1.- What do you think is the difference between a pleasure seeking life apart from God, which so many pursue today, and what Solomon is commending in his three rephrased choruses of 2:24-26; 3:12-13 and 3:22?
In yesterday's reading Solomon twice mentioned what he did "for myself." The self-focused life is not a fulfilling life. "The person wrapped up in himself makes a pretty small package." But today, Solomon declares "I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live" 3:12. Research has only confirmed that happiness is a byproduct of being thankful and helpful- doing good. The NT is full of exhortations for us to do good. Even your going off to work is a good deed, especially when others won't. Solomon encourages us to enjoy our work, and to find satisfaction in our work. We can do that better when we remember that being employed is a gift from God. It's also a way of bringing honor to God and even to yourself as others see the quality and faithfulness you autograph your work with.
Some of the most enjoyable good deeds are ones that are a bit out of the ordinary. Jesus himself went out of his way at times to help people. Here's a short video in tribute to police officers who went out of their way to do acts of kindness.
I also want to honor you for those "out of the ordinary" good deeds you do, and I want to stimulate you toward even more. How so? Please feel free to give yourself a point in the A column (which we also use for Attacking in Prayer) for an any out of the ordinary Acts Of Kindness that you do for others. Here's how it can help. Imagine you are asked to do something above and beyond the call of duty. Sometimes it can frustrate you because you had other things you wanted to do with your time. That happened to me recently. My daughter was sick and needed to be picked up an hour away. I gladly picked her up, but that was two hours of may day to the highway. Then she got a call from her director, saying that she had an item that they needed back that day. So I spent four more hours driving in rainy, Friday rush hour traffic to return it and return home- a total of 6 hours of my day spent, not the way I wished. Ugh! What could help us when we face such frustrating times? Let's seek to make a game of such. When you are asked to do something that you would rather not, give yourself a point, if you do it with a good attitude. You did an Act of kindness. (Fortunately, by the time I got home that evening of driving I had a good attitude:) And if you go out of your routine to voluntarily help someone else, also give yourself a point. Thanks for doing that Act of kindness. No, we're not bragging about what we did. It's only a point on the board. But may this help us to all the more abound in good deeds and enjoy the good feelings as well. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" Mt.5:16.
When someone goes out of their way to help, sometimes it's unforgettable. I remember getting a flat on the expressway in the winter of 1981 when I was sick and discouraged with a youth retreat I had just run. The theme of the retreat for those teens was "Growing in Love" but they were growing in hate! Ugh! Anyway, this guy stopped by in his pickup truck, saw he needed a special wrench (my lug wrench was cracked, that's why I couldn't change it), so he then drove off to get it, came back and happily changed my tire, without taking any money. Wow! He was the closest thing to meeting an angel I've ever experienced. What an unforgettable Act of kindness!
2.- Share a time when you recall someone went out of their way to help you.
Announcements
It's Friday! Please make sure to get all your points on the board. I do the tallying for Monday over the weekend. Thanks!
Today is also Pastor Mike Berry's birthday. Please wish him well- 773-701-9789. He came to visit New Life right out of college when I first started leading the young adult's ministry in the summer of 1988. He's been a good friend ever since and very excited about how God is using M3. (Can you keep a secret? He's planning on joining M3 in August! Don't you mention this to him :)
I want to commend James as he was on mission even when he was on vacation. He wrote, "I was able to pass out 2 mini movie cards when I was out in Florida. I gave one to my sister and told her to share with her boyfriend. I also gave one to this guy who was walking in the middle of the street. Not sure if he was homeless but he seemed like he needed good news." Very good James!
Anybody up for a walk this Saturday from 8:00 to 9:00 AM? We'll meet at my house and walk over to a near by forested area. I'm at 9541 S. Oakley Ave. in Chicago. Text or call me if you plan on coming- c.708-543-6544. I know it's last minute, but I will seek to do this each Saturday morning that my schedule and the weather permit.
1.despite how life might seem empty Christ makes it fulfilling .
ReplyDelete2.There's been a number of times now when friends buy me a drink or something to eat because I am made a commitment to not buying anything for myself until my birthday in October.
makes sense !
