So Simple

Matthew‬ ‭19:14‬ ‭- But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

I came across this stashed away in my IPad notes. Short and oh so sweet. 

A friend and I were at lunch the other day (in April). This is the same friend I mentioned the other day. We talked, as usual, about the things of God. It's always uplifting conversation.

She told me how she was with her two granddaughters when they were like four and six. Today both are adults, one married. The oldest girl decided to bring out a children's Bible from which to read.

Before they started the older girl asked, I have Jesus in my heart, don't I Grammy? To which the response was, Yes, you do!!! (I'm guessing there is something special about Grammies and their grandchildren. I think back on my Grammies and one of my Grampas. My friend was present when her granddaughters both received Christ.) 

The younger granddaughter then asked, Do I have Jesus in my heart? Grammy's response was, I don't know if you do. The little girl pondered it but still wasn't sure. 

Grammy: If you're not sure, ask Jesus.

Girl: Will you pray for me?

Grammy: No, you need to ask Him yourself. I can't do it for you.

So the four year old prayed and prayed! She asked Jesus to live in her heart. To this day she follows the Lord. This wasn't some contrived prayer someone asked her to pray. It was a prayer from a sincere, childlike heart. 

It's THAT simple. It comes from a pure heart of desire. When 
God hears and knows the heart is sincere of anyone who seeks to have Him become part of their lives, He will not refuse. 

An adult can come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as simply as this four year old girl. Often our idea that we know it all and there's no more room for childish behavior get in the way of knowing our Creator and our Father. Consider Jesus' words. Consider knowing truth. It's not something one regrets. 

Matthew‬ ‭18:2-3 - Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter 
the kingdom of heaven.‭‭ 

We Can Have It All

Ecclesiastes 1:2 - "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

It sticks in my mind and heart. It's a thought that lingers throughout any given week. Vanity of vanities. We have been in the Book of Ecclesiastes in Sunday school. I've mentioned that before. All I can say for sure is that in the end everything boils down to just one thing! I will get to that later.

Just in the twelve chapters of Ecclesiastes the word vanity, or some form of it, is mentioned 34 times. As we have discussed, one example after another of our own vanity is brought up, from our desire to have a collection of "whatever" it might be (for which it was eventually realized as pointless) to the extreme example of living in absolute plainness as some religions do. Both are vanity. One is sort of a claim that we have the means to have our stuff. The other says some don't need all "your" stuff and we will live meagerly. Neither is totally wrong if it doesn't consume us. 

Solomon asked first for wisdom from God over anything else and he got it plus all he could ever have wanted. But listen to what Solomon had to say later:

Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. (‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭2‬:‭10-11‬)

Does that take the wind out of your sails like it did Solomon? All that we have, all we have worked for...will someday be meaningless. It's like the old saying, you can't take it with you. Or, you come into this world with nothing and leave with nothing. All the things we hold so dear will might just mean nothing to the next person. It will be nothing new under the sun; what was done before, will be done again. 

I get this! I love photography. I know I have some amazing pictures. I have thousands of pictures. I try to weed them out occasionally and find it hard to get rid of some. But someday those pictures will be meaningless and just discarded by someone who could care less about them. They have no meaning for anyone but me. Vanity...a grasping for the wind. What's the point? And yet I still take photos, as if to capture the moment, capture the beauty...for me. 

We strive for all the worldly goods and accolades from others in this life. And, why, is the question Solomon is bringing up. Why, when we can't take it with us? What's the point? 

Here's the point...one can have all the stuff in the world, a big house, nice car, greatest college education, high paying job, all that money can afford, and still not have it all and will never be satisfied. Each Sunday this comes up. All the worldly pleasures. One only wants more. The stuff never satisfies. Think about it. Am I right? And, hey, it's not me talking anyway, so don't get mad at me! Solomon, the man who asked God for wisdom over anything else, had it all and this is what he narrowed it down to for us to realize...an example. 

There is only one thing that will satisfy. His name is Jesus Christ. I'd heard a teaching on the simplicity of Christ. It delved into what some churches today seem to need to do...remove the simple message of Jesus Christ and replace it with fun, excitement, visual effects...theatrics. And when that isn't enough anymore, then what? What will entice people to stay in church? More donuts and coffee? More light shows during worship? There was a time when just the message of Jesus Christ, with its preaching, in no uncertain terms, on sin and God's grace and mercy when we have come to grips with our sin.

The simplicity of Christ. It's a choice we make...simplicity of Christ or the vanity of pleasure. In the very end, only one wins out. Not only do I want this in my church but in my life. Narrow everything down to what matters most. Is what matters most knowing Jesus, having Him? Period. Is He the center, the main focus? If we have Him, we have it all. 

