THAT'S THE WAY YOU ARE GOING OUT

YOU CAME IN WITH NOTHING AND 

YOU WILL BE GOING OUT WITH NOTHING.

We are still considering the writings of the wisest

man, and probably the richest man, that ever lived.

King Solomon who said;

"We all come to the end of our lives

as naked and empty-handed as on the day

we were born.  We can't take our riches

with us."  

(Ecclesiastes 5:15 NLT). 

You would think that just good old common

sense would tell all of us that.  And it probably

does - we just don't live like it.

There is an interesting story in the news about 

an Ugandan Politician who tried to take it with him.

"Charles Obong, 52 worked as a senior personnel officer

in the ministry of Public Service from 2006 to 2016.  Before

his death, he saved more than Shs200 million to bribe the

Almighty Father on Judgement Day so He could forgive his

earthly sins."

That of course will not work, but he tried.

You and I know human nature well enough 

to know that the money would never leave

this earth.

The story goes on;

"Mr Obong's Will was violated as his body was exhumed last

Saturday and the money withdrawn from the gave and his

would-be planned penitence before God frustrated."

So much for taking it with us.

The Holy Bible tells us more about true

wealth when the Apostle Paul tells us;

"Yet true godliness with contentment is itself

great wealth.  After all, we brought nothing

with us when we came into the world, and we

can't take anything with us when we leave it.

So if we have enough food and clothing, let

us be content."  

(1 Timothy 6:6 - 8 NLT). 

Is it any wonder that Solomon considered working

hard only to loss it as vanity or futility?  But it does 

not need to be futile.  The very creator of the universe,

and the giver of life it's self, Jesus Christ said;

"Don't store up treasures here on earth,

where moths eat then and rust destroys them,

and where thieves break in and steal.  Store

your treasures in heaven, were moths and

rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break

in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is there

the desires of your hart will also be."

 (Matthew 6:19 -21 NLT)

That is another subject and not our point today.

Just remember, you will not take any of the material

goods of this world with you.

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Then Jesus said, 'come to me, all of you

who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I

will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let

me teach you, because I am humble and gentle

at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I

give you is light.'"  

(Matthew 11:28 - 30 NLT)

MONEY

Advice from the richest man who ever lived.

Solomon the king of Israel.

"Those who love money will never have

enough.  How meaningless to think that wealth

brings true happiness!  The more you have,

the more people come to help you spend it.  So

what good is wealth - except perhaps to watch

it slip through your fingers!"

(Ecclesiastes 5:10, 11 NLT)

If you think wealth will make you happy,

why did it not for these people who

all committed suicide.

[I did not fact check these people.  There

are too many.]

Robin Williams, 63 years old.

Marilyn Monroe, 36 years old.

Kurt Cobain, 27 years old.

Mindy McCready, 37 years old.

Jonathan Brandis, 27 years old.

Sawyer Weten, 19 years old.

Jovan Belcher, 25 years old.

Alexander McQueen, 40 years old.

Lucy Gordon, 28 years old.

Johnny Lewis, 26 years old.

Gia Allemand, 29 years old.

Dana Plato, 34 years old.

Chris Benoit, 40 years old.

L'Wren Scott, 49 years old.

Junior Seau, 43 years old.

Misty Upham, 32 years old.

Ernest Hemingway, 61 years old.

Hunter S. Thompson, 67 years old.

And the list goes on and on and on.

Wealth and fame simply did not keep

these people happy for more than a 

short period.  And it will not for 

you nor I either.

TODAY'S QUOTE

“The greatest obstacle to applying God’s

grace is satisfaction in our own

accomplishments.  A person satisfied

with himself never learns to lean on God.” 

- Erwin W. Lutzer

Failure the Back Door to Success

p.49

HOW TO MAKE A FOOL OF YOURSELF

More wisdom from the wisest man that

ever lived - king Solomon.

"As you enter the house of God, keep your

ears open and your mouth shut.  It is evil to 

make mindless offerings to God.  Don't make

rash promises, and don't be hasty in bringing

matters before God.  After all, God is in heaven

and you are here on earth.  So let your words

be few.