Delete1. In these verses we see that when we do our work as unto the Lord we will find joy and pleasure in doing so as apposite to someone that may be working only to become richer and have more material things in this world will only find emptiness.
ReplyDelete2. While we were traveling to Ecuador on July 2, my wife mentioned to the flight attendant that it was our wedding anniversary that day and asked her to take a picture of us seated in the plane. She was more than willing and the rest of the flight she went out of her way to offer us a very special and attentive service. Because of her kindness and true sense of joy with which she served us during the 4 hour trip she made our special day an even better one. Yesterday I even sent American Airlines and email to their customer service department telling them about the great experience we had and how great it was that they had people like that working for them.
What a blessing. Awesome Roger!
DeleteThat's excellent how she treated you and how you kindly honored her. Hope we can walk soon and I can see pictures of your trip.
DeleteWhat an encouraging story, Roger! I love hearing about people who do things like that.
DeleteYou took the time to acknowledge the kindness that is awesome!!!
Delete1. I believe the author is saying enjoy your time in what your doing. Live life to the full. Do whatever God enables you to do.
ReplyDelete2. One of the most memorable was when one of my closest friends let me borrow his sweater when I was cold. I really liked it and he said well then you can have it. It's one of my favorite sweathers to this day.
didnt see it that way, thanks brother
DeleteThat was very nice of your friend, Eddie. Good story!
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DeleteLol you have good friends old boy :)
DeleteYour blessed to have friends like that!
DeleteYour blessed to have friends like that!
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ReplyDelete1. I think once we realize that all good things come from above we can enjoy life much better. Because we have God in our life. Thank you Lord for the ability to be able to work and enjoy life.
ReplyDelete2. On the 15th of July I closed on the sale of my home. I didn't have anyplace to go and my sister took me in. On top of that she's letting me store all my things in one of her buildings. Thank you Lord
Bingo George!
Delete1. Reading these verses i see that no matter what we are all the same. We are but a passing wind. We all have a job to do and do it to the best of your ability because after all everything we do is for God. Enjoy life! This line says it best - Why am I dying to live if I'm just living to die? Be happy and do it with joy.
ReplyDelete2. On Monday my wife an i were told of a friend in need. She lives in Kentucky. Her son is in chicago visiting his dad. The kid was hospitalized with Mers. He is 11. Currently he is in Icu at Christy hospital. We knew her financial situation so we decided to help. My wife made a overnight bag and went to give it to her with a little cash to get by. Doctors told her that her son will be in the hospital for months. Ronald McDonald house gave here a room to stay across the way from the hospital. My family is getting together to help her in any way she might need. Here is a person that is a single mother with for kids and no job of family to help. Please pray for her and her son (Angie and Sergio ). Thank you
You and your wife have hearts of gold!
DeleteYou are truly a blessing!!!
Delete1) The big difference is realizing that whatever we do we should it it for God. Work for God, it is His blessing.
ReplyDelete2) I remember my mother-in-law's generosity through the years. She has been a blessing to my family (she has provided low cost rent, went to North Dakota to help my wife after my son was born, bought countless things for the family, but most of all loved me as her son. I also remember when I was in boot camp, Thanksgiving day, a family took a few of us in, fed us great food and let us take a nap.
Yes, it's a God centered life Sam.
DeleteWhat a very good mother-in-law you've been blessed with. Me too.
What a good country we live in.
Delete
ReplyDelete1.- There is no pleasure seeking life without the guidance and instructions of God to lead me. That's the life I lived for many years, until 2011. Never will I return to those dark days, I tried living without God in my life and know that life is impossible to transverse through without Him.
Their are still storms presently and in future in my life that I will need to travel and know that without God's caring and loving hand with me it would be impossible for me to endure.
The pleasures in life are meaningless if one does not have God in their life. With God we find satisfaction and enjoyment in the life we are living. Their is meaning in life when we acknowledge and cheerfully accept it from the hand of God. The joy of knowing and accepting what one has and does during their life is a gift from God that should be treasured. We take so many things in our daily lives for granted, forgetting to give homage to our mighty Father for giving us these pleasures in our life.
All good things come when we acknowledge and revere GOD!
