Author Archives: Steve

Life’s Not Fair – Ecclesiastes 9:11-12

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Lifes-Not-Fair“Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all of them. For man certainly does not know his time: like fish caught in a cruel net or like birds caught in a trap, so people are trapped in an evil time as it suddenly falls on them” (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12, HCSB).

In a previous post I remarked that the Teacher, the writer of Ecclesiastes, is a deep thinker that has tried everything in life. If he hasn’t tried it, then he has at least thought about it.

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Death Wish – Ecclesiastes 7:2-4

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thinkingaboutdeath“A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born. Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time” (Ecclesiastes 7:2-4, NLT).

The Teacher had a good understanding about human nature when he penned these words in the book of Ecclesiastes.

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Success Story – Deuteronomy 8:18

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Success-Arrows-Up“You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18, ESV).

This verse is one of my favorites. Moses is preaching to Israel and preparing them to enter the promised land.

He reminds them of all God has miraculously done in bringing them out of Egyptian slavery and during their wilderness wanderings over the last forty years.

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Life: An Exercise in Futility? – Ecclesiastes 1:2-3; 6:17

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exercise-in-futility“Everything is futile. What does a man gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun… For who knows what is good for man in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow? Who can tell man what will happen after him under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3; 6:17, HCSB).

It seems like the writer of Ecclesiastes, who calls himself the Teacher and is probably Solomon, had a jaundiced, even cynical outlook on life.

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God Fights For You – Deuteronomy 3:21-22

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RockyBalboa“I commanded Joshua at that time: Your own eyes have seen everything the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms you are about to enter. Don’t be afraid of them, for the Lord your God fights for you” (Deuteronomy 3:21-22, HCSB).

These are words spoken by Moses when he transferred leadership over Israel to Joshua. There’s no enemy that Joshua and the Israelites should fear because…

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The Greatest of All – Luke 7:28

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Greatest-of-All-Small“I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!” (Luke 7:28, NLT).

Jesus praised John the Baptist as one of the greatest people who have ever lived. Then, Jesus contrasted the eminence of John with that of people who are just “average” citizens of God’s Kingdom.

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Seize the Day – Deuteronomy 1:8

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carpe-diem-logo“Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants” (Deuteronomy 1:8, NLT).

To prepare the Israelites for the conquest of Canaan, Moses reminded them of life in Egypt, of the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, and of their past fearfulness that resulted in disobedience to God and rebellion against His promises.

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God’s Know-It-Alls – Proverbs 28:5

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know-it-all“Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand everything” (Proverbs 28:5, HCSB).

Those who seek and know God bear the unique responsibility of assimilating God’s spiritual kingdom, the Kingdom of God, into the reality in which they live because they are residents of both realms—the present created order and the future spiritual order.

But we live, think, and experience the world in which we live through our five senses. Unfortunately, according to the order of this world, if you cannot see it, hear it, touch it, feel it, or smell it, then it does not exist.

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Extreme Makeover – Luke 6:27-36

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extreme_makeover“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.  Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36, ESV).

Jesus told His disciples to love their enemies, do good and pray for those who hate and mistreat them, and give without expecting anything in return, even if someone is stealing from them.

Seems pretty radical doesn’t it?

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