Ecclesiastes 2:8 continued

2:8 continued...
I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well—the delights of the heart of man.

Ecclesiastes 2:8

2:8
I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.

Ecclesiastes 2:7

2:7


I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house.
I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.

Ecclesiastes 2:5-6

2:5-6 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.

April Fools

We interrupt this photographic line-by-line reading of Ecclesiastes for this April Fool's day commentary:

Ecclesiastes 2:4

2:4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.

Ecclesiastes 2:3

2:3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

Ecclesiastes 2:2

2:2 "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?"

Ecclesiastes 2:1

2:1
I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless.

Ecclesiastes 1:18

1:18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.

Ecclesiastes 1:17

1:17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 1:16

16 I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge."

Ecclesiastes 1:15

15 What is twisted cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted.

Ecclesiastes 1:12-14

1:12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 1:11

1:11 There is no remembrance of men of old,
and even those who are yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow.

Ecclesiastes 1:10

1:10 Is there anything of which one can say,
"Look! This is something new"?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.

Ecclesiastes 1:9

1:9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:8

1:8 All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.

Ecclesiastes 1:7

1:7 All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again.

Ecclesiastes 1:6

1:6 The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.

Ecclesiastes 1:5

1:5 The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.

Ecclesiastes 1:4

1:4 Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.

Ecclesiastes 1:3

1:3 What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 1:2

2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!"
says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless."

Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes 1

1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

Hope Chapel South Africa 2006 Mission Trip

My brothers and sisters in Christ:
Hope Chapel South Africa 2006 Mission Trip

God, please bless their obedience.

Happy Purim, Mr. Ahmadinejad!

My prayer today is that God would guide Mr. Ahmadinejad to the book of Esther. I confess that my initial thoughts on this issue involved a spirit of meanness. God, however, loves Iran's president as much as He loves me, and would much rather have him come to a saving knowledge of Christ than anything else. So, Mr. Ahmadinejad, on the off chance you're reading this, may I humbly tell you that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob loves you, and sent His son to atone for your sins as much as mine.
Here's a timely article on the significance of the book of Esther, and the celebration of Purim.

Heavenly Genes

Sometimes I marvel at how God uses our earthly relationships to teach us more about our relationship to/with Him. Scripture makes this plain in such passages as the challenging Ephesians 5:25: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.
Shortly after giving us the model of the Lord's prayer, Jesus encourages us to pray to the Father, using a Father/Son analogy to convince us how eager the Father is to hear and respond to His children's prayers: Luke 11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Though I know I am an inherited son of God through my kinship with His son Jesus Christ, my earthly life hardly seems indicative of this new spiritual nature. Sure, there are moments when I might see the shadow of the new man I've been promised I'll become, but most days involve deep sighs reflective of how far my flesh is from that spiritual destiny. Yet, despite this disconnect between the old/new me, God sometimes gives me a glimpse of what these earthly relationships might feel like in Heaven.

My 8-year-old daughter has recently begun piano lessons. This afternoon, I listened to her play a simple melody (Jingle Bells) using two hands. She is just starting out, so timing, concentration, and overall execution are consistent with that of a beginner. However, she did play well enough for me to be able to accompany her for a few bars on my nearby drumset. Lo and behold, while we didn't exactly bring down the house (we were alone in the basement), the duo offered hints of Bernhardt family jams that may come in future years.

As her Father, I simply delighted in being able to share this gift of music with my own daughter. Thoughts like: "Hey, this is my own flesh and blood that's making this music with me!" ran though my awareness. What a treat to know that something so dear to me (the beauty of music) is also appreciated by my kin. Even though her musical ability may not come from my genes (they could come from her Mother's side, and more to the point, this is a gift from God), the shared experience of using our shared gift left me with a deeper appreciation of the blood bond between my daughter and myself.