2.- I also had a similar driving incident as you had Dave when I was driving home after dropping off a friend at Northern Illinois University. It was late night or early morning while I was on than the east/west tollway Rt#80 driving back to Chicago in snowstorm when I dozed off and slid off expressway into the medium divider, stopping in a snow bank. I was driving a 4 wheel drive truck and was still not able to drive out of ditched snow bank divider and just sat there hopelessly stuck. A weekend night where their was no one driving on highways in a snowstorm and no cash in my pockets, no cellphones during that time either, 78 or 79. And just as you describe your incident the same thing happen to me. Out of no where a truck stops with a wench cable equipment on the front of his truck and he was able to hook my rear pulling hooks and pulled me back on expressway. A "Good Samaritan" he was, before he pull me out I told him I had no money and that I could mail him a check, but he told me it was not necessary, that I was not the only one he had pulled out from snow on the highway. I'm sorry I can't remember his name, he came out that stormy wintering night with all purpose to help people. This taught me early on that there are many good and helpful people that will go out of their way to assist others. Never forgot that night and when I'm able, I like to help others also.
Armando, you rightly identified the difference.
DeleteThank you Lord for the good Samaritans who both helped Armando and me.
Armando, I know a young man ,20 years old now. He told me he was an atheist. We talked for a while but he would not open up. I invited him to church . Hoping he would hear from others who lived without God and came to the understanding that we need God in our lives. I Hope this young man comes and hears your story.
DeleteThanks for helping me!
DeleteThat's a great gift of helping from the Holy Spirit!!!
Delete1- Ecclesiastes 3:14
ReplyDeleteI know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him. -NIV
I’ve also concluded that whatever God does, that’s the way it’s going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God’s done it and that’s it. That’s so we’ll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. -MSG
Since you mentioned that this book is good for pr-evangelism, when I read this verse i thought "Man, if i was a non believer i wouldn't want to serve a God like this. At face value the verse alone isn't very encouraging. Especially the message version. If we are evangelizing then we should be aware of other verses that speak of Gods goodness, friendship and salvation.
But as a believer I take away from this verse that God has it all taken care of. It's all good, he knows my future and he will guide me in the right direction throughout my life.
2- When i was young way before i was old enough to have a job. I remember one summer my parents didn't have the money to pay for me to attend a camp-out. I was part of the Royal Rangers program (if anyone is familiar with the Assemblies of God it is a christian version of the boy scouts). An older guy in the group who was in high school asked me if i was going, I told him I couldn't. He pulled out $20 and told me to take it and use towards a payment for the camp-out. He also told a few of the older guys in the Rangers program and they chipped in some cash so that I could go with them.
Good observation you've made regarding God in Eccles. Once again we need to keep in mind that is an under the sun view of life. For example, he says in 1:13, "What a heavy burden God has laid on men!" See also 3:9. Yes, we need to share the gospel of Christ with them. We know that Christ came to take that burden.
DeleteThank God that there are people with good hearts. As we go along we remember and return an act of kindness to another young person in need.
Delete1. Solomon is giving credit to God for all things. Being happy with what you have and your abilities rather than unhappy about what you don't have and can't do. (Verse 13)
ReplyDeletePleasure seeking apart from God chases after what we want and what we believe we earned or deserve, which is usually more than we have or can do. Putting a spin on a famous line; More?! you couldn't handle more!
2. My uncle and I were in line to pay for some things we were going to purchase at a Promise Keepers convention. Don't remember what, a book, shirt, hat, or some combination of. Anyway, a guy in line ahead of us paid for our stuff.
Good words Rick and what a good deed that was done for you!
Delete1) the difference if the pleasure seeking life , then living a fullfilling life with God, is just simple sin. you can either live in sin or walk the right walk with God and live in the light .
ReplyDelete2) atime went someone went out on there way to help me was probobly the last few weeks my brothers reaching out to me with there prayer and support without me even asking .
Welcome Elijah to M3
DeleteVery good Elijah! So glad to have you on board.
Delete1. The world's view is drunkeness, gluttony, cheating , making more and more money. Solomon view was for us to enjoy the gifts that God gave to us. Enjoying the good food , beverages, and the employment that we're blessed with.