Too much activity gives you restless dreams;

too many words make you a fool. "  

(Ecclesiastes 5:1 -3 NLT)

Solomon carries it even  further in his book

of Proverbs; 

"Too much talk leads to sin.

Be sensible and keep your mouth shut."  

(Proverbs 10:19 NLT)

So, Solomon's advise is;

"Even fools are thought wise when they

keep silent; with their mouths shut, 

they seem intelligent."  

(Proverbs 17:28 NLT). 

But more importantly than even Solomon

is God's warning about the time everyone

of us is going to stand before him in judgment.

"And I tell you this, you must give an account

on judgment day for every idle word you speak.

The words you say will either acquit you or

condemn you."  

(Matthew 12:36,37 NLT). 

LITTLE PEACOCKS?

More of Solomon's wisdom.

"Then I observed that most people are motivated

to success because they envy their neighbors.

But this, too, is meaningless - like chasing the

wind."  

(Ecclesiastes 4:4 NLT)

And further Solomon says;

"I observed yet another example of something

meaningless under the sun.  This is the case

of a man who is all alone, without a child or a

brother, yet who works hard to gain as much

wealth as he can.  But then he asks himself,

'Who am I working for?  Why am I giving up

so much pleasure now?'  It is all so meaningless

and depressing."  

(Ecclesiastes 4:7,8 NLT)

Just a thought here.  Don't you think that the base

cause of all this effort is that little word "Pride",

what we call the "original sin."  All that effort 

simply to "show off" in this life here on earth.

But, in the eternal prospective is an effort in 

futility.

The same author, Solomon, in another of his

writings said;

"Pride goes before destruction

and haughtiness before a fall."  

(Proverbs 16:18 NLT)

TODAY'S PROMISE

"So let's not get tired of doing what is good.

At just the right time we will reap a harvest

of blessing if we don't give up."

(Galatians 6:9 NLT)

MORE FUTILITY

More wisdom from Solomon.

"So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness

and madness (for who can do this better than I

the king).  I thought, 'Wisdom is better than 

foolishness, just as light is better than darkness.

For the wise can see where they are going, but

fools walk in the dark.'  Yet I saw that the wise

and the foolish share the same fate."

(Ecclesiastes 2:12 - 14 NLT)

No matter how wise you or I are.  Nor how

foolish the other person is, we all will share

the same fate,  that is, the grave and having

to answer to God who gave us life.

Again our focus needs to be on our appointment

with the day we stand before our maker - God.

"I came to hate all my hard work here on earth,

for I must leave to others everything I have earned."

(Ecclesiastes 2:18 NLT)

Just an observation here.  I probably have lived 

longer than you have and may have seen something

more often as a result.  But you have seen it too.

MOST INHERITANCES ARE PLAIN AND 

SIMPLE SQUANDERED.

There was an old saying when I was growing 

up that said;

"Grandpa earned it.

Son held it.

Grandson lost it."

Really, do I need to say anything more.

"So I decided there is nothing better than to

enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction

in work.  Then I realize that these pleasures

are from the hand of God."

 (Ecclesiastes 2:24 NLT)

More observations on my part.

I personally do not believe in "retirement".

It will cause an early demise if nothing else.

But mankind was not made to retire.

I know, I am retired.  I worked until I was 75

years old and only retired then because the 

company I worked for shutdown.  That was

many years ago.  And in the work I was involved

in nobody wanted an old man.

So, I volunteer and stay busy all I can depending

on my health at the time.

However, many years ago I noticed that most 

retired people are "BORED".  So they are always

looking for something to do.

My best friend retired the earliest he possibly could.

You guessed it.  He comes over to visit and see if 

there is something he can do.

There is a satisfaction in doing things.  The satisfaction

for accomplishing something can be ever bit as 

satisfying, or more, as wining some kind of game or 

other that actually accomplishes nothing.

TODAY'S QUOTE

"Self-control produces a strong prayer life,

prayer produces an intimate relationship

with God, and intimacy produces love of

God."    