So I'm learning a lesson. When I die I do not want a bunch of stuff that someone has to sort through. What I want to be remembered for is my love for and devotion to Christ. The simplicity in life. We are told we are to be content in any circumstance. This message is also for those with little possessions. If we have Jesus that's all that should matter because in the end, when we die, if we do not have Him, we have nothing. If we know Him, we have it all. 

Ecclesiastes 2:14-16 - The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived that the same event happens to them all. So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, it also happens to me, and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.” For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!

Recap On Vanity or We Can Have It All!

We are in the Book of Ecclesiastes in Sunday school. It tied in to what we consider important in life. It has come at a time when others and myself have been giving thought to simplifying our lives and homes and the accumulation of things we have.nlet me add, the loss of a family member has been another reminder of accumulating stuff as we go through to sort what has been left behind.

All that we have, all we have worked for will someday be meaningless. It's like the old saying, you can't take it with you. Or, you come into this world with nothing and leave with nothing. All the things we hold so dear might just mean nothing to the next person. We strive for all the worldly goods and accolades from others in this life. And why, is the question Solomon is bringing up. Why, when we can't take it with us? What's the point? 

Here's the point...one can have all the stuff in the world, a big house, nice car, greatest college education, high paying job, all that money can afford, and still not have it all and will never be satisfied. All the worldly pleasures. One only wants more. The stuff never satisfies. Think about it. Solomon had it all and this is what he narrowed it down to for us to realize...as an example. There's only one thing that satisfies. That is our relationship with God. Do we know Jesus? Do we have His Holy Spirit? This is what is meant by having it all. It all boils down to Jesus...as it should be.

I knew I had written something about Solomon and wisdom and what should really be important in our lives. I thought it was just days ago when it actually was two years ago! I will simply repost it because it pretty much added to the most recent thoughts.

October 2013
God Never Changes

Ecclesiastes 1:2 - “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

Solomon, son of King David, was a wise man. Most of Solomon's life was lived in godliness. God granted him wisdom when he asked for it and because he asked only for wisdom, God granted him riches as well, which in the end was his downfall.

Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. This book was written as a reflection on the vanity of human life. It shows us how nothing is ever new but that all things have been done before. I began writing the other day about Psalm 100:5 - For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

There is, in my mind, a connection between that psalm and Ecclesiastes! As I began to write my post for the other day (I wanted to let it rest before editing) I was going to discuss how since God has created all things, everything seems to fall into its own routine...in the life of the earth and human life. Seasons of life on earth and seasons of human life. They never change...and God never changes. He's the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. I guess I'm trying to say that because God never changes, His truth endures forever, that which has been done is what will be. Why the Bible is an excellent guide into seeing what has been done in the past has been repeated...and what the outcomes are.

So Solomon sought wisdom and came to the conclusion all is vanity, that which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). God never changes.

God's plan all along was for all generations to seek Him and believe, trust and have faith in Him. He has not changed. Sadly, man wants to believe in himself before God. Sadly, also, that is nothing new 
under the sun! His desire will remain the same till the Lord returns.

So, it is vain to think we can live our lives without knowing God. It is vain to think our lives are fine without any thought or obedience to Him. That, as Ecclesiastes tells us:
Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11) Later he says, He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

Oh my. So what is life all about if all we desire, all pleasures of our labors is not at all profitable in the end? And neither has it been for anyone in life? What is all this? What do we do?

Ecclesiastes continues by telling us that we should enjoy what we have, enjoy our life...but not without first knowing and believing that God has given us all we have. And if He has given it, it can be taken away...why it is important to know He is our greatest reward, not all we achieve or store up in the world.

I know, you can't put a finger on what is most valuable that He has to give. You can't hold it in your hand or look at it to admire it. Well, we are told that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Maybe that's why many do not trust the Lord. They want what they can hold, see, smell, taste. God wants us to trust Him, not self.

If one is willing to give himself over to Him, there is a true presence, contentment, peace and joy. It cannot be explained. It's a spiritual knowing. Minds discern and eyes see things differently. Hearts long not for the things of the world but the things of God. All the stuff one has might be seen as part 
of those things eyes desired, the pleasures of labor...which when one has received those desires one is quickly dissatisfied with and something new must replace it. A perpetual grasping for the wind??? God gives good things. Wouldn't it be better to receive His good things instead?

Solomon goes on to reveal more of God's truths (Ecclesiastes 3)...to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the heaven. You know the old song...a time to live and a time to die...a time to plant and a time to reap... Plus, He has made everything beautiful in its time. Oh, those seasons, those lives I was about to write about. Those things God, who never changes, has created.

