From Pastor Ben
Trivia:
Which cosmetics company is named after the birthplace of William Shakespeare? Avon L’Oréal Maybelline Revlon ? Make your guess.
Challenge:
Ecclesiastes 6:8,9:
"So are wise people really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others? 9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind."
Here Solomon is addressing four differing issues:
1) Is living wisely better than those who live foolishly (without any true purpose)?
2) Does a person have anything to gain by acting socially acceptable (living responsibly)?
3) Which person is most prone to experience joyful living (learn the art of contentment)?
4) Dreaming about achieving successful gain is meaningless (coveting what others have)
Each of these comparative discussions are attempting to lend some guidance to us in our lives. U
It is moving us away from those attitudes that cause our lives to have no meaning that bring unhappiness as well as a life of meaninglessness.
He is attempting to help us recognize what truly results in a life of fulfillment and joy. we shoule be:
Living each day in a purposeful way. Conducting ourselves responsibly throughout our life.
Learn how to enjoy life through learning the art of contentment.
Achieving a strategy in life so that we can live out our lives in such a way that results in us experiencing a meaningful outcome.
All of these attainable directives are wrapped up in our desire for achieving vital life accomplishments.
However, the key begins with us GOING WITH GOD with each of these goals are attainable.
Let me tell you a story. In my teen years, a boy was adopted into a home across the alley from our home. This boy had become orphaned by the tragic death of his parents. His now parents were our neighbors, and were relatives of thisboy. They were unable to have children so this boy became their pride and joy. His now parents worked late each evening so my parents agreed to have him stay with us each evening until they were home from work. My brother and I would spend the afternoon and evening with him each school day.
Over time the issue of our neighbors being devout atheists came into clear view. They wanted us to not live out our faith in the natural way that we lived. This ended up being impossible, for you see, we prayed before meals and had family devotions before going to bed. Our family conducted a Good News Club at our home each week with neighborhood children. We even took him with us to church on Wednesday night, where the children had a Bible class with stories from the Bible.
This soon became a part of his life too. He in fact loved all of these daily practices. Ultimately he asked Jesus into his heart and life. This was the final straw. After hearing and seeing the change in his life, his parents met with my parents. They wanted my parents to promise not to indoctrinate their son, Kevin.
They couldn't understand the joy and peace that knowing Jesus had brought into Kevin's life. He became a part of the Christian family, the body of Christ. He would beg to go to church with us on Sunday, but his parents refused. I remember after playing together on Sunday afternoon, him crying to go with us. My parents had many meeting with Kevin's parents, them demanding that my parents not talk about God. My parents were trying to help them understand that Kevin's decision had nothing to do with forcing this on him.
Finally, they found another family who cared for him during the evening hours who promised not to talk about God. However, he would sneak over on Good News Club day. Since he was from the neighborhood, he was welcome. The Lord had become his solace for life. Each day as we walked to school together, we talked about life and our desire to tell others about God at school. He continued to read his Bible, and he came to our daily Bible study at school. After graduating from high school, we lost touch with him. I moved to Canada and he moved to college.
But the things that we studied earlier in our study, became real in his life and he enjoyed his walk with God in spite of the challenges he faced including his parents' rejection of his faith in God.
Please know this, our Heavenly Father lives in you and has promised us that He will bring all of these blessings to our life, and more. WALK IN THEM
Revlon?