10/24/13

From Ben Fronczek... A Lesson From A Humble Ant

A Lesson From A Humble Ant

Sermon on the Mount – Part 1 (By Ben Fronczek)

Once upon a time out in a southern prairie, there was this huge colony of ants. In a somewhat isolated place their colony flourished for generations. They had been there so long and worked on their nest for so such a long time that there was a six foot tall mound of dirt on top of the ground and hundreds of feet of caves below. Now whether you realize it or not, most of the eggs that are laid by the queens grow up to become wingless, sterile females who are the “workers”. But every now and then a male comes along. In this particular nest a young male was born, and he was one good looking ant, (at least a lot of the other ants told him that he was). Even though he was small he was strong and was able to do his job quite well, and very fast. Seeing that he was so strong and moved quick, it was decide that he would be sent out of the nest to gather food.  As usual, he did this job very well, and gathered more food than any of the other ants. The other ants also notices that he was a fairly smart ant, and quite wise. Eventually he thought that he deserved more recognition, he was strong, good looking, he did his job well, so he thought he deserved more.  He went to the foreman ant and demanded better lodging, and a higher position. But the foreman could not do anything for him and told him that he had to speak to someone higher up. So during his free time that ant went from the manager to the supervisor, to the boss, and even to the big boss ant and basically they all told him the same thing, ‘that they never had anyone make such a request and that they could do nothing about what he wanted.  He would have to go to someone higher up’.  So eventually, he made his mind up to go right to the top, he would seek an audience with the queen.  And why not, he was a good looking, hard working, and a somewhat intelligent ant.  Shouldn’t he deserve more? Well the day finally came, his audience with the queen, his mother. Well, she was actually the mother of all the ants. Mother of thousands upon thousands of ants in that colony. She was very old, and wise, and she was so much larger than the little male ant. She looked like a giant compared to him, and she seem very busy. As the little male ant stated his case before the queen he almost felt that the queen was just too busy, ready to lay even more eggs. She said, “Yes I see that you are a handsome little things, and I heard that you have done very well at your job of collecting food for the colony, and now you say you want something more. Oh my, I’ve never had any other ant ask for more, a promotion per say. All of us ant are born with a job to do and we simply do it, including me. My job is to bring more and more of you into the world and lay more and more eggs”. She told him, “I think you need to talk to someone even higher up than me.” And the little male ant asked, “Is there someone with even more power and authority than you?”   And she responded by saying, “Oh yes my dear, you need to talk to our creator and our God. So go forth and find Him and He will help you understand what you need to know.”  As he left the queen and then left the nest, and began to scurry away from the ant mound he wondered where He could find the creator. He decided to go to the highest place he knew, to the top of the big old tree on the plain. It took him two days to climb to the top. After he reached the top he was amazed how far he could see. So much farther than he ever saw before. At the top of the tree, on one of the highest branches, he began to call out to the creator. Almost all day he waited and continued to plead for an audience with God to ask for more. And then at dusk the Lord came to him. And so the Lord spoke to the little male ant and asked, “Tell me little fellow, what is on your mind.” And so the little ant proceeded to tell the Lord all that was on his mind; how because he was such a good worker, even quicker than most, and because he was so good looking, and even intelligent and wise,  he told the Lord how he thought that he deserved a better position in the colony, better accommodations and more.  And so the Lord God spoke to the ant saying, “So you say you are very intelligent and wise. Since you think this, I would like to show you something.”  And before he even realized it the little ant began to move through the air somehow feeling like he was being carried by the hand of God. The great field he knew so very well quickly disappeared behind him. All of a sudden he began to see things that he could not even imagine. There were all kinds of huge animals, hundreds even thousands of times bigger than even the queen ant. More than he could ever have imagined. The Lord set me upon the a beautiful yet mighty beast called a horse that stood so very high compared to an ant, and it began to run began to run as fast as the wind. And then as he moved away from the horse, up and up, all of a sudden he saw large buildings, so big that they boggled his little mind. Building that reached up and touched the sky. He thought that his ant mound was monstrous.  The Lord allowed him for a moment to place his feet on a sky scraper which was over 2500 feet high. He wondered how anyone could build such a monstrosity. And then he saw them for the first time, humans erecting one of those structures and then he began to rise again.
As the Lord lifted him higher and higher into the air all of a sudden he saw a shiny bird moving across the sky coming toward them. The wings did not move yet it traveled faster than any bird he ever saw. As the Lord brought Him closer he saw that it was not a bird but a huge flying machine filled with even more humans. He could barely fathom the size of that machine, not to speak of how they got it off the ground. And then the Lord began to take him higher and higher now. All of a sudden it turned dark and the stars became brighter than he ever saw them before. He turned his head and looked back to see the planet earth leaving them behind. He never had any idea that he lived on a such beautiful blue ball. They were moving so fast the earth disappeared very, very quickly. He saw that there was more than just one planet, there so many, thousands, millions going around billions of stars. And as they exited out of our galaxy he saw that there were more glaxies, hundreds if not billions of them containing trillions of stars and planets. It was more than the little ant could fathom. And then the Lord said, “I have shown you only a small portion of my physical creation, now I will show you more.” And then something happened.   He was in a totally different kind of place. I believe it is what one would call the spiritual realm. There was bright light that seem radiate love. And the sound of music and praise resounded everywhere and through everything. He heard many other wonderful sounds that he could not even imagine hearing. And the colors, nothing like he ever saw before. There were large and beautiful winged creatures, everything seemed solid yet transparent. It was sensory overload for the little ant. He saw thing so glorious it would be impossible for any earthly being to put into words, yet here he was. But it was too much. He closed his eyes, and then all of a sudden the music stopped, and when he opened his eyes he was again sitting in a safe place atop that tall tree close to his home. And then he heard the Lord speak and say, “Now little wise ant let me ask you a few questions. After seeing the other creatures on your world, the animals small and large, and the humans with their building and machines, where were you when I created them? As you left the planet so beautiful and blue seeing the untold number galaxies and stars did your wisdom help me create them? And when I created the unseen spiritual realm with all its wonders, let me ask you, how did I do it? And how do I hold it all together so that everything works with such harmony?  Tell me ol’ wise one, how and why I should honor you?” The little ant on top of the tree all of a sudden felt very, very, very small. Less than a speck in the universe; small, trivial, and powerless in the presence of the One who created so much. What was he compared to those  beasts of field he saw, or compared to a planet, or stars or a galaxy of stars?He told the Lord, “I did not know what I was talking about. I feel like less than a speck in the grand scheme of things my Lord. I am so sorry for thinking that I was so important to this world. Surely I spoke of things I did understand, thing to wonderful for me to know. You have shown me great wonders and now I feel like a fool and am sorry for being so arrogant.  I humbly bow before you.”  And then he bowed as low as an ant could bow. 
And then the Lord said, “One day My Son stood on a large hill to teach those who would hear Him. He began His lesson by telling them something which is fundamental and needed by anyone who wants to learn more, and become a child in my kingdom. Jesus said,  “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

