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  https://youtu.be/4vDRKarAsGw Advent devo Day 2 The Word Became Flesh youtu.be Grace, mercy and peace, Greg & Kathy

Grace, mercy and peace, Greg & Kathy

All men’s efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied. What advantage has a wise man over a fool? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before others? ~Ecclesiastes 6:7-8   For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~Ephesians 2:10   In our early years, I worked at a factory in Grand Rapids. I remember one day as a fellow worker and I were working, the foreman came over to talk. He said, “I don’t know boys, sometimes it seems kind of pointless. You get up to go to work You work to earn money that pays the bills. But the bills are food, rent and utilities to keep you alive and healthy so you can eat, sleep, and get up to go to work! It’s just and endless cycle.”   That’s pretty much along the same lines as Solomon today. Then he asked us if we think it’s worth it. He actually ended up saying, “It’s pointless!” Well, I piped up and first I agreed with him. “Yes,...

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. So, my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain. Even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This...

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 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. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed wi...

What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 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. No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them. ~Ecclesiastes 1:3-11  I thought that it might be interesting, for the next few days, to...

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. ~Proverbs 24:3-4  He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the Kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” ~Matthew 13:52 It’s interesting to see what people collect, if they collect at all that is. Some people like to collect rare and beautiful objects. Others like to collect more common ones such as soda cans or T-shirts. I wonder what a wise person should collect that would set their house apart? Perhaps the house that Solomon and Jesus are referring to is mostly in the unseen world. Jesus tells us to store treasure in heaven where rust and moth cannot corrupt. That usually refers to people and kindnesses. How would that reflect on our homes in the seen world? Perhaps, as we continue to focus on growing and accumulating kn...

 R ich and poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all. ~Proverbs 22:2  You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. ~Matthew 5:43-48 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring, and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say...

A person who strays from the path comes to rest in the company of the dead. ~Proverbs 21:16 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. ~Proverbs 27:8 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. ~Matthew 7:13-14 Prayer: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above. Oh, Lord, I do stray so easily from the path that you have set before me. I get distracted. I get discouraged. I long for a different course, especially an easier one. I’m sorry, Lord for the times I complain or stray from your path. Lord, You are doing an amazing thing in me. I don’t understand, but please help me trust and not give up. You are doing what I need to make me beautiful for Your kingdom! Thank you for seeing so much value in me...

When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. ~Proverbs 21:15 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their sword will pierce their own hearts and their bows will be broken. ~Psalm 37:12-15 Do you remember some of your kids’ temper tantrums? We do. They could be so loud and so obnoxious, but there were those times when those tiny little persons threatened something so ridiculous like, “I’m gonna hold my breath until I die if you don’t give me my way!” or, I love this one, they muster all the power they have in that little frame and look at you sternly and say, “I REALLY MEAN It!” Sometimes, it was all we could do to keep from laughing at some of the threats our kids made when things weren’t going their way. However, you have to admit that th...

Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence. Rebuke a discerning man, and he will gain knowledge. ~Proverbs 19:25 A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the evil gulps down evil. Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools. ~Proverbs 19:28-29 Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction. The one who sows to please the spirit, from the spirit will reap eternal life. ~Galatians 6:7-8 So, you take the little seed out of the packet. Wow, it’s so tiny. How in the world could it become a living plant that can produce food? How about an acorn? Now that is amazing! That little thing can grow how tall, and how big around? If seeds are grown in the right environment, watered well and protected, from invasive weeds and harmful critters, their potential is a wonder to behold. Paul uses this seed analogy to warn the Galatians and us to be carefu...

With many friends you can still come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. ~Proverbs 18:24 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit— fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: love each other. ~John 15:13-17 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:6-8 I can’t say exactly why, but the pass...

It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice. ~Proverbs 18:5 “Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: speak the truth to each other and render true and sound judgment in your courts. Do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord. ~Zechariah 8:16-17 When Joni Ericson Tada began struggling theologically with why God would allow her to suffer such a difficult, life changing injury, quadriplegia, and why He seemed to be refusing to answer her pleas for God to heal her and restore her to health, she received a word from a spiritually mature friend that has given me a lot of thought. “Sometimes, God permits what he hates to accomplish that which He loves.” That is a bitter pill for all of us to follow. Certainly, in Joni’s case, we can see, and she does now too, that if He had healed her, she would have remained unknown to us. God would have eventually raised someone up to be a v...

Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamps of the wicked are sin! ~Proverbs 21:4 In contrast: Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. ~Mark 10:42-45 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in app...