November 26, 2008 6:59 AM
Mac wrote:
I stay amazed! Here is, supposedly, the wisest man ever to have lived. Yet, he said in verse 23 that being wise was 'beyond' him. And what he says!! Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. WHAT?
Now, in his ramblings, he did have some, what I believe to be, good advice. Take for example, verse 5. Listening to a wise person who is rebuking you is probably a whole lot better than getting advice or rebuke by a fool, an unwise person. Some of you out there who might be reading this, I KNOW do not like to be rebuked. I 'hear' it in the comments. This is unwise, as it only leads to worsening relationships and erodes spirituality. No rebuke (discipline), as the Hebrew writer indicates: "seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Solomon got this one right in all of his advice. Most of you know, I DO rebuke people for their sins, and I will continue to do so, only because I love them enough to try to assist them OUT of their sin. What good is going to Heaven if the only people there are strangers and enemies??? Paul tells us that "those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning." So, if I use this forum to call someone to a better way of life, please don't hold it against me. I want to thank you, JB, because you were solely the one who helped me last week and didn't even know it. A few days had gone by where I was the only one on this blog. When I went to bed on Sunday, I made a vow to stop blogging (as obviously my words of 'wisdom, advice, learning' was of no value to anyone, as no one was even bothering to comment on my words, nor even taken the time for commenting on God's Word for the benefit of others. It just seems there was a whole lot of selfishness going on. So, anyway, I woke up Monday JUST TO CHECK THE BLOG, and noticed that you, JB, had written late the night before. Because of you, I continued to read and learn more about God. Thanks. SO, to everyone else, a public rebuke. MAKE TIME FOR GOD. Our sermon last Sunday was titled "Making Space For God" IT was well done, and probably many were probably rebuked, and took it to heart and put God FIRST in their lives again, instead of a 'little space here and there'. You want God's blessings? You want His wisdom (some of it anyway)? You want Him to pay attention to YOU? Then, you, we, need to pay attention to Him a whole lot more than we do. A hit and miss love for God is worthless. God loves us all the time. I am sure you don't want God to treat us in the same manner as we treat him. I am asking, I am pleading, I am BEGGING you, please blog EVERY day. Give us some of YOUR wisdom. Make space for us. Solomon was not wise at first, so he turned his "mind to understand, to investigate and search out wisdom and the scheme of things...." How about you? Are you turning YOUR mind to investigate? Reply to this
November 26, 2008 10:21 AM
Tony wrote:
Mac, you are absolutely right! We have not been consistent at all and if not for you this blog would not be. I know you do not do this for self recognition but for the glory of God and to help others in their search for truth. I know you have days when you are not to busy at work, maybe you could go back and look at the blog over the last 1.5 years and post a grid that shows our inconsistencies. I have asked Danielle to help me blog on a daily basis. Morning is preferable, but night is better than not at all. You are an awesome man of God Mac and the best friend a person could ask for. Thanks "POPS"! Reply to this
November 26, 2008 1:20 PM
Johnbob wrote:
Alrightee then. It has helped me a ton just to be consistently thinking about the word and then sharing it. Writing about it forces me to do more than read and then check the list, so to speak.
The rebuke is good for me too (for the future). My character is to start things and keep at it for a month or two but when things get tough (or there is an illness or sin), I tend to stop (like with exercise). Reply to this
November 26, 2008 10:11 AM
Danielle Board wrote:
Well, I agree and disagree with him. I agree with him when he says that life is better than death but, life is only better than death if you are going to heaven. Although, if you are going to the other place than I am sure that you would rather be alive than be dead. Reply to this
November 26, 2008 10:25 AM
Danielle Board wrote:
What I meant to say was I agree with him when he says death is better than life but only if you are going to heaven not if you are going to the other place. Reply to this
November 26, 2008 10:54 AM
Tony wrote:
It is amazing that we get different analogies from the same scriptures. I totally agree with Solomon that it is better to have a good name than fine perfume. From the time we are born until the time we die, we are continuously trying to do right. Yet at the day of death we are done. There is no more changing the channel when sexual content comes on, no more dismissing yourself when the conversation gets vulgar, no more struggles with our "hidden sins". The day of death is definely better for the Christian. The non Christian doesn't believe anyways, but they will learn the errors of their ways. Their is so much insight in these scriptures. To go to a funeral instead of a party. How often do we think of death? I try not to, but when you go to a funeral it brings home the fact that we are not invincible and that we had better be doing the Lords will because we could die at any time. Life can be over at any minute 20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. That is good to know! It seems like no matter how hard we try all I (we) do is sin. From looking, lusting, impure thoughts to not controlling the tongue or the thoughts of the mind. All we can do is try and when we do sin we must recognize and repent or we are no better than the ungodly. 10 Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions. I guess we had better quite asking, but I think we know the answer. When people were Godly and had morals times were good. Now they want God out of everything and times are bad, do ya see any coincidence here? 14 When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. God has a plan for each and every one of us, what it is we have no idea, other than to go out and make disciples. We cannot let the troubles of the world today consume our thoughts and time. We must be aware of whats going on and make changes where needed, but most of all we must focus on God. Where is your focus? Mine is not where it needs to be, even when I am consistent on the blog. We blog and then jump out into the world. Do we have all of our armor on or are we just in costume? Reply to this
November 26, 2008 1:26 PM
Johnbob wrote:
Armor or costume. Wow, that is a good analogy. I liked v. 10 and 14 as well. These are great scriptures that apply to today's economy and world events. Scriptures like these help me realize that the bible is so applicable to today. Reply to this
I stay amazed! Here is, supposedly, the wisest man ever to have lived. Yet, he said in verse 23 that being wise was 'beyond' him. And what he says!! Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. WHAT?