In other words, it is not the haughty, boastful and proud that will be happy and blessed by Me with true wisdom and life, rather it will be the humble individuals, those who are not puffed up and stuck on themselves.  The only way that the mighty horse that I set you on can be trained and taught is to break his spirit, because he is a proud animal. I hope that this has taught you something.

The ant returned to his home with a totally new perspective. Over time he did get a promotion but it was more because of his hard work and experience in his field. It was not because of his good looks or because of how smart he thought he was.

Another thing he noticed about the other ants in the colony, they all just seem so grateful for what they had. They never sought after more because they were simply thankful for what they had. He also learned to become thankful for what the creator had given him.  In the great scheme of things and considering what the creator had showed him, later he often thought,‘Who are you little ant to demand anything?’

In Proverbs 16:15 it says, “The LORD detests all the proud of heart.  Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”

Isaiah 2:12 says, “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.” NAS

James 4:6 says “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
In his last letter 

Paul wrote of the future, it may even be our present time, he wrote in 2 Timothy 3:1-5  “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

From the very beginning of scripture to the end we see God’s intolerance for those who think they are some kind of big shot, those who think they know it all and deserve so much more than others. Rather we see God wants to bless those who are poor in spirit, those who have a humble heart.

And so what can we do to prevent us from falling into this trap.