ReplyDelete2. My son and I were both working in Oakbrook. That day we both came in separate cars. On our way home ,he left first. While on the highway , I got a flat. I found out i was missing my jack. I called my son to catch him , but remembered that his phone was low and probably out of juice. I called his home to leave message that I was stuck. After making it all the way to Bridgeview , he returned with a jack , and changed my tire.
Glad you have a godly view of life Lou.
DeleteWhat a good son!
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ReplyDeleteWelcome to M3, Elijah Hernandez and Rich Petre.
ReplyDelete1. A pleasure seeking life without God seems great for immediate reward, but the joy dissipates in a short period of time and needs to be replaced by some other fix! But the joy found in Jesus whereby we seek him and his will to please him lasts forever and we feel that joy in our hearts through eternity.
ReplyDelete2. Dave Garratt came to help God save a wretch like me and spent many hours helping me understand Gid's word and making me feel that Gid loved me no matter what I had done in the past.
I think every man on this blog has a similar story involving Dave and the work He does to point us to God. I will echo your expression of gratitude, Jack, and thank Dave for bringing us together and giving us a daily encounter with the Lord. Thank you also, Jack, for the times you have opened the doors of your lovely home for our Sunday get-togethers. Your hospitality demonstrates your gratitude for the ways in which God has blessed you.
DeleteThank you Jack, even if you give me more credit than I deserve. God has been strongly at work in your life before I even had the pleasure of meeting you. So glad to have you as my forever friend.
DeleteSorry for the typos-- I meant God!
ReplyDelete1) pleasure seeking without GOD is only temporary and is based off of what the flesh wants, alcohol, sex, and drugs
ReplyDelete2) I once needed a ride down to my moms which is 90 miles away and a friend of mine, whom is a tow truck driver and is on call 24 hours a day, drove me down there.
That was a good friend doing a good deed Ricardo!
Delete1- I got an idea that we should enjoy life. I believe we should not have a sad, boring life. We should have a fun and enjoy life to its fullest. I wake up every morning saying thank you God for waking me up this morning. It's always a great day to be alive.
ReplyDelete2- I can remember one day when I was going to Lincoln Tech and I had no money for lunch. My friend who was also a Christian came out of nowhere and told me he was going to buy me lunch. He didn't even know. Thank God for him.
You do well to start each day with a spirit of gratitude, brother. We simply cannot thank God enough throughout the day. If every other word we spoke was a word of thanks to the Lord, we still wouldn't have thanked Him enough. A life of gratitude is a testament to our daily experience of God's love for us.
DeleteAnd you strike me a man who does enjoy life Vince. Love your positive attitude :)
DeleteThank you Lord for that friend.
1. The difference between the two men is one is entirely self seeking and the other seeks to do good. One man just runs after the next high and next rung of ladder and misses out on life. The other finds refreshment in his work and eats the fruit of his labor and enjoys his activities. The good man will eat a peach and savor the taste of the fruit. The good man notices the cardinal that flys into the tree. the one who only seeks superficial pleasure shuffles by and curses the earth. A good man lands a fish and ponders Gods creation and praises God. The evil man devours his food and is never satisfied and his lusts are never quenched! Though sometimes I complain that I work so hard in the summer but I've actually been able to go fishing a lot. When I fish I feel God's pleasure and I'm grateful for creation and a God that is good and set us to rule over creation. Im in awe when I pick up a largemouth bass and feel its strength and see its stealth. God is a creative and wonderful God!
ReplyDelete2. This past week I walked to my group which was a couple miles and then by the end it stormed. My friend took me home even though the group met at his house and he had to go to work the next morning. He is also an early riser. Very grateful what a friend!
Very good thoughts, Nic!
DeleteThat was very nice of your friend to do.
Great post nick. Lots of great examples of both parties. Keep it up.
DeleteExcellent Nic! Your words, "When I fish I feel God's pleasure" remind me of the line from the movie Chariots of Fire, "When I run, I feel God's pleasure." I'm thinking that was what you were thinking too :)
Delete1. The kind of pleasure most people of the world indulge in leads them nowhere and leaves them feeling as empty and unsatisfied as they were before they found the pleasure they sought. They do not commend themselves or their work to God, who makes our toil rewarding. Those who commend their work to God toil to carry out God's will. Because they desire to please God by the work of their hands, they are more likely to work toward lifting up their fellow man, improving the condition of others, and inspiring the love of God in others by reflecting God's love for them. Those who work for their own sake have no desire to carry out God's will. Their pursuits are selfish and so their work is without merit. They have no one to thank for their work and no reason to take joy in their toil, because rather than serve God, they are self-serving.