I know that whatever God has done or does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to nor taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past. (Ecclesiastes 3:14-15)

This book reminds us all that God gives and takes away. He brings us into this world, like He does the seasons. They come, they go. The sun rises and sets, as does the moon. He controls all things. We can conclude that wisdom is a good thing...God's wisdom the best...and we should be thankful for what we have and acknowledge God in the process. Enjoy what we have but realize it's not all about our stuff, which can still leave us unsatisfied...and which God can take away. Be of proper mind to let it go if necessary.

There will always be rich and poor, oppressed and blessed. Our fates are equal. We die taking nothing with us. But where we end up after death is what is important. Rich and poor, oppressed and blessed can all be assured of their end if they look to God now. As Solomon says, 4:9-10: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. If we have the Lord with us, we have that One who will lift us up.

Everything is still always about God. Start with Him, gain His wisdom, receive the good things He has to offer. Proverb 21:21 states He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor. See, it is attainable...in God's way, the best way.

Receive His gift of salvation...now...because life can be taken away in a moment's notice...and what good does it do to strive for so much without acknowledging Him? We long to live longer to enjoy more when God knows the actual number of our days...so we should be right with God before it's too late.

Besides the greatest gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, we can receive His wisdom. Through both of these we will know what is beneficial. Nothing of God is a mistake or disappointment. Trust Him with our lives and with all He gives us. Solomon figured it all out for us. His words were written for our understanding and guidance. It all begins and ends with God. In Genesis He created the world; in Revelation He destroys all wickedness and returns to reign in peace and holiness.

He has shown us what He desires. He has shown us that wisdom is greater than stuff. He has shown those who seek wisdom what is important...it's all about Him. Seek Him and all "real" life may be yours, in difficult times or good. It is His miracle worked out in us.

All throughout this book Solomon shows us, like he does in his proverbs, the difference between the wise man and the fool, the one who seeks God and the one who does not believe that God provides all the answers. God gives and takes away; He is the Judge of our sin; He determines where we go on our last day. Jesus also told us not to worry about our lives (Matthew 6:25-34)...these words of wisdom are understood by true believers.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 - Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

The Simplicity of it All

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

In prayer this morning I ventured into thoughts of if God can love me so much, He also loves those who do not acknowledge Him.

I think of the people that can irritate, anger, frustrate and disappoint. Thoughts of how God loves them come to mind. He created each one of them just like He created me. Psalm 139 speaks of this...and it is meant for all people..believers or not.

He can love but in the end He is also able to exact judgment upon those who simply will not call on the name of the Lord or acknowledge Him in their lives. His righteous anger is not like ours. He knows what He must do and He does it. "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭38‬)

We can all be in that place of righteousness if we humbly and sincerely go to Jesus repenting of our sin, asking for His forgiveness and acknowledging Him as Lord and Savior. And then living each day with His thoughts in mind. The pure and just things that He shows us in His Word. And heeding the warnings of the people who failed to follow Him. It's all that simple.

The world wants peace but so often they want something other than Christ as their peace. The Jews who cried out "Crucify Him!" wanted something other than Jesus to be their Messiah. They wanted, as the world wants, their own way. They believe that if government were thus and so things would be better. They fight for causes. Is any of this ultimately going to work?

Jesus is the only hope for everlasting peace. No one says it better than He Himself: Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭32-33‬)

We have brought on our own trials and tribulation...because we have left Jesus. We have come to a place in life, in this world, where we desire peace in ways other than through God. Politicians say they will bring this or that if they become president...maybe even promise hope and change! The only hope and change we can trust in is through Jesus Christ. For some their hope is in man, not a Man. Looking to a political candidate (and they are rare) who holds to godly values somehow seems archaic. No more of this God stuff, people proclaim in their hearts.

There will be a judgment some day for everyone. However, I know where true peace comes from. The simplicity of the day when I gave my heart to Christ is as fresh in my mind as what I had for supper last night, probably better! There you will find true peace.

God loves the sinner. He came to save the sinner. There's no doubt about it. In our human minds we can't comprehend how He can...and that love I am truly trying to understand. I may judge unrighteously at times. I should not. All judgment is for God alone. It will happen. However, I may judge righteously, with love for the sinner. Not always so easy, I admit. I still need some work!

Do not be deceived by what the world has to offer. It will not last. Jesus, the same today as yesterday and tomorrow, has all the answers. They are true and just. He's well worth seeking.

2Corinthians 11:3-4 - But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!