There are people in this world who are a bit diluted and are trying to convince us that we deserve more. Just watch the ads on your television. You need, even you deserve a new car, and not just any car but rather a expensive designer car. And furniture, and a cruise, and the latest I-Phone, and I-Pad, and the list goes on. You just deserve it.

And don’t settle for what your parents had. Go for the gusto! You deserve it, you are smart, and educated, and good looking. Don’t settle for less. And that line of thinking has led to unrealistic debt and why I think there are so many today going around feeling depressed; because there are too many that don’t have the means to acquire what we are told people should have.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:3   Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

I can’t help but think that in many ways we are like that little ant who did not realize how small and obscure he was in grand scheme of things, compared to all creation, and compared to a God that can create and manipulate it all. For example, in recent years whith help of the Hubble telescope, scientists have learned much about the universe which we live in. We are all familiar with our solar system and stars, and even a grouping of stars called a galaxy. But did you know this; that the smallest galaxies observed contain over a 10 million stars each? They probably each have their own planets circling them. Our own Milky Way Galaxy has an estimated 200 billion stars. Our closest neighboring Galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy contains an est. one trillion stars. And there are some larger galaxies out there that contain up to 100 trillion stars.  That a lot of stars and solar systems.

Now what really blows my mind is the fact that some scientists estimate that there are possible more than 500 billion Galaxies, and there is a design and order in each and every one of them. And that’s just the physical universe that we can see. What about that unseen spiritual realm, how vast is it? Nobody knows.

I often wonder, ‘Who do we think we are to make demands of God the creator, or even think that we are smart enough to doubt His existence.’
Paul said, Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

Like the ant, God has communicated with mankind and has given us not only glimpses of His glory, but also what He desires from us, because He loves us. And it all begin with a humble heart; one not so full of self that we can’t see beyond our own nose.

Even though we are small compared to the vastness of all creation God has let us know that He love us and wants up to be part of His eternal realm. He loves us so much that He was willing to send His one and only Son to show us what he is like, he also sent him to deal with our impurity and sin, that is  if we would only believe in Him and accept this wonderful gift. But the choice is ours.

So my encouragement is this today: 

 Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment.   Don’t let yourself become so proud, or arrogant that it blinds you to the truth. Come to appreciate what you have, and don’t worry about what you don’t have. If you are meant to have something down the road, you will get. In the mean time, be thankful and enjoy what you have today!


For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

From Jim McGuiggan.... Punishment——God and government

 Punishment——God and government




God’s law as expressed in scripture is vast and complex. The bulk of the laws we read in the Old Testament are to enable Israel to live in covenant relationship with God. They have nothing to do with what we today would call criminal (penal) law. The rules and regulations are to shape the believing society and be the glue that holds it together. (Disputes could arise where no crime was involved and the disputants went to the judge or elder who settled the issue and everyone went back to life.) Glad allegiance to Yahweh included worship as well as proper social relationships so there are laws about how worship was to be shaped and practiced (large sections in Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and the whole book of Leviticus make the point). These laws were not given so that Israelites would have an opportunity to offend. God’s instruction about the kind of fire to be used in worship by the priests was not given so Nadab and Abihu would have something to break and so sin (see Leviticus 10).

And laws governing social behavior such as "Honor your father and mother" were not laid down so that children could have a commandment to break. "Honor your father and mother" is not criminal law but the laws that laid out sanctions against law-breakers come under that heading. Penal laws exist not because there are other laws but because people break the other laws.

Aside from the primary directives, God’s laws changed with the changing face and situation of the Israelite society. For example, many of the laws in the Pentateuch became redundant when the temple replaced the Tabernacle. Laws governing the collection of manna and how Israel was to camp in the wilderness reflected current situations and were set aside when the situation changed. Nothing became redundant that was essential to Israel’s self-understanding as God’s elect servant, working with him to gain larger ends.

When God punishes the sinner personal and relational factors are always present. The righteous God sees us as moral beings with whom he wants a personal relationship and in pursuing that he uses punishment as one of his instruments. The ultimate aim is always to produce in sinners a moral state (repentance) that expresses itself in righteousness and in the pursuit of "the good" as envisioned by God. 

