Thank God for Life. Forget the World!

Thank God for Life. Forget the World!                         11-12-23       Kelly Durant

 

Ecc. 3:²² So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

 

2. How many of you can remember how it was when you got married? Or had your first child? Or got for the first time a bike or a car? Or got a place to live when you didn’t know where to go, but God opened the door? 

 

There are many good things that have happened to all of us in life and we always need to reflect on them because we can see how God is wonderful to each of us and loves us. God is good to us, all the time! But in order to appreciate good things, we must decide to take on an attitude of praise and simplicity. In this materialistic world where money, lust, & excessive consumption is the god worshipped by the majority, that is a challenge.

 

I think when a person is young (I speak from my own experience) we want to achieve so many things that are not attainable, nor in God’s plans. Many people often dream to become a famous star, to be rich, and to have a lifestyle that others envy. It seems natural to be ambitious but does the accumulation of things really make us happy? A life without God will always be depressing & empty!

 

3. I recall in Florida where the boating docks are, you could see hundreds of yachts just parked as if they never moved, only a few were coming and going. The reality is many millionaires own big expensive toys that they only get to enjoy maybe once a year if that! That seems absurd and crazy, right? Just rotting away! And then when a hurricane hits, they all get wiped out in an hour!

 

Even the homes of the rich are empty! There is an island off the shores of South Miami where you can see the vacation homes of mega millionaires and past famous ones, like Al Capone. You and I can pay $25 for a 15 minute boat ride to go around the island and see the dozens mansions that have no activity in them. Imagine to own a 100 million dollar home, and you only go there once a year!

 

These are hundred million dollar homes and yet the owners are off in California, or somewhere. I think people must think what I think, what a waste, if they don’t have time to take care of it, why not let others live in it and enjoy it!? How sad to see these beautiful homes getting old from the rain and sun with only 4-5 care takers to enjoy them. This verse comes to mind, Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.   

   

4. As I have mentioned before, evil powers reign over the earth, Satan’s demons get into the hearts and minds of the rich and not even with all they have are they happy but always want more! From a country where there are mega-rich, and extreme poor are, like in India, we heard these wise words from a leader, Mahatma Gandhi, “The world has enough for every man’s need, but not enough for every man’s greed.”

 

The absolute ambition in life of those serving Satan and not God is not just extreme wealth), but it is power: the quest to have others subjugated to them. (by what we know about 300 families rule our entire world) Satan wants to be worshipped so he operates through any person with the same ambition. He is the enemy of those who worship God! He is a man of wealth and taste, and or of pride & rebellion, and his captivity and punishment in hell (soon) will be forever!

 

The illusion Satan sells is that powerful and rich people have it all! What a lie! When we see the wealthy, politicians, rock and sports stars, and dictators being abusive and acting out so they get attention, because they want fans and followers, our stomachs turn. We see how childlike and desperate they are to gain attention, even negative attention, which feeds their ego. Not even with all of what they have are they satisfied; they want more and more. 

 

5. So how are we going to not be like them but bring our focus onto Jesus? Well, for one we must ask the Lord about ourselves, and how our Spirit is. We must always pray to not love the world. 1 John 2: 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 

So how do we know what to purge from our lives? Romans13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. 

I think most of you here have done this! If you are Salvationists you have grown in holiness throughout the years!

 

No one here walks in drunkenness, for one, the Salvation Army our Soldier’s Pact prohibits alcohol and drugs! No one here is abusive, & violent (wanton) person doing sexual sins all day in the bedroom chambers, (chambering) and most all the time we are in peace in harmony, are we not? If our passion is to worship Jesus, study His Word, and live for Him then we will not be living “in the flesh”.

 

6. But take note of the word envy, that is a troubling spirit in our world. I think people are quite often unaware of this sin in their lives. Envy over the wealth of others has provoked many wars, for lands, slaves, & plunder. It is envy that causes people to join the ranks of the communists, with the idea they can gain power and riches, not by work and sacrifice, but by violent protests and takeovers. Envy is a terrible sin! It is behind racism, classism, and all the other dividing -isms!

 

Sometimes people are envious even of people in their own church! Sadly, I have seen it. Sometimes people with not too much can get envious of those who have already worked or studied for what they have. Some people listen too much to Satan when he tells them that their brothers or sisters have what they have by unfair means, and they deserve to have what they have just because they want it.

 

People are weak and are tempted to think, ‘Why is it that God did not allow me to be born in a rich & famous family?’ How is it that God has blessed that other person more than me with gifts of the Spirit, intelligence, the ability to lead, play music, or get privileges like to travel? Our enemy is always planting seeds of division and we must resist him. or we can grow a “root of bitterness” against others, our leaders, and even brothers & sisters in the church. 

 

7. So who are the happiest people in life? It is the people who know the Lord, love Him, love others, and live in peace with themselves and with others! Psalm 144:15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord. 

 

And what else is needed for happiness? It is gratefulness! Envious, or unthankful people always find a fault in everything! Some people are never happy, and it is because they are focused on their own selfish misery instead of having faith. To live focused on God we have to accept our lot in life, and when we do, we give thanks for everything!

 

I lived 14 years in South America, in some of the poorest places there, and I have seen terrible poverty, people living in cardboard shacks, with no running water. In the orphanages that I went to often, the kids there were almost always very smiley, very happy to sing, dance, play soccer, and just enjoy the moment! 

 

We get blessed when we obey God’s word and focus on others. James 1:27

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, & to keep himself unspotted from the world.

 

8. So can we really “forget about the world’? I would say not totally, we are here in the flesh, we have to eat, sleep, and think, so what does Jesus recommend? John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 

 

In the end Jesus tells us Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. His purpose for us to endure and make it through this life, protected from temptation and evil, for us to know we are loved by Him (as we will never be loved by the world if we love Him!) and to know God has chosen us for His special purpose! That is beyond special! Everyone in the world wants a purpose, and Jesus gives us that, the people of the world in competition devour one another (James 4)!

 

So, thank God we do not have to compete with Satan’s minions on earth! Having Jesus, we do not desire immense wealth, high powers of position, or anything this world has to offer. Satan tempts with that, power & wealth, but our rewards are in heaven and we don’t need it here in this life, so following Jesus makes his offers of no appeal.

 

9. Gratitude to God for life makes a big difference!  I often hear stories of people here going through hard times, but other people out there in the world have really hard times, often doing whatever it takes to make enough money to eat that day! Think of all the displaced people by war, walking with just the shirt on their back. Most of the world’s people live without heat or AC, most of them can never afford a car, and still, many of them marry, have kids, and live pretty happy. 

 

It is an attitude of gratitude that makes us, a true Christian, different from the people of the world. The less we care about the things in the world, the closer to the Lord we will be! Paul says in Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

In the end, this world is not our home, we are just a passin’ through! If we stay focused on what the Lord gives us, on how He is wonderful, on how He will give us heaven after this hellish experience on earth, then we will live full and content.  Nothing compares to our Lord and His love, peace, and the joy He sustains us with, amen! And He will keep us in His happy place, heaven, forever!