Is Everything Meaningless?

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.  What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:2-9 NIV 

Unless a person understands the stage of life Solomon was in, one could think that Solomon was decreeing that life was not worth living. But that is far from the case and since his proclamation came before Christ arrived, we know that every moment of life is precious in His sight and when we accept His gift of salvation--everything has meaning.

Having received the gift of wisdom--beyond measure of any other mortal--Solomon lived according to God's Word until he connected with many women who did not know God and in fact worshiped other gods. Gradually, he began practicing some of the forbidden rituals (the danger of being unequally yoked in faith and beliefs) and by the time he realized he fallen far from where God desired him to be, he realized he had wasted the gift given to him. Wisdom without knowledge produces disasters. Knowledge without wisdom is just as catastrophic. This is why we're told, "Wisdom is the principle thing, and in all our getting, get understanding."

Giving a teenager a car when they don't know how to drive usually has negative consequences. They know what the car is, but they do not know the details of how the car functions and without instruction, the car may never move and doesn't benefit them. However, with instruction and knowledge of not just how the car functions, but also the laws pertaining to legally driving, and understanding consideration on the roads, the car benefits them.

We have been given a great gift--salvation--and until we know what it means and begin to practice the instructions in The Word--we may never benefit from the gift. If we never understand the benefit of salvation, life really is meaningless.

With the abundance of grace we've also been given, we learn from our mistakes and commit to doing better and as we continue in life, we'll see just how great our God is and how wonderful life can be--even when we miss the mark--as long as we get back on the path.

There are valuable lessons living provides for us, so let's live to the glory of God and learn how we please Him and be a blessing to others. Living for Him, gives life meaning that is sometimes difficult to understand and express, but so worthwhile.

Whatever Our Battle Is, God's Word Wins!

He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’ ” 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 NIV

When the Spirit of The Lord comes upon us--like it did when Jahaziel, we should listen and not concern ourselves with the battles of life.

Our position in these battles--when we are fully suited up-as Paul tells to be--is to keep on the whole armor--wearing our offensive protection because God is our defensive protection.

One of the reasons so many people fall prey to depression is the oppression felt about things going on around them in which they have no control. They are constantly (they think) in a battle and most of the battle they feel is actually a battle taking place in the mind--where the enemy attacks. And when the enemy attacks, we need to be fully armed and ready with The Word to fight back.

When the enemy tells us we'll never amount to anything, we need to tell the enemy that everything God made was good and so are we.

When the enemy tells us our bodies are disease-ridden, we need to tell the enemy that we are healed by the Blood of the lamb and made whole in His love.

When the enemy tells us that no one cares about us, we need to tell the enemy that we are never alone because Jesus is always with us and loves us, unconditionally.

When the enemy tells us what we can't do, we remind the enemy that we can do all things through Christ Jesus.

When the enemy tells us that our ideas are stupid, we remind the enemy that with God, all things are possible.

When the enemy tells us we don't have a future worth anything, we remind the enemy that God designed our future and planned it for our success so we would have hope.

When the enemy attempts to tell us we're not worth looking at, we remind the enemy that we are wonderfully and uniquely created by God and lovely in His sight.

We can respond to the enemy's attack with God's Word and know victory, but first we must know His Word to in order to know--there is victory with Jesus on our side!

We must remember that we are not in a battle against flesh and blood, but against the influence of the enemy and his attack on our minds. We can know peace with the Prince of Peace and when we remember that the Joy of the Lord is our strength, we can endure the enemy's attacks until victory is won.

Every time we rise in the morning, the enemy should quake in fear at what we'll do, not us fearing what may happen to us. We can have that kind of confidence when we know that God's Word is our guiding light every day of our lives.

The "Light" Message!

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:"(1 John 1:5,6)

f God is light--everything can be "seen" by everyone at the same time, and there is no "darkness" in Him, then we can conclude that all darkness is from the one who operates in the dark and attempts to hide evil deeds.

When the atmospheric "sun" shines brightly--everyone can see the light and many, become so enamored of that light that their stay leads to damaged skin from the ultraviolet rays (over exposure). But forgetting for a moment--the damage that the sun can cause to a person's skin, most people are more cheerful when they see the light, are better behaved in the light, and know that not much can be hidden in full view of the light.

One of the reasons people suffer from depression is because of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). During gloomy winter months when they it mostly cloudy and the sun is hidden from view, people become as gloomy as the day, but when the seasons change and the sun is seen more, their lives brighten, considerably.