Whatever a secular society’s vision of "the good" is, it makes laws to promote that vision. Again, law is a complex and changing reality of course because human society is a complex and changing reality and it need laws to take that into account. At the simple level we have traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, stop signs and the like so that accidents and traffic gridlock can be avoided and to enable us to take advantage of these aids there are laws that govern their use. The lights and crossings and the rules connected with them are not introduced so that people can have an occasion to offend. The rules governing the flow of traffic are laws true enough but criminal law and the question of punishment only enters when someone ignores or chooses to ignore them but in and of themselves they have nothing to do with crime. These laws govern a series of societal needs and are intended to see that a society gets what it needs so that while the laws introduce restrictions they restrict in order to enable. (In the OT the choice of a special priesthood excluded all but the family of Aaron but one reason for the restriction was to enable the whole nation to worship, something they couldn’t do if they all had to crowd into the little Tabernacle. (See The Blessing of representation.) It’s true, of course, that along with the rules to govern the use of traffic lights society brings in sanctions against those who pay no attention to the rules but the whole mass of criminal law exists because there are criminals. Law is indispensable if humans are to live in a functioning society (rather than in anarchy) and criminal law is inevitable because we will continue to be law-breakers.

Because all people in society don’t want and can’t have a personal relationship with one another they settle for less. Since they don’t care much for the inner moral state of others except where it affects their freedom and rights they settle for the process that makes their fellow-citizens law-abiding and initiate criminal proceedings were they must. Clearly there are those for whom moral states and behavior are vitally important and those who care little for such questions as long as their human rights are permitted (this itself is a moral issue of great magnitude). Society can’t stand still until these serious moral questions are exhaustively studied, debated and infallible guidance given on them so they express their majority opinions through elected officials. The laws laid down express the current opinion of the majority and the courts render judgements in light of those laws irrespective of the moral state or arguments of individual citizens. So what society via government with the support of armed forces is after is law-abidingness whether or not the individual or society at large has any moral convictions. For this reason we often hear statesmen and stateswomen definitively separate legal questions and moral questions. A former Prime Minister here in the UK said, "If you want morals go to your clergyman." At one level this makes perfect sense; nevertheless even people who are so definitely convicted lean on "natural law" as the basis for the human rights which they think should be enshrined in a free society. Whatever we say when pressed, we would insist that human rights and the things that are necessary to achieve those for people are moral rights and a society is "righteous" when it moves to see that they’re gained for the people at large.

This leads to the point of a just society’s punishment of criminals. The capacity and power to punish like every other capacity and power can be abused but we need not take the abuse of it as the only face it has. As Aristotle reminds us, we’re not to take a diseased and stunted tree as the norm for trees. Giving punishment its best face and leaving society’s "the good" to be defined only in general terms, it’s clear that punishment by society needs to be seen as moral and righteous.

It would be immoral for society to knowingly punish a known innocent person. It would be immoral for a society to knowingly punish a person known not to be accountable by reason of mental disability or some other pronounced condition that renders a free choice out of the question. So when a society punishes via government and court structures it wishes to have the approval of "universal moral law" (natural law) even when the crimes are lower level infringements. It is never right to knowingly punish the innocent or knowingly over-punish the guilty no matter how insignificant the offence or punishment attached to the offence. (See Deuteronomy 25:1-3 on over-punishing.) Finding a place for "morals" in governing may be difficult but in the end everyone without exception—either openly or by smuggling them in—appeals to right and wrong. We hear gang-members or police in some parts of the world talk about "a righteous" shooting, by which they mean that it was justified, it wasn’t a mistake and, more to the point, it wasn’t unwarranted.

Societal "righteousness" is shaped and indicated by the values it upholds and seeks to nurture, and society punishes to express that righteousness against the offender’s unrighteousness. Society’s righteousness exists prior to the crime and it is expressed as laws that promote the well-being and moral rights (there’s that phrase again) of the citizens. When it deals with a criminal, society’s righteousness takes the form of punishment, which is society’s homage to the righteousness it stands for. So whatever the criminal thinks or feels, society insists that there is a righteousness to which it is committed and will work to uphold. Once more, punishment is a form that society’s righteousness takes when dealing with a criminal.

In punishing a murderer or rapist society describes itself as valuing the person murdered and acts out that value. But in punishing them it also says to all would-be murderers that it values the lives of all who might be murdered. So that the judgement of one murderer or rapist is a word about murder and rape as potential acts as well as deeds done. Here we’d have specific and general deterrence. That murderer or rapist has been deterred by imprisonment and other would-be murderers or rapists are warned and society at large is better pleased with and therefore more committed to the rule of law so there is a further deterrent effect.