-Francis Chan

FUTILITY OF PLEASURE AND POSSESSIONS

I have been considering the thinking of the 

wisest man that ever lived, king Solomon, in

his writings in the book of Ecclesiastes.

In chapter two he decides to test pleasure and 

possessions and their value in life.  With 

pleasure he ends up saying; "What does it 

accomplish?"

Then he turns to possessions.

Solomon built for himself houses, vineyards,

gardens, ponds and collected silver and gold.

Then he said;

"Thus I considered all my activities which

my hands had done and the labor which I

had exerted, and behold all was vanity and 

striving after wind and there was no profit

under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 2:11 NASB)

We can see the proof of this same thing in 

our own day.  Over the years I have been

amazed at how many wealthy famous people

end up killing themselves.  Were was the 

happiness that was supposed to be there?

Hey guys, catch this one.

"I provided for myself male and female

singers and the pleasures of men - many

concubines." (2:11)

What were many concubines to Solomon?

"He had seven hundred wives, princesses, 

and three hundred concubines, and his

wives turned his heart away."

(1 Kings 11:4 NASB)

That is one thousand women for just one 

man.  A whole town of women for him to

take his pick of.  

But they turned his heart away from God

to his own hurt.

No wonder Solomon was able to say;  

"It is better to live in a desert land

Than with a contentious and vexing

woman." (Proverbs 21:19 NASB)

and;

"It is better to live in a corner of the roof

Than in a house shared with a contentious

woman." (Proverbs 25:24 NASB) 

I do not know about you,

but I think I can learn something from this.

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

I am not smart by any means.  In fact I feel

embarrassed around truly smart intelligent

people.  But at times like that I try to keep

my mouth shut.  Why expose my ignorance

to them?

Consequently I want to spend some time 

trying to understand the writings of someone

who was truly smart - Solomon.  Maybe I 

can learn a little from him.

God gave Solomon more wisdom than any

person that ever lived, or will live.

[I know.  You and I both have friends and

neighbors who think they are the "SMARTEST"

thing that ever lived.]

So that puts me into what we call the book of

Ecclesiastes.

  

""Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher,

"completely meaningless!"

What do people get for all their hard work

under the sun?  Generations come and 

generations go, but the earth never changes."

"History merely repeats itself.  It has all been

done before."

(Ecclesiastes 1:1-4 and 9 NLT)

I am looking at it from a different vantage point

than you are.  I am old.  Really really old.  And

after looking back over a life of hard work I have

to agree with Solomon - what's the point?

Some day I will die and all that effort will

be lost, gone forever - that is in this material

world if that is all I have worked for.

But there is a realm that will last forever,

the Spiritual realm.  If I shift my focus from

the things of this material world to the world

or realm of the Spirit - everything changes.

Solomon comes to the conclusion at the end

of his book which we will probably look at
a number of times:

"That's the whole story.  Here now is my final

conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands,

for this is everyone's duty.  God will judge us

for everything we do, including every secret

thing, whether good or bad."

(Ecclesiastes 12:13,14 NLT)

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope

for will actually happen; it gives us 

assurance about things we cannot see.  

Through their faith, the people in days

of old earned a good reputation."

(Hebrews 11:1 NLT)

TODAY'S QUOTE

"if the Lord is going to use someone for His

purposes.  He often has to strip away their

dependence on intelligence, education, abilities

and their strengths before He can truly use them.

He has to make them nothing before He can build

them back up again for His service."

K.P. Yohannan in

Living in the Light of Eternity

p.201

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Study this Book of Instruction continually.

Meditate on it day and night so you will be

sure to obey everything written in it.  Only

then will you prosper and succeed in all you 

do."

(Joshua 1:8 NLT)

TODAY'S QUOTE

"I seek the will of the Spirit of God through,

or in connection with, the Word of God.  The

Spirit and the Word must be combined.  If I 

look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I 

lay myself open to great delusions.  If the Holy

Spirit guides us, He will do it according to the

Scriptures and never contrary to them."

- George Mueller