God, do you take delight like this when I take interest in something that you love? Does it fill you with visions of the two of us making beautiful music someday, even though my performance is clearly that of a beginner? Does is tickle you when we're playing the same passages of a simple little ditty, even though you could leave me in your dust? Do you have to restrain yourself from coaching me too quickly, lest I get lost in your mastery and become frustrated?

Thank you Father, for my daughter. Thank you for the lessons you teach us about your love through our imperfect performance in our family roles. Thank you for being the perfect Father to my daughter and to me. Thank you for giving us family ties so we can know something about love. I pray that you continue to use this family to demonstrate your glory.
This experience has helped me look at the Lord's prayer in a fresh way. I'll close by typing it here, highlighting in bold the words that can be better understood by relecting on our own family:

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

.

Much Ado About Nothing

In the latest incident of alarming insensitivities in the publishing world, a mid-western daily newspaper has drawn the ire of atheists worldwide with the adjacent "cartoon." While some may see nothing but an empty box, regular readers of the "Daily Disturber" newspaper became suspicious that the ominous white space was just the latest in a series of off-color jibes at the figures of various religions. The Disturber's cartoon the day before portrayed a cosmic chef spitting in to a bowl of primordial soup.
The controversial blank cartoon drew immediate reponses from the local atheistic community. Armed with high-resolution scanners and email, members of the local chapter of ANGER (Atheists Not Getting Enough Respect) sent flawless digital copies of the offending image via email to their godless brethren worldwide, fanning the flames of global outrage.
Asked what, in particular, she found most offensive about the cartoon, local atheist Mary Fornow answered: "Well, it's not so much an issue of what IS in the cartoon, it's more about what's NOT there. Sometimes, as is clearly intended here, silence speaks volumes. I mean, everyone knows that atheists don't believe that there even is a god, so this picture of nothing is obviously poking fun at us, and our most sacred object of (non) worship."
The editor of the Daily Disturber, Mr. Lance Disturber, was immediately questioned as to whether the blank box was intended as commentary on atheism. His response was non-commital: "A blank white space can be perceived in many ways. People are going to see what they want to see. Perhaps it was just a printing error. Maybe our printer ran low on toner?"
Gene Chance, president of the group Mid-Western Atheistic Humans Against Hatred All-over (MWAHAHA), doesn't find that answer satisfactory. "Who's he (Mr. Disturbed) trying to kid? The cartoon was surrounded by stories of the Prophet Muhammad situation, and biographies of famous atheists. Context is everything. Just because we athiests don't believe in God, it doesn't mean we're stupid."
Not everyone agrees with Mr. Chance. Even among fellow disbelievers, more moderate atheists are calling for calm and measured reactions. Les Newdoh is one of this camp. "Sure, the piece is in poor taste, but let's use this as an opportunity to show the world what we're all about. Just as Christians strive to emulate their Christ, and Muslims try to be like Muhammad, let us atheists respond as we believe our (non) creator would - by doing nothing at all."
As with the recent prophet Muhammad cartoon response, the blank box brought it's share of extremist reactions. Said Mr. Stan Mistenay, founder of GLAD (God Lovers Are Dangerous) : "This cartoon is an absolute outrage. Mr. Disturber and his entire staff should burn in ...well, I don't know, SOMEWHERE! How can any publisher, knowing what kind of dangerous worldwide reactions we've seen with the whole Muhammad thingy, willingly offend such a growing segment of the population? It's unethical, and society ought to hold that editor accountable. Deplorable actions like his make me so angry, I almost wish I believed in God, so I could pray that curses would be rained down upon his head."

Jesus - Prophet of Islam?

John Lawrence, writer of Canadian website Conservative Joe, comments on recent publication of cartoons from the Muslim world depicting Jesus:

"In the latest ridiculous tit-for-tat offering from the muslim world, an Azerbaijani weekly publication has published cartoons that include Jesus and Mary."

A few lines later, he asks:

"As part of their outrage, muslims have stated that any depiction of the prophets of their faith is blasphemy. We are also told that they consider Jesus a prophet. How then is it that a muslim publisher can publish images of Jesus?"