Imagine that the penitent transgressor now sees his crime as unrighteous, deplores it and genuinely commits to promoting the righteousness of the society that just recently acted against him. In such a case the murderer now stands outside his crime, he now rejects the mind-set of a murderer and rejects the justification he offered himself. His state of mind is an anti-murder state of mind. That is, while there is no way to undo the act, he has comprehensively and genuinely condemned the heart that produced the act and is only able to do it because his heart is a changed heart.
Punishment may not be able to achieve such a change of heart in which case the righteousness of the society in the form of punishment failed to gain something it aimed for but it did accomplish some of what it meant to do. But if society did gain a change of heart in the criminal by its dealing with him that would be more than righteousness making itself present in the form of distress inflicted, it would be righteousness echoed in the offender’s heart. It would be righteousness triumphing over the unrighteousness that the offender had championioned. (In the religious and theological realm in such a case we would see Christ truly and fully defeating sin in the person of the sinner—Christians would call it the repentance of faith..)

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Two Ways To Walk (Philippians 3:17-21)





                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS"

                        Two Ways To Walk (3:17-21)






INTRODUCTION

1. As we continue our examination of Paul's "epistle of joy", we now find
   him discussing two different ways to walk in this life...
   a. The walk of one who is "a citizen of heaven"
   b. The walk of one who is "an enemy of the cross of Christ"

2. Hopefully, there should be no question as to which way we are to walk;
   but to better understand why, we will look closely at some reasons
   Paul gives in this passage

[First, we notice...]

I. AN ADMONITION TO WALK LIKE PAUL AND OTHERS (17)

   A. "JOIN IN FOLLOWING MY EXAMPLE"...
      1. Paul frequently encouraged others to follow his example - cf.
         Ph 4:9; 1 Co 4:16; 11:1
      2. Some brethren evidently took him up on it - e.g., 1 Th 1:6-9
      3. In what way were people to imitate Paul?
         a. To the degree he tried to imitate Christ - 1 Co 11:1
         b. Perhaps also in his devotion to Jesus Christ - cf. Ph 3:7-16

   B. "NOTE THOSE WHO SO WALK, AS YOU HAVE US FOR A PATTERN"...
      1. Just as there were some in Thessalonica who imitated Paul (1 Th
         1:6-9), so there were those at Philippi who did the same, and
         were thus worthy of emulation
      2. Noticing the examples of others can be very beneficial - cf. Ps
         37:37
      3. Especially when we consider the outcome of their conduct - cf.
         He 13:7

   C. WE SHOULD NOT ONLY BE GOOD IMITATORS, BUT GOOD EXAMPLES OURSELVES!
      1. This is especially true of those who teach and preach God's Word
         - 1 Ti 4:12; Ti 2:7-8
      2. Which includes those who serve as elders - He 13:7; 1 Pe 5:1-3

[The reasons for noting those who are worthy of emulation is given
later in this passage.  But first there is...]

II. A WARNING CONCERNING THOSE WHO WALK AS "ENEMIES OF THE CROSS" (18-19)

   A. "OF WHOM I HAVE TOLD YOU OFTEN"...
      1. Paul found "repetition" to be a valuable tool - cf. Ga 1:8,9;
         5:21; Ph 3:1
      2. Also, that it was necessary to be "negative" at times - cf. Ph
         3:2

   B. "AND NOW TELL YOU EVEN WEEPING"...
      1. Negative preaching, when necessary, should not be done without
         compassion - e.g., 2 Co 2:4
      2. Even here, Paul is setting the right example...
         a. To love our enemies
         b. Even those who are "enemies of the cross"!

