Ecclessiastes Chapter Seven cont... Say not: "...the former days were better than these""

10  “Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.”

 








This is a very good point; Christians are to be forward bound people not retro bound people. Lamenting about the former days gone by is not wise; it underestimates what God can do now. The first sanctuary God had commissioned was Moses Tabernacle but that was not His final plan; he was ultimately leading the nation to worship Him in Jerusalem in Solomons temple (with other dwelling place in between). We must move with God as He ushers in different moves; we must "stay with the program", God's program. I have heard some say: "Oh the way God used to move in the services before and oh I wish it was like that again." There is nothing wrong with loving the way God moved before but if one is not careful they may become an old wine skin incapable of flowing in the new move (Matt 9:16-17). The story has been told before of a woman who prayed earnestly for God to move again as He did in former years. When the Spirit of God moved again, it was different, this time He brought the Baptism in the Holy Spirit evidenced by the speaking in other tongues. This dear lady, who prayed earnestly for a fresh move of God, decided she did not like it and rejected the new move because it was not the way "God did it in former years" and she missed a mighty move of God. Oh beloved, let us love whatever God is doing, let us embrace His move even if it is not like he moved before. God always does things new and different; we do not want to be old wine skins. Keep your eyes looking forward to what God is going to do; do not become an old wineskin incapable of containing what God is doing today.

Missions Trip to the Dominican Republic

Greetings everyone,

It is time once again for my daughter Rebecca Mae and I to take our annual missions trip. Last year, you will remember, we went to Guatemala to speak in the IBJ in Gautemala City and also to speak and minister at the Molina's orphanage; well, this year we are going to the Dominican Republic. This is going to be a first for us and we are very excited to meet new friends and have a chance to share Gods Word. So, if you think of us then please keep us in your prayers!

Pastor Frank R Anderson
Sis. Rebecca M. Anderson

Ecclessiastes Chapter Seven cont... It is how we run the race!

8 “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”

Whilst how we end is certainly far more important than how we began and we want to finish our own personal race far better than we started it, we need to interject a word of caution. It is not just finishing well that we want; we want to run well too. Let me explain what I mean; even the thief on the cross finished better than he started, however, he did not run well at all and although he was with the Lord in Paradise when he crossed the finish line, he crossed the finish line with an empty basket!  Also, consider the 10 virgins (Matthew 25), the five were wise because they had labored to prepare their lamps (an event which certainly took some time since the five foolish had to go and buy oil and by doing so missed the marriage all together). We want to finish better than we started but that is not a very high bar; we do not want to finish well yet empty. We want in our lifetime to be all out for God. Perhaps today, though, you are one who has wasted much time selfishly in things that did not profit and you feel you have wasted so much time. Why not begin to cry out "O' Lord, redeem the time!!" God will take your new found commitment and multiply it for you so you can finish well full of fruit...

Ecclesiastes Chapter Seven cont... Gifts can pervert judgment.

7 “Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.”

The ASV adds a more faithful translation of this: "Surely extortion [unjust gain] maketh the wise man foolish..." This speaks to character; a wise man that compromises on core values (taking something that does not belong to him) looses the blessing of the upright and his wisdom is turned into foolishness. We must, if we are to remain wise, walk in the fear of the Lord and not violate good conscience. A gift or "A bribe" destroys the heart. The Proverbs speaks of covetousness and its ability to pull people into the wrong direction:

• Proverbs 15:27 - He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.
• Proverbs 19:6 - Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
• Proverbs 29:4 - The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.

A bribe perverts justice and anyone who alters judgment because of a gift does damage to their own heart, conscience and character. This is a real temptation in the ministry; “O’ do not offend so and so, they are big givers” so the temptation is to water down the word of God so as to not offend but this kind of gift destroys the conviction of the heart.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Seven cont... Running a good race (not just having a good end) and the destructve effects of anger.

8 “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”

Whilst the end is certainly far more important than the beginning and we want to finish our own personal race far better than we started it, we need to interject a word of caution. It is not just finishing well that we want, we want to run well. Let me explain what I mean; the thief on the cross finished better than he started, however, he did not run well and although he was with the Lord in Paradise, he crossed the finish line empty!  We want to finish better than we started, however, we do not want to finish empty. We want to be all out for God and run long and hard. If you are one who has wasted much time why not begin to cry out "O' Lord, redeem the time!!" God will take your new found commitment and multiply it for you so you can finish well...

