Month: November 2024

Consuming the Wind

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Written by Dan

It has been my observation that death is the great equalizer, no one can outrun death, no one can avoid death, we all will pass through the portal. Some to life everlasting and others to an everlasting bad day. But what about the things we accumulate? What happens? Do those things matter? Solomon pondered on these things and formulated the essential statement on birth and death in a world with little grace.

Ecclesiastes 5:15-17 says — Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction, and anger. (NIV)

Psalms tell us — Do not be overwhelmed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. Though while they live, they count themselves blessed—and people praise them when they prosper—they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life (Psalm 49:16-19).

It is clear we do not accumulate anything in this world that stays with us after death. What is the impact of this? First, we see the fleeting nature of wealth, second, we are schooled by Solomon on the notion that our wealth is nothing, valueless when compared to the immensity and grandeur of the one true living God. We bring nothing because we have nothing material that is of value to God. He desires our heart, which is what we bring with us into the next world. We have nothing we have collected that is of any value to God. He looks for the heart, not the objects.

In Psalms we read — For you, Oh Lord, are my hope, my trust … from my Youth. Upon you I have learned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you (Psalm 71:5-6).

When we were born, we arrived with nothing. Then, in death we leave with nothing (implied in 1 Timothy 6:7). The dust that formed us, envelops us in death. For we were born in sin, and if we do not find grace in our life and turn towards the one true living God to receive the ransom, then we die in sin. We are unsanctified.   Our sorrow during life is magnified 1 million-fold in death without Jesus.

Our departure without the benefit of Grace is not God’s plan, it is Lucifers plan. He will try to twist and misalign the precepts squeezing all the power from the saving message. This is a difficult thing to wrap our mind around, yet we know he loses his campaign of destruction if we yield to Jesus. The darker truth is — he wants to distract us with wealth, causing our heart to be glued and focused on this world, striving to avoid death so that we may wrap our arms about the great wealth we accumulate and cling to rather than embracing and valuing the eternal gift given to each of us through the shed blood of Jesus.

In Hosea 12:1 we learn about Ephraim, a tribe of Israel trying to feed from the wind. How can that be? I think we quickly learn that feeding from the wind leaves us with an empty tummy. Wind cannot provide us with strength or stamina. What was Hosea the prophet talking about? I think the message is a metaphor that states pursuing wealth to bring happiness leaves us empty. If we pursue wealth for selfish reasons, we are fools. If we do manage to accumulate wealth, we will not find it easy to maintain. I think it is wise to consume the Word of God, leave wind consumption for the godless.

I choose Jesus.

You are led by the Spirit

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Written by Dan

It has been my observation that Paul often talked about the nature of self-control. I found 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 to be an interesting expression of his view. He wondered if we were aware of the purpose of the human race – getting the prize. He knew that all serious competitors would enter a strict training plan to prepare for the race – the journey. He mused at the temporary honor they obtained for all their work and noted how much better our prize of everlasting life was for the journey.

Then comes the heart of his message in 1 Corinthians – Paul was not interested in aimlessly running the race for mere trinkets at the end, he did not train to merely shadow box or run in place. The personal training was to like most training, the training included forcefully causing the body to become a slave to our mind, not driven by urges and glances, rather to be managed by self-control. God created us in his image, our body is not evil in and of itself. However, our body is a strong center of weakness, it requires management, so our mind remains in control, not our hands, eyes, nose, or urges. Why? Because impulses can be destructive to spiritual life. As a man thinks – a man is (Proverbs 23:6)

Galatians 5:13-26 says — You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious … those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other. (NIV)

This message in Galatians was completely in line with the Matthew 5 message from Jesus when he spoke about removing the eye if the eye causes sin or remove the hand if it causes sin. I do not think Jesus was recommending we actually poke our eye or remove a hand. But the message was clear, walk away from sin, it I deadly, it is dangerous, walk away. I think in the same way, Paul was telling us to bring our body into submission, develop the discipline needed to control our personal actions so we stay true to Jesus.