Now, in his ramblings, he did have some, what I believe to be, good advice. Take for example, verse 5. Listening to a wise person who is rebuking you is probably a whole lot better than getting advice or rebuke by a fool, an unwise person. Some of you out there who might be reading this, I KNOW do not like to be rebuked. I 'hear' it in the comments. This is unwise, as it only leads to worsening relationships and erodes spirituality. No rebuke (discipline), as the Hebrew writer indicates: "seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Solomon got this one right in all of his advice.
Most of you know, I DO rebuke people for their sins, and I will continue to do so, only because I love them enough to try to assist them OUT of their sin. What good is going to Heaven if the only people there are strangers and enemies??? Paul tells us that "those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning." So, if I use this forum to call someone to a better way of life, please don't hold it against me.
I want to thank you, JB, because you were solely the one who helped me last week and didn't even know it. A few days had gone by where I was the only one on this blog. When I went to bed on Sunday, I made a vow to stop blogging (as obviously my words of 'wisdom, advice, learning' was of no value to anyone, as no one was even bothering to comment on my words, nor even taken the time for commenting on God's Word for the benefit of others. It just seems there was a whole lot of selfishness going on. So, anyway, I woke up Monday JUST TO CHECK THE BLOG, and noticed that you, JB, had written late the night before. Because of you, I continued to read and learn more about God. Thanks. SO, to everyone else, a public rebuke. MAKE TIME FOR GOD. Our sermon last Sunday was titled "Making Space For God" IT was well done, and probably many were probably rebuked, and took it to heart and put God FIRST in their lives again, instead of a 'little space here and there'.
You want God's blessings? You want His wisdom (some of it anyway)? You want Him to pay attention to YOU? Then, you, we, need to pay attention to Him a whole lot more than we do.
A hit and miss love for God is worthless. God loves us all the time. I am sure you don't want God to treat us in the same manner as we treat him. I am asking, I am pleading, I am BEGGING you, please blog EVERY day. Give us some of YOUR wisdom. Make space for us. Solomon was not wise at first, so he turned his "mind to understand, to investigate and search out wisdom and the scheme of things...." How about you? Are you turning YOUR mind to investigate?
Reply to this
Mac, you are absolutely right! We have not been consistent at all and if not for you this blog would not be. I know you do not do this for self recognition but for the glory of God and to help others in their search for truth. I know you have days when you are not to busy at work, maybe you could go back and look at the blog over the last 1.5 years and post a grid that shows our inconsistencies. I have asked Danielle to help me blog on a daily basis. Morning is preferable, but night is better than not at all. You are an awesome man of God Mac and the best friend a person could ask for. Thanks "POPS"!
Reply to this
Alrightee then. It has helped me a ton just to be consistently thinking about the word and then sharing it. Writing about it forces me to do more than read and then check the list, so to speak.
The rebuke is good for me too (for the future). My character is to start things and keep at it for a month or two but when things get tough (or there is an illness or sin), I tend to stop (like with exercise).
Reply to this
Well, I agree and disagree with him. I agree with him when he says that life is better than death but, life is only better than death if you are going to heaven. Although, if you are going to the other place than I am sure that you would rather be alive than be dead.
Reply to this
What I meant to say was I agree with him when he says death is better than life but only if you are going to heaven not if you are going to the other place.
Reply to this
It is amazing that we get different analogies from the same scriptures. I totally agree with Solomon that it is better to have a good name than fine perfume. From the time we are born until the time we die, we are continuously trying to do right. Yet at the day of death we are done. There is no more changing the channel when sexual content comes on, no more dismissing yourself when the conversation gets vulgar, no more struggles with our "hidden sins". The day of death is definely better for the Christian. The non Christian doesn't believe anyways, but they will learn the errors of their ways. Their is so much insight in these scriptures. To go to a funeral instead of a party. How often do we think of death? I try not to, but when you go to a funeral it brings home the fact that we are not invincible and that we had better be doing the Lords will because we could die at any time. Life can be over at any minute
20 There is not a righteous man on earth
who does what is right and never sins.
That is good to know! It seems like no matter how hard we try all I (we) do is sin. From looking, lusting, impure thoughts to not controlling the tongue or the thoughts of the mind. All we can do is try and when we do sin we must recognize and repent or we are no better than the ungodly.
10 Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions.
I guess we had better quite asking, but I think we know the answer. When people were Godly and had morals times were good. Now they want God out of everything and times are bad, do ya see any coincidence here?
14 When times are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider:
God has made the one
as well as the other.
God has a plan for each and every one of us, what it is we have no idea, other than to go out and make disciples. We cannot let the troubles of the world today consume our thoughts and time. We must be aware of whats going on and make changes where needed, but most of all we must focus on God. Where is your focus? Mine is not where it needs to be, even when I am consistent on the blog. We blog and then jump out into the world. Do we have all of our armor on or are we just in costume?
Reply to this
Armor or costume. Wow, that is a good analogy. I liked v. 10 and 14 as well. These are great scriptures that apply to today's economy and world events. Scriptures like these help me realize that the bible is so applicable to today.
Reply to this