"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before...the strong men stoop....Then people go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets....Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12, NIV)
I finished Ecclesiastes the other day; hence, our text. Reading through the Bible regularly keeps one in reality, not in the preachers' hype of the last 50 years.
The "charismatic movement" pretty much fizzled out when reality set in. People who were claiming and rebuking everything from Moscow to Washington began to realize that the Universe has a mind of its own, "the strong men stoop..., go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets." Yes, people still get old and die, nations rise and fall, money comes and goes. Perhaps the biggest dose of reality to hit evangelicalism/charismata adherents in recent years is the declining attendance and finances of the churches. How is this possible to a people who said they can do anything?!? In all of this, however, Jesus Christ continually fulfills His Eternal Purposes from generation to generation. It is time for the Church to see the realities of life as the Bible describes them and not as some religious pundit. When we do, we will be in a constant state to deal with the reality of life, not the religious talk of life.
Reality reveals what our text today tells us, that people still get old and die, and people mourn the loss. Reality reveals what Solomon discovered, that everything happens to everybody, regardless the spirituality or the lack of it; therefore, "Fear God and keep the commandments." This is not fatalism, not some, "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die." This is, "eat, drink and be merry in Jesus Christ," because living in Jesus we can face the realities of life.
As the eagle who goes to the highest point in his domain when the storm is approaching and faces the direction of the approaching storm, expands his wings and is then lifted above the storm to soar, to literally "rise above it," so you and I, instead of running away, instead of flying to some cave and burying our heads in the proverbial sand, or what far too many do, just give up and quit, we are of, "those who hope in the Lord, (and) will renew renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles."
Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to always live and take comfort in, "the conclusion of the matter." Amen.
I finished Ecclesiastes the other day; hence, our text. Reading through the Bible regularly keeps one in reality, not in the preachers' hype of the last 50 years.
The "charismatic movement" pretty much fizzled out when reality set in. People who were claiming and rebuking everything from Moscow to Washington began to realize that the Universe has a mind of its own, "the strong men stoop..., go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets." Yes, people still get old and die, nations rise and fall, money comes and goes. Perhaps the biggest dose of reality to hit evangelicalism/charismata adherents in recent years is the declining attendance and finances of the churches. How is this possible to a people who said they can do anything?!? In all of this, however, Jesus Christ continually fulfills His Eternal Purposes from generation to generation. It is time for the Church to see the realities of life as the Bible describes them and not as some religious pundit. When we do, we will be in a constant state to deal with the reality of life, not the religious talk of life.
Reality reveals what our text today tells us, that people still get old and die, and people mourn the loss. Reality reveals what Solomon discovered, that everything happens to everybody, regardless the spirituality or the lack of it; therefore, "Fear God and keep the commandments." This is not fatalism, not some, "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die." This is, "eat, drink and be merry in Jesus Christ," because living in Jesus we can face the realities of life.
As the eagle who goes to the highest point in his domain when the storm is approaching and faces the direction of the approaching storm, expands his wings and is then lifted above the storm to soar, to literally "rise above it," so you and I, instead of running away, instead of flying to some cave and burying our heads in the proverbial sand, or what far too many do, just give up and quit, we are of, "those who hope in the Lord, (and) will renew renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles."
Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to always live and take comfort in, "the conclusion of the matter." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