9 “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”

Do not be one who has a quick temper or who becomes angry quickly; anger rests in the heart of the foolish. It is much better to be of a slow temper, how many times have people been stricken with remorse over loosing their temper. Anger is a character flaw; Proverbs addresses this flaw in character. Proverbs 14:17 - the angry man will behave foolishly; his temper makes him act from raw emotion. Proverbs 29:22 The angry man forces strife, he cannot let a matter settle until he stirs things up, he abounds in sin (anger can be linked to and associated with many sins and vices). Proverbs 25:28 “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” Anger breaks down the walls of a believer and lets other sins rush in. Uncontrollable anger reveals one who has no control over their spirit. (See also Proverbs 16:32 – the one who rules his spirit is mighty).

Ecclesiastes Chapter Seven cont... The song of fools...

5 “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools”.

It is better to be corrected than to just have one go their merry way thinking all is well when in fact they may be on a path leading to destruction. This idea of the song of fools reminds me of the verse in the gospels Luke 7:32 “They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced…” Whilst there is great merit in being a person of tact, it can be takes to extremes and we must be faithful to declare the truth regardless of people’s feelings. In other words do not just “sing them a song” to make the feel better about themselves; when one is on the path of destruction a faithful rebuke from those who fear the Lord is far better than the song of the foolish triumphing their cause. This verse also highlights the differences between two different counselors, one who makes us feel bad but is being honest and one who is dishonest but can make us feel good. God wants us to be lovers of the truth; this means we are not just looking for what makes us feel good we are looking for wise honest counselors.

6 “For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity”.

Heb 6:8 “But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned”. Foolishness is the opposite of sobriety; God does not delight in the laughter of fools. The Lord commands a sober view of our path and situation but the laughter of the foolish makes light of everything. Here we refer to Ecclesiastes 3:1 - there is a time for everything… "A time to weep, and a time to laugh..." (3:4).  But the fool laughs when he should be very sober, he takes lightly the things that matter most; his soul is in danger and peril and he is laughing and making jokes, the flames are licking up all around him and he is playing the fool. Seems unlikely and yet this scene is played out day after day and year after year in every circle of life as the sinner mocks and laughs at the standards of God.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Seven cont... Which is better, sorrow or joy?

3 “Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better”.

"Sorrow is better than laughter..." One needs to be careful here because at face value this statement is false, laughter is much better than sorrow; heaven will be full of laughter and joy. Remember Solomon is a depressed king who through disobedience has lost his anointing and his joy. The Lord came that we might "...have life and have it more abundantly" (John 1:10). After all the kingdom of God is righteousness peace and joy lets not twist that.

 However, that being said, in this life, we have an adamic nature which must be dealt with and that is not always joyful albeit it is necessary. In the Feasts of the Lord there is one day called the day of atonement, a day of soul affliction, a time of mourning and not of joy. This speaks of the time in our lives God is dealing with sin and the sinful nature. In this context the statement of Solomon is true; "...by the sadness of the countenance [by Gods dealings] the heart is made better". During this period of soul affliction God removes sin, rebelliousness and disobedience.

4 “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth”.

There are 12 times in the New Testament the word sober is mentioned; and sobriety is the correct applications of this verse, to be sober and not glib, do not take your walk glibly or irresponsibly. The following verses on sobriety set the stage for all New Testament believers:

All Saints - 1Thess 5:6  “...but let us watch and be sober”.

A Bishop - 1Tim 3:2  ...vigilant, sober, of good behaviour...

Wives - 1Tim 3:11  ...sober, faithful in all things.

Aged Men - Titus 2:2  That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate...

Young Women - Titus 2:4  ...young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

Young Men - Titus 2:6  Young men...sober minded.

The Danger We Face - 1Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Ecclesiastes Chapter Seven "The End of all Men"

Ecclesiastes 7:1 “A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth”.

“A good name is better than precious ointment…” but a good name is not automatic, it belongs to those with good character. Proverbs 22:1 relates to this same subject. What image is conjured up in the minds around us should our names be mentioned in their presence. The association of our name will most certainly be related to our works/behavior. And so, as a good name is greatly to be desired then we must strive to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord because that is the foundation of a good name.

"...the day of death than the day of one's birth". This certainly true if one has walked in the way prescribed by the Lord and they have a good name but it is not true if they, like Solomon, have lived a careless life and have lived recklessly. We will all have that appointed day when we depart this world; the question on our lips should be "Am I ready?" The answer very important question will depend on how one has lived their life. Solomon was a depressed man and this statement comes because he saw death as a way of alleviating the labor, suffering and toil of man, however, since he had not run the race well his death was not better than the day he was born.

2 “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart”.