   C. WHO ARE THESE "ENEMIES OF THE CROSS"?
      1. We know they are MANY people
         a. "For many walk" - cf. Mt 7:13-14
         b. So not just a few
      2. We know their END
         a. "whose end is destruction" - cf. 2 Th 1:7-9
         b. Have we seriously considered the outcome of their conduct?
      3. We know who is their GOD
         a. "whose god is their belly"
         b. I.e., those who are set on satisfying only their fleshly
            appetites
      4. We know wherein is their GLORY
         a. "whose glory is in their shame"
         b. They take pride in things that are actually shameful
      5. We know upon what they set their MINDS
         a. "who set their mind on earthly things"
         b. Contrast this with where Christians are to set their minds -
            Ph 4:8; Co 3:1-2

[Where is our "mindset"?  How we answer may determine whether or not WE
are "enemies of the cross of Christ"!

As a motivation not to be "enemies of the cross", we notice Paul now
shares a few...]

III. REASONS TO WALK LIKE PAUL AND OTHERS (20-21)

   A. "FOR OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN"...
      1. Our true loyalty is to that above, not that on earth!
      2. It is there where our "inheritance" is reserved - 1 Pe 1:3-4
      3. Therefore, we have special responsibilities - cf. 1 Pe 2:9-12

   B. "WE EAGERLY WAIT FOR THE SAVIOR...WHO WILL TRANSFORM OUR LOWLY
      BODY"...
      1. Though now in heaven, our Savior is coming again one day! - Ac
         1:9-11
      2. When He does, what glory there will be for those who are
         "citizens of heaven"!
         a. He will "transform our lowly body"!
         b. It will be "conformed to His glorious body"!
      3. This He will do by the same POWER by which He subdues all things
         to Himself - cf. Mt 28:18; 1 Pe 3:22

CONCLUSION

1. Are not these good reasons to walk like Paul?

2. Brethren, how are we walking in this life?
   a. As "citizens of heaven"?
   b. Or "enemies of the cross of Christ"?

3. The answer depends upon where we have set our MINDS:
   a. If on EARTHLY things...we are "enemies of the cross of Christ"!
      1) We make our bellies to be our god
      2) We glory in that which is shameful
      3) Our end will be destruction
   b. But if on HEAVENLY things...we are "citizens of heaven"!
      1) We eagerly await Christ's coming
      2) We eagerly await our transformation

4. Have you become...
   a. A "citizen of heaven"?  If not, why not become one today?  - Jn
      3:5
   b. An "enemy of the cross"?  If so, why not "defect" today? - 1 Pe
      4:1-3

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011


From Gary... Puns, truth, introspection and eternity



I like puns!!!  They are the twists in the road, the irony of life; that unexpected surprise that delights.  In short, they appeal to my sense of humor.  But, in each one, there is a seed of truth (sometimes a very SMALL seed) that causes one to reflect about life.  This, I do.  And not just now, I have always been that way because that is how I dealt with my harsh upbringing.  But, hey, its better than turning mean and bitter!!!  The dean of Northeast School Of Biblical Studies used to say something like: We respond to adversity by being bitter (I like to think angry) or better.  So, for me, becoming better meant introspection, reflection and hopefully, growth.  I am not alone in this, for that great king of Israel, Solomon, also sought understanding.  Below, please find the beginning and ending of his book, Ecclesiastes...


Ecclesiastes, Chapter 1
  1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem: 
  2  “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”  3 What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?  4 One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.  5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.  6 The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.  7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.  8 All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.  9 That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.  10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new?” It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.  11 There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after. 

  12  I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.  13 I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.  14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.  15 That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.  16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”  17 I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.  18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12
9  Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.  10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.  11 The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.  12 Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 

  13  This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.  14
 For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.


Okay, Solomon I am not!!!  But deciding how to live life is something we all do and if you think too much you will get a headache and if you study too much you will get worn out and jumpy. But, stepping back and thinking about your life from a distance will help you realize that it will end.  These thoughts will inevitably lead you to God and eternal matters such as life after life and judgment for the things done while on Earth.  Even the most intelligent of us have problems and in his later years, the mighty Solomon radically strayed from God.  As great as Solomon was, God is infinitely greater!!!  In retrospect, Solomon should have listening to his own words (highlighted above)!!!  Without a doubt, I should do the same!!!!  Remember, the pursuit of the pervasive pun can be positively  perverted, so laugh carefully, the joke may be on you (in this case I mean myself).  Today, I intend to carefully consider my life, laugh at the stupid things and do everything I can to change the things that need changing.  I wish the same for you!!!  Also, read the puns in the graphic at the top- who knows, you just might like a few of them!!!!