoid the same pitfalls of life that he had fallen prey to.

Solomon did not realize until he was close to death, that lasting fulfillment and satisfaction in this life, can only come from the the giver of all life who is our Lord.

Solomon realized if our youth could see the mistakes that he had made, then maybe they could be saved from making the same mistakes.

We must also remember these words of Solomon were also inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore they are all true.

*****Ecc 12:10  The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

We can trust the words Solomon has written for as being true and upright.

"Upright" means that the Holy Spirit has approved these words as being right and correct.

"True" means with certainty and trustworthiness.

These words that Solomon has written, are things that happen in life.

We can trust all the Word of God to be the truth.

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

We should study the Book of Ecclesiastes because these words are like goads.

*****Ecc 12:11  The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

A goad was a pointed instrument that was used to cause an animal such as an ox to move a little faster and in the right direction.

We should study the Book of Ecclesiastes because these words "are like nails" which are used to bind things together.

The Word of God is designed to guide us to the proper place in life and when we get there God's Word will nail us in place for safe keeping.

Jesus was nailed to the cross because that was the one place where He could bring salvation to us all!

This "ones shepherd was not Solomon there is only one true Shepherd and that is the Lord Jesus Christ!

The entire Word of God contains the goads and the nails to bind us all to our true Shepherd!

Solomon is saying "don't take my word for it, because God gave me these words and they are true"!

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

We now have the complete Word of God, so we can see the importance of the Book of Ecclesiastes.

The meaning of true life is found in God, through His Son, Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ is the answer to all life's questions.

In fact Jesus is the answer to every question that we have!

Once we know the answer to every question of life (Jesus), then we can have His joy also!

*****Ecc 12:12  And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

It has surprised historians to find so many books that were written at the time of Solomon, before him and just after.

But God adds a strong warning to all of us.

Beware of reading endless books in the place of God's Word!

Beware of wasting needed time and energy on to much study of other books!

God's says this:

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Again we must realize that God takes full responsibility for His Words!

When we rightly divide the Word of God, we are not responsible for the actions of those that hear it! These things are in the hand of God!

No other book explains life better than the complete Word of God!

After all, if you bought a new car you would expect to get an owners manual for that car.

God made us all and He has given us all His owners manual!

So we can come to only one conclusion!

*****Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

The most important thing we can remember in this life that will provide true and eternal life, is to "Fear God" and "Keep His Commandments".

Nothing in life is as important as these two things!

All who keep the commandments of God do so because we all revere God for who He is!

Duty means that we are bound to God by His truth!

But we should also fear God and keep His commandments because God's "judgment" is coming.

Our every deed will be judged, good or bad.

Our every secret thing will be judged, good or bad.

It is impossible that we can keep anything from the all-knowing God!

This world may deny Him but the fact remains that God sees every thing that goes on in this world.

Pro 15:3  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

To know the truth means, that the coming judgment of God is also a source of great comfort to those that know the Lord Jesus Christ.

The great truth of the Bible is this:

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

If the Lord is not the center of our life, then we are missing out on joy and satisfaction.

If we do not have a personal relationship with the Lord, we have not made peace with God.

If we are not obeying the commandments of God, there are some areas in our life that are suffering because of it.

Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Questions?

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