ReplyDelete2. That honor belongs to my wife. Even when I caused her great pain a few years back, she cared for me when my foolishness blew up in my face. I had been cruel to end our relationship and pursue another. Through it all, she witnessed my fall and my decay from the man she loved to the wretch I had become. It was my wife who found me covered in shame in a ditch along life's road. It was she who picked me up, dusted me off, and led me to the help I needed to be a better man. It was also my wife who first took me to New Life and encouraged me to rebuild my relationship with God as I had my relationship with her. In my book, she is the closest I have ever come to being in the presence of an angel.
Your still under construction Osiris. I'm sure that the Lord is granting your wife such deep joy and happiness in seeing the man you are becoming in Him.
DeleteExcellent Osiris!
DeleteWhat a blessing that you get to be married to such a wonderful woman! Eccles.9:9
1) the difference is one looks for worldly things to fulfill him and the other seeks eternal life with God. Things in this world will only satisfy you short term, but God's love will make you happy for ever.
ReplyDelete2) I had a time when I was over seas and I called back to my friends to see if they can help me find a paper i needed. Everyone was working but I had a friend that was willing to help. he came to my house and my package did not arrive it was still being held at the post office. so he drove to pick it up and brought it back for me and then scanned the paper I needed and sent it via email. I am glad i have friends that i can count on.
Well said Andre!
DeleteAmen brother. The lord is great.
DeleteGood Andre!
DeleteWow, what a good friend doing a good deed!
1.When i seek pleasure apart from God alot of the times it is not good. These worldly pleasures often cause me grief and leave me unsatisfied. When i seek God, all is well!
ReplyDelete2. My dad used to go out of his way to help me alot. There were times when i got a flat tire in the middle of the night with no spare and he would drive miles to come help me. Whenever i got in trouble with the law (back in my bc days) he would come bail me out.
I'm glad you know your success method.
DeleteGood observation Phil.
DeleteWow, glad you had such a helpful father. You will be such too.
1) A pleasure seeking life away from God never finds the satisfaction or fulfillment in his labor and pursuits – only emptiness and disappointment. The man that seeks after and pleases God by doing good with his life is given the gift of enjoyment and satisfaction in his labors and pursuits. God also grants him to be given from His hand: wisdom, knowledge and happiness.
ReplyDelete2) We called her Ms. Patti. She volunteered to come to our house once a day to take care of our dog SAAJ when we went to Mexico for a week. The very first day we were gone, our basement flooded from extremely heavy rains. That's were SAAJ stayed. And what a mess it had to be. Patti organized help from the little Church we attended. Church members came and cleaned up all the mess. A few mom's them took some of the kid's toys to their home to clean and sanitize them. Patti would go over to our house and take care of SAAJ on her lunch hour. She works pretty close to were we live. On one occasion, when she let SAAJ out into the yard to run around, he ran into some mud. When Ms. Patti called him back into the house with a treat, he suddenly jumped up and put his muddy paws on her clean white blouse. Ms. Patti wiped off what she could but had to go back to work that way. She had offered to go out of her way to take care of SAAJ for us. But she went above and beyond the call of duty taking great care of SAAJ and our house for us while we were away. She is such a faithful, caring sister in the Lord.
I really like your thoughts on the passage, Mr. Heidikrueger. They were very good!
DeleteAs far as the story is concerned... What a blessing! She definitely did go above and beyond.
Very good thoughts Dave. you nailed it.
DeleteWhat a helpful woman! Prov.31:31
1. To merely be happy at what we have but find the joy in everything that we have is because of God. So don't over indulge nor take for granted of one has.
ReplyDelete2. Just recently I was talking to bro in law about how I have to get my new furniture from warehouse and yhat I don't have a pick up truck just going to have to rent a uhaul. The following day he came up to me ND said " don't worry I'll help you and have a truck for us to pick it up...wow, told him thank you! Unfortunately they were not ready to be picked up yet so we have to wait up coming week.
hmm, the pursuit of balance. Good stuff.