When we have received, "The Son" who is The Light, we no longer walk in darkness and try to hide our deeds, but want everyone to see how God is operating in our lives. Every morning when we rise, we can rise knowing that He rises within us and all of our days are "bright" and He chases away the gloom because darkness cannot abide in The Light! Glory to God! This is why--when people are depressed, their thoughts become dark and gloomy and their is hidden in the darkness. With Jesus, there is always hope and a future that awaits us--keeping us in the light and no matter what the season is--winter, fall, spring, or summer--our light can shine so brightly that darkness and hopelessness, and feelings of defeat--flee in our presence! And in His light--no skin damage ever occurs, but healing in all areas of our lives--takes place!

This is the light message. We are to let our lights (fueled by The Light) shine so brightly that darkness never has a chance to operate and all mankind will see our good deeds and glorify God! Hallelujah for The Light!

Standing In The Gap!

There are so many people who have yet to experience the goodness of God and all that He wants us to have because of either lack of knowledge or doubt about His Word.

"If" you would today, receive the Good News and accept that Jesus is the Son of God, walked with us in the earth realm, obeyed His Father unto death for our sins, died, rose, and is now sitting at the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf, then today, I stand in the gap, praying for all of God's blessings to be poured onto you in abundance so your experience with Him, will not be in vain.

Father,

Your Word declares through Your Son, that if we would believe without doubting, whatever we asked for in Your Son's name, would be given. There is no doubt in my heart or mind and I know how faithful You are in keeping Your Word. Therefore, I boldly come to You, on behalf of any and all who have needs that have not been met before this day, asking You to bless them mightily so they will know that it is You who has provided every need.

For those who need a financial blessing that will help them move forward with wisdom, bless them. For those who need healing in their bodies, remove all traces of sickness and disease and make them whole. For those who feel unloved and abandoned, remind them they are loved and that You will never leave them alone. For those who are experiencing depression, speak to their hearts and minds and guide them into Your rest and peace. For those who are fearful, remind them that perfect love casts out all fear and that they are more than conquerors, victorious in all things. For those who do not believe, provide them with an experience that will bring them into knowledge of You and dispel their unbelief.

All of this I ask of You, in Jesus' name and I thank You for hearing and responding to this prayer. It is done, to Your glory, Amen!

Not Outwitted!

"in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. " (2 Corinthians 2:11 NIV).

How does the enemy outwit us?  Don't fool yourself, he does whenever our defenses are down.

There are five things one must understand about how the enemy works and manages to wreak havoc in our lives.  He is a master of deception, the father of liars, his job is to steal, kill, and destroy.
He is a chameleon--constantly changing to blend in with the weaker saints in order to appear like one.  He masquerades as a ministering angel when he in fact is preparing the path to destruction on which we sometimes follow.

He tells believable lies--mixed with some parts truth.  Usually his lies are 1 part truth and 3 parts lie and when we mistakenly think the 1 part truth is the whole truth, he sucks us into the whole lie. Think about it!  Did he not attempt to convince Jesus to trade His place with a partial lie in the desert? Did he not manage to convince Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit with a partial lie.  Let's face it.  Any part of a lie makes the entire situation a whole lie.  Don't be fooled into trying to justify a half-truth--it is a whole lie.  Now, think about current changes in our society--regarding a number of things, including marriage. Is this not a half-truth?  If it is a half-truth, it is a whole lie.

Since the enemy hates God and all of His creation, his job is to steal our joy, by any means possible.  He will speak lies to our minds and can convince us when we are not careful.  He influences us to be fearful and we know that God has not given us a spirit of fear. It is extremely difficult to be full of joy when we are full of fear.

The enemy kills--people literally and loves to kill our dreams and hopes.  He influences others to do his bidding when they are not in relationship with God and we see the evidence on a daily basis.

When the enemy has control over the minds (depression, oppression) of those who choose not to believe God, he is then set to destroy everything that God has created and established that we who believe might have full benefit of His promises. It is not believers, in right relationship with God, who are making bombs, killing people, spreading lies about God's Word, or instigating hate.  We, who know God and have a relationship with Him, can love unconditionally and have no need to hate people-- no matter how different or how opposed they are to right living.  We are capable of loving--even the unlovable--because we are obedient; we love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and love others as ourselves.  If we truly love others as ourselves, we cannot conspire to hate anyone, unless we hate ourselves.

To avoid the pitfalls that Satan digs for us; get rest, stay in prayer,  praise God at all times, keep your focus on who God is and all  that He has planned for us, speak The Word every time the enemy raises his ugly head, and don't be afraid to look the enemy in the eye and let him know--you are on to his tricks and will not be outwitted by him.

Thank You Lord for giving us power (through the Holy Spirit), love (casting out fear), and a sound mind (able to distinguish between the works of enemy and Your voice). Hallelujah for our Risen Savior!