Wonder of Joe will get any answers to this?

Every Cartoon Tells a Story, Don't It?

Followers of Islam are becoming violent in their outrage at their prophet Momamed being caricatured in newspaper cartoons. One of these cartoons shows the prophet with a lit bomb behind his turban. I guess the perceived suggestion that perhaps there are violent aspects to their faith is insulting. Insulting enough for some to start fires and burn flags. Indeed, a leader of the Islamic militant Hamas group, which recently swept Palestinian parliamentary elections, told an Italian newspaper on Saturday that the cartoons were an "unforgivable insult" that should be punished by death.
It's awfully tempting to compare and contrast Christian vs. Islamic reactions to having one's God mocked. Sadly, it wouldn't take long to dig up historical and current incidents of Christians resorting to violence in defense/pursuit of the Gospel of Christ. Rather than pit Christian behavior against the behavior of non-Christians, which only invites (often valid) cries of "HYPOCRITE," Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith... (Hebrews 12:2). How would/did/will Jesus respond to being insulted, and what does that mean for us?
Jesus was/is no stranger to being mocked. How did he respond? There are numerous examples in the Bible, but the clearest is His reaction when being mocked by those watching as He endured His crucifiction. Luke 23:34 reports: Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
Jesus is clear that many of his followers will endure not just mockery, but death as well. His command, though, is hardly to take up arms:

If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. (Revelation 13:10)

This willingness to endure mockery of one's God, and one's faith in that God, (even to the point of death!), is hardly one of the Bible's most attracting lines of scripture. In fact, without knowing how God's grand scheme all works out, the level of commitment required would be ludicrous.

The "human" part of me would be unwilling to die for an unseen God. Hence, the importance of Faith. That same "human" side of me would also react with rage if someone insulted me or my God. It's through God's grace alone that any Christian can respond with love to an enemy. Do we always succeed? Hardly. Once again, our individual success rate is not the good news of the Gospel. The Good News is the forgiveness offered by the one (Jesus) who we've all mocked/insulted/disobeyed, etc. Portraying Jesus in a less-than-flattering light in a newspaper cartoon is mild compared to how we've all treated our very Creator. And yet, He stands ready and eager to forgive us if we simply admit our sin, and ask for His forgiveness.
The difference between following Jesus, and any other religious pursuit, is that Jesus is solely responsible for making us Holy enough to find favor with God . We do not have to blow ourselves up, kill infidels, or even demonstrate a proven track record of behavior where our goodness outweighs our badness. (Yes, we are expected to strive for Holiness, but Jesus makes it clear that we will all fall far shy of the mark until we are perfected in Heaven). Once again, Christ is the author and perfector of our faith (see above). Christ is the one true God who does it all, including taking care of Himself. Jesus does not need us to defend Him, but He does give us the gift of wanting to share His good news.
Does a Christian then, have no inner turmoil when his Lord is mocked? Of course not. It IS uncomfortable. However, the discomfort often has more to do with anguish for the mocker's soul than any personal slight. We know that it is not our place to avenge (Do not be revengeful, my dear friends, but give way before anger; for it is written, "'Revenge belongs to Me: I will pay back,' says the Lord." (Romans 12:19). Even if we were to disobey this command, we know that NOTHING we could dole out would compare with God's wrath: Matthew 10:28 tells us (and anyone willing to listen): "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
No, God does not need His followers to stick up for Him. The end for those who mock Jesus is horrifying. Even this final judgement, however, is not God's wish for anyone. God does not want anyone to perish but wants everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
Someone. right now, is mocking the God I put my faith in. Jesus does not want me to burn their buildings. God does not ask me to convert them by force. Rather, He has prompted me to share the news of His available, incredible mercies. That same mercy is available, right now, to everyone who still breathes. As the saying goes, "don't be caught dead without Him."

Why Support Israel?