DeleteYour right on Ismael!
DeleteWhat a good brother in law!
1. I think that often times man thinks that what he does is of his will and NOT what God allowed him to do. We, as men love to take credit for what is often, favor that God has had upon us.
ReplyDelete2. There was a point in my life when I was transitioning from one duty station to another. We had recently had a mixup with our bank and had no access to money for a few days. It was frustrating because I had money but couldn’t get to it. We had recently met a few new couples and were attending a marriage group. I had just come from work and angry because I had missed dinner, it was late and HAD NO MONEY. This gentleman, who is y friend to this day, went out of his way to grab me something to eat despite my childish behavior and my financial situation. He was just willing to love on his buddy.
What a good reflection Marcos!
DeleteThat's a good buddy doing a good deed!
1: No matter how hard we try without god we can never fill our lives to the fullest.
ReplyDelete2: Ill always remember a couple months back when me and my family when out for breakfast one morning. The day started off on the wrong foot but we still decided to go out for for breakfast. Me and my wife didn't talk to each other, I prayed to our father to bring peace and love into our life, and I was also praying for the food before we even got to the restaurant. Well after we ate I asked for the check and the waitress to our surprise said it was taken care of. My wife and I where shocked. My wife said "who do we thank for this?". The lady who was sitting next to us with her significant other looked at us and said "thank the man upstairs" with a smile on her face. We felt very blessed that day we tipped the waitress thanked god and left ( of course we thanked the lady too). I'll never forget that day.
You are so right Jose.
DeleteThat was a very nice act of kindness!
I will call you soon.
1 – I think the pleasure life people are seeking today is all about their own pleasure, where the pleasure Solomon is talking about is talking pleasure in the things God created for us.
ReplyDelete2 – One time when I can think of someone going out of their way to help me was on my wedding day. About 10 minutes before the ceremony I realized I forgot the rings as I was rushing out of my Mom’s house to get to the church. My brother’s girlfriend (now his wife) speed from Westchester to Des Plaines and back to get the rings. Unfortunately she didn’t make it before we exchanged rings but it all worked out. We took a break during pictures and the priest blessed the rings and had us exchange them a 2nd tome that day.
Yes George, pursuing pleasure eludes us, being thankful to God for them brings satisfaction.
DeleteWhat a good deed by your sister in law :)
1) I feel like many on the blog that there are many who toil and live life, but find no enjoyment. Since we know the Lord, let us live life fully, and to truly find joy in even the little things.
ReplyDelete2) I remember countless times locking my keys in the car, and my dad always coming to the rescue. I always was dreading telling him, but he almost always had someone get out there right away for me and get me back in the car. :)
Good memories.
DeleteYes William, help us Lord enjoy even the little things in life. Finding car keys is one of them, but it's a big thing at the time. Yes, I know that too!
Delete1) I think the passage is urging us to be content and to enjoy life. And how do we become content? By putting God at His rightful place as King of our lives.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, the people who seek contentment outside of God never find it.
2) Not too long ago, I was feeling very depressed, hurt, and discouraged for reasons I won't discuss at the moment. Well, my brother Will had heard of how I was feeling. He gave me a call to see how I was doing at nearly midnight. During the phone call, he listened to my problems and hurt. And when he spoke to me, he did it with love, concern, and mercy. I was really touched by his call, and I was encouraged. While this may sound like a rather simple act to other people, it really meant a lot to me.
contentment with godliness is great gain. Amen brother.
DeleteGood answer Alex!
DeleteWhat a good big brother!
1) One key difference seems to be not the experience of pleasure or even the pursuit. But the method and parameters by which it is attained. We must honor God and enjoy his good gifts. Some Christians seem to be unable to enjoy life as if to do so would be a sin against God; while others enjoy life unabashed in area's God has restricted or in methods he has condemned.
ReplyDelete2) 3:8 Holman Christian Standard Bible
a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
I like this verse. I believe it forces us to focus on the whole glass, half is empty, half is full, the circumstance will guide us as to where to focus. I believe it also forces us to place our attention on an area that I feel is neglected "hate" there are things, to hate, there are things that God hates. It is a difficult thing to love a person and hate their actions, to wish them well as their actions repulse you. It is a difficult thing to separate a person from their deeds seeing that their actions stem from their person. Father Teach me to love speak the truth and hate wickedness without reserve.