Imagine a runner, who is very skillful and successful in each race exhibiting a selflessness that leaves no trace of conceit. A good runner knows he is going to be standing at the pole, waiting to start, he gently responds to the respect from the younger runners, many more know of him than he realized. During the race he is observed for technique, the younger emulate him. During the race he respects the other runners, he does not need to provoke the other runners hoping to involve a mistake that will give him the advantage. He simply runs his race, his way. He has no envy in his heart for the other runners.

So then, we are not left without positive tools to help manage the body and our mind. Paul names the tools ‘the fruit of the Spirit’.  We are to embrace a joyful heart, seek a peaceful disposition, develop forbearance in all circumstances, always treat other with kindness, find the goodness of God in all things,

Use faithfulness to cement our commitments, pursue an enduring attitude of gentleness, and in all these things cultivate self-control that overrides all our impulses.

I choose Jesus.

Parable of Ten Bridesmaids

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The Bible says that Jesus died on the cross and came back alive. After that, he went up to heaven to be with God. Before he went to heaven, he said that someday he would return. He would return to the earth and get all the people who loved and obeyed him. He would take them back with him so they could live in heaven too.

So Jesus will come back someday and take us to heaven. When do you think that will happen? Could it be today? Could it be tomorrow? Could it be 20 years from now? No one can answer that question. No one knows when Jesus will come back to the earth.

No one knows when Jesus is coming back, but there is something we do know. Jesus said to get ready. How do we get ready for Jesus to come back? We get ready for Jesus by obeying God and by loving him. Are you ready?

In the bible, we read about a time when Jesus was teaching people to get ready for when he comes back. To help them understand about getting ready, he told a parable. A parable is a story that helps people to understand something very important. Here is the parable:

Once there was a big wedding. The wedding was so big that there were 10 bridesmaids. The bridesmaids all helped the bride get ready for the wedding. Weddings back then started at night. Everyone knew that sometimes during the night, the groom would come to the bride’s house and call out for her. The bridesmaids would hold up their oil lamps so that the bride and groom could see each other. The groom would be so happy to see his beautiful bride!

Everyone would keep holding up their lamps so that everyone could walk down the streets all the way to the groom’s house. Then there would be dancing, eating, and lots of fun celebrations at the wedding.

In Jesus’ parable, he told what happened when the ten bridesmaids helped the bride get ready for the wedding. Five of the bridesmaids were wise. They knew that sometimes the groom would wait long before he came to get the bride. So the wise bridesmaids brought extra oil for their lamps. They wanted to be ready even if the groom came very late in the night.

The five other bridesmaids were foolish. They did not think about bringing extra oil.

After the bridesmaids got the bride ready, they waited for the groom to come. They kept their lamps lit so they would be ready when he came. As time passed, the bride and all the bridesmaids got sleepy and fell asleep.

Then someone shouted, “Here’s the bridegroom, come outside and meet him!”

The bride and all of the bridesmaids woke up. They fixed their lamps to make them nice and bright. The five foolish girls noticed that their lamps had run out of oil and had burned out. They asked the wise girls for oil, but there was enough for them to have some too.

The foolish girls had to go and try to find more oil for the lamps. They did not get to go out with the bride to meet the bridegroom. They did not get to walk down the streets to the wedding feast with all of their friends. They were too busy trying to find oil.

When the wise bridesmaids and everyone else arrived at the groom’s house, they went inside and began the celebrations. The groom shut the door and locked it so no strangers could get inside. The foolish bridesmaids were not allowed in when they came to the door. The groom didn’t even know who they were!

This parable explains how it will be when Jesus comes again. We do not know the day or the time when Jesus will come back. We should always love God and obey him so we will be ready whenever he comes. We want to be ready to go with Jesus to heaven.  Are you ready?

Scripture Reference: Matthew 25:1-13