Shortly after I came to Christ, I joined a Bible study. What a wonderful thing it is for a new believer to get with a bunch of folks who have studied the Bible for years. Their insights, explanations, and guidance (not to mention enthusiasm) are immeasurable for one's understanding. Of course, the Bible tells us that without the Holy Spirit, the natural man cannot understand scripture, but even with the Holy Spirit, an experienced man of Faith can accelerate a fresh believer's learning.
Somewhere along the line, I came to realize that much of the Old Testament was "over my head," since I had next to no understanding of Hebrew/Jewish history, customs, language, etc. I believe the Holy Spirit prompted me to take an interest in things Jewish, to better understand the Bible.
Over the last two years, I've found a few sources that help me gain an understanding of the Hebrew roots of my faith. Television ministry's like those of Zola Levitt and Perry Stone, authors like Ariel Fruchtenbaum, and the ministries of Friends of Israel or Jews for Jesus are a few of my "Rabbis."
With current world events pointing more and more to the tiny nation of Israel, it makes me wonder if even secular news-readers ever wonder why that nation gets so much news coverage? If anyone doubts this, just click on your news-page of choice. Can two days go by without Israel in one of the top-five headlines? Ariel Sharon's coma, Hamas winning the Palestinian election, the leader of Iran threatening to "wipe Israel off the map," etc., etc.
Now I'm no prophet, but I have read the Bible, and I feel it's safe to say this: Israel will remain in the news for the foreseeable future, and will likely become even more of the entire world's focus. Yeah, I know, hardly a profound insight, right?
For non-believer's sake, I kind of wish Israel's current visibility would fade back, for that would suggest that world events are NOT currently lining up like dominoes for Christ's soon return (which would mean there would be more time for non-believers to come to Jesus). Only God the Father knows His timetable, but regardless of when He acts, Israel will be center stage in the end of this age.
Are you a believer? Read your Bible, watch Israel, and marvel at God.
Not a believer? Dust off your Bible, watch Israel, and you too, will marvel at God.
Here is one of the best short Biblical explanations I've found for why Israel is important to followers of Christ: http://www.jhm.org/support-israel.asp
Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. Why? Because it will not happen without the Lord's help.

Maranatha (come Lord Jesus)

Joel C. Rosenberg: WELCOME TO HAMASTAN: A new terrorist state has been born. What President Bush should do now.

Joel C. Rosenberg is not only an excellent political analyst, but also an incredible writer. His latest, The Ezekiel Option, is a riveting read. Here's his take on yesterday's surprise victory for Hamas.
In other news, farmer Brown has appointed the foxes to gaurd the henhouse, the bloods and crips have been elected to govern Los Angeles, and the runner of a local crackhouse has agreed to spearhead a community safety task force.
My cd-player is set to play the song "God's Got It All In Control" repeatedly. Developments to follow....

Joel C. Rosenberg: WELCOME TO HAMASTAN: A new terrorist state has been born. What President Bush should do now.

Got Light?

Light of the World

Genesis 1:3
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.


2 Samuel 22:29
You are my lamp, O LORD;
the LORD turns my darkness into light.

Psalm 89:15
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

Psalm 136:7
who made the great lights— His love endures forever.

Proverbs 6:23
For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life

Proverbs 13:9
The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

Isaiah 10:17
The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers.

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.

Isaiah 50:10
Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.

Isaiah 58:10
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

Daniel 2:22
He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 17:2
There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.

John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

John 1:9
The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

John 3:19
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

John 3:20
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 12:36
Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

John 12:46
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

Acts 26:18
to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

Romans 13:12
The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 11:14
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

Ephesians 5:14
for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

1 John 1:5
[ Walking in the light ] This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

1 John 2:9
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.

Revelation 21:23
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

Revelation 22:5
There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Secular News Takes Notice

It seems the world is experiencing such a frequency of disasters of "Biblical proportions," even the secular news sources are starting to pay attention. Case in point is this article at MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9731623/

Pray for peace in Jerusalem

Pray Today for the peace of Jerusalem. Here's why:
http://www.jnewswire.com/library/article.php?articleid=778