Good thoughts Antonio.
DeleteI agree. There is validity to the old saying, "Love the sinner, hate the sin.
And enjoy the memory of good people doing good things for you.
Sorry about it being late, my phone didn't post yesterday apparently!
ReplyDelete1. I think the difference is that the pleasure seeking life without God doesn't actually amount in any pleasure, it just leads to more frustration and searching for a pleasure to fill a void that can be filled while what Solomon is commending is a pleasure in life that comes from knowing what God has given us.
2. One time that comes to mind is a year ago I was traveling back to Iowa from Chicago in January and my transmission broke about a half hour from the border of Iowa. I managed to coast to a gas station and my friend drove a total of 8 hours (4 there and back) to make sure I wasn't stuck in the cold.
Way to be overcome Michael!
DeleteGood thoughts and a good friend to help you like that.
1. I studied of what and why Solomon is discussing the three tributes to those who IN ALSO LOVING GOD: a) eat and drink and tell labor is good; b) to rejoice and to do good; c) to be happy in activities
ReplyDeleteVS –NOT LOVING GOD – and in doing those things…
That was the direction I was going to the Conclusion - Or was it that ultimately ‘they’ will never see the full GOOD until they see it as a fulfillment of doing it for HIM.
- Because that is how I think he concluded it in 3:22 (NASB) “For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?”
So…”who will bring ‘him’ to see?” – US!!!!
Thus bringing me to sharing with some people our study so far…
I am traveling from New Orleans to South Bend today. There is a connecting flight in Atlanta, a sprig of time gapping the running commutes to the terminals and brief cordial conversations on the planes and well as the waiting areas. – Of which I was able to see one of the videos (linked by the Blog) prior to boarding at 1pm- as internet faded.-
2. Since the video was about police officers and their acts of service that come to display the empathy and human kindness- I thought it best to actually ask this question of some officers waiting to join a reunion in route on my travel:
Seeing them waiting at the lounge area with matching shirts and veteran hats I inquired and thanked them for their service. They said they all served different branches but all are meeting at a reunion of NYPD officers. George, Vincent and Eric- all retired Black NY Police officers. I said, “Gentlemen, may I talk with you all for a few minutes regarding the service you performed as Officers? You see, I a part of the M3 Blog for which we are sharing stories of personal reflection to subjects of scripture. We are focusing on ‘acts of good service’ where you feel you went out your way to serve others. And what that was like in your lines of duty?"
- One of the men, George, really jumped on it. He said, “you know there are just too many stories. But, there are those that live with you because of the images they create. I remember helping a woman who was having a heart attack on a train. She couldn’t move well and I had to listen and she was trying to get her pills in her mouth. I saw the pills and had to slip Nitro Glycerin Pills under her tongue as she layed on the ground and we called for help. She got to the hospital and lived. But That was one that was always in my mind."
Guys, This was just one of the stories. They kept sharing and sharing. I asked them why they did it. George said, ‘God wants us to help, and people need help, so what else can you do?.” –He went on to say that they all served as best they could and remember those who fell in service too. They didn’t ever regret it, but lived through it.
Wow! so glad you asked them about such and that they opened up and shared. Excellent Rich!
Delete1. With God, we can find joy in life's tasks. Without the Lord, are labor is in vain.
ReplyDelete2. Nothing comes to mind :-/
1. I believe God wants us to be happy on this earth. When I say happy I mean living a life holy and pleasing to him which brings us joy. If you live a sinful life it's just going to bring emptiness and sadness.
ReplyDelete2. My dad always does acts of kindness for his kids. I remember when I needed help fixing my car. Even tho he was busy he stopped what he was doing and helped me out and I'm grateful for that.
1. We live to worship and praise God. We are also on this earth to enjoy our family and friends. The difference between just pleasure seeking is that we are morally obligated to live life as civilized human beings while at the same time obeying Gods commands.
ReplyDelete2. One time I had a coworker help me finish a task that was going to be late. It was late at night and that person stayed to help me finish.