"It is better to go to the house of mourning {a funeral} than to go to the house of feasting {a banquet}." This statement is coming from a depressed man and is partially true. In the sense that at a funeral you see "the end of all men"; there the living become sober and circumspect. At a funeral it is hard to be light hearted and carefree when we have a real life example of where everyone, man, woman and child is headed. However, that being said, it is not a statement that will always be true because there is coming a banquet called the marriage supper of the Lamb and those who miss it will mourn and so in that day it will be better to go the house of feasting than the house of mourning.

Predictions of the End of the World...credibility lost!

So the end of the world did not happen and once again Christianity gets a bad name. Because of this false prediction thousands have been disillusioned and 100 million dollars (one estimate) has been wasted! People are now faced with the humiliation of being horribly wrong in a very public way (It grieves me to the core to hear stories over and over again on how people quit jobs, sold homes, depleted life savings following this false prediction). Although I am sympathetic to the plight of many of these people, I cannot help but ask them “After the 1994 error, why did you still followed this man?”  Now people have to explain their humiliation; I heard one person over the weekend explain this false prediction this way “God is testing our faith”. Don’t blame God for this horribly erroneous prediction borne out of the heart of man (See Deut 18:20-22; he is identified as a false prophet). God does not deceive His people for the sake of testing their faith! He does however, send false prophets to test them, to see who will believe them and follow them (See Deut 13:1-3).

So is this a benign event that one can say “Oops, I made a mistake?” No, it is not!  People are now shaken, people are now broken and the world is once again laughing at the church and Christianity. If the Family Radio organization had any integrity at all they would issue a public apology and Harold Camping would be put out! Here is the problem in a nutshell. No Leadership! Harold Camping for years has been teaching people should leave their churches and be independent…that is horribly wrong at many levels and contrary to the scriptures (See Hebrews 10:23-25). My unsolicited advice to each one of the Family Radio staff is to flee from this man as fast as they can, find a good Bible believing church attend it faithfully and learn what the scriptures really say.

For those asking, is the end of the world near? Yes it is, however, two things must remain clear. 1) No man knows the day or the hour (See Matt 24:36) and 2) Certain events must take place first. (Matthew 24 is the best template to chronological events of the Last Days). Until those events come to pass you will not see the Second Coming (I recommend author Dr. Brian J. Bailey’s book on the Second Coming “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” for a clear account; it is available at www.amazon.com ).

My Prediction: More people are going to erroneously set dates, more people are going to believe those dates, false prophets are going to arise and more people are going to be deceived in spite of the fact that the scriptures give clear warnings… How can we avoid being deceived? Spend time in Gods Word, seek to love the Lord with all your heart and above all be obedient to the Lord. Those who with integrity of heart seek to do His will, will not be deceived (See John 7:17).

Ecclesiastes Chapter Six cont... Don't put your own personal happiness before the pleasure of God.

11 “Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better”?

Strong’s defines "Things" as relating to "Speech", for example: "seeing many things are spoken what is man the better for it?" In one sense this could be a true statement, of foolish words there is nothing to be gained. But it is obvious when you look at Ecclesiastes on the whole Solomon lost the value of good words, good doctrine, good teaching which produces good fruit (which benefits man considerably). This phrase "what is man the better" is a bit troubling because in the context of the Song of Solomon we see Solomon does have a serious focus problem, he is focusing on the benefits which “Man” may enjoy from the hand of “God” but very little is said about how “Man” may please his “Maker”. In short, it is not all about mans pleasure but rather it should be how we might please God!

12 “For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun”?

Again herein is the problem that many fall into; life does not consist in mans ability to seek pleasures and be fulfilled outside of the boundaries God has set. There are two primary objectives of man 1. Love the Lord our God with all our heart, our soul and our strength and our neighbor as ourselves, and 2. That Gods plans and purposes for our life be completely fulfilled. O' how we must remember how we are measured before Christ according to the plan of God for our lives and O' how we must seek the Lord that this plan be fulfilled. In order for it to be fulfilled we must do as we are bidden.

Concerning the plans and purposes of God lets consider Samson, he is for us an example of a man who through selfish living missed Gods greater plan for His life. The Lord graciously allowed him to recover somewhat in the end but O' what a tragedy that Samson was not in Gods harness, he could have exacted a much greater toll on the enemy. The point to our comment on this verse is that Solomon is focusing on man when he should have been focusing on his creator. If one pursues vanities then life for them will be vain and unfulfilling but if one lives a life with a heart seeking the Lord and serving Him seeking to please Him then they will have true peace and joy.