SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION!

Ecclesiastes 1:18
[18]For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

OBSERVATION!

My prayers and meditations about why men cling to their beliefs, customs, and traditions so adamantly brought me to God’s wisest man Solomon.

As I began to research his work it was becoming clear Solomon was using his God given wisdom to discern man’s reasons as wisdom to recognize the hook which captures and holds men as it does socially, economically and spiritually.

And what Solomon disclosed was that the deeper he probed the world’s wisdom, the more hooks he found and witnessed operating in mans lives.

Solomon tried all things and found them vanity. He found his searches after mans knowledge a weariness, not only to the flesh but to the mind.

The more he saw of the works done under the sun, the more he saw their vanity; and the sight often vexed his spirit. He could neither gain that satisfaction to himself nor do that good to others, which he expected. Even his pursuit of knowledge and mans wisdom was revealing the discovery of man’s wickedness and misery so that the more he knew, the more he saw caused him to deplore and anguish about the condition mans state was.

Solomon soon found Festivities and their pleasures to be vanity. What does a noisy, flashy Festivity offer towards making a man content within his soul?

The manifold devices of men’s hearts, to get satisfaction from the world, and their changing from one thing to another, are like the restlessness of a man in a fever.

Perceiving it was folly to give himself to wine. He next tried the costly amusements of princes. The poor, when they read such a description, are ready to feel discontent. But the remedy against all such feelings is in the estimate of it all by the owner himself.

All was vanity and vexation of spirit: and the same things would yield the same result to us, as to Solomon. Having food and raiment, let us therewith be content. His spiritual wisdom remained with him; a strong understanding of the inability and lack of great human knowledge to bring a pacification to the soul.

But every earthly pleasure, when unconnected with better blessings, leaves the mind as eager and unsatisfied as before. Happiness arises not from the situation in which we are placed or find ourselves.

Now I understand the hook of why a fervent push by a faction of men to attach and ademently maintain Yeshua within this madness called Christmas. It would afford the whole group a form of Godliness because the world has accepted this festival as a Christian celebration of our Saviors birth. It would lend an aura of holiness to it but not a venue for the solice of the soul,          2Timothy 3:5 KJV
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

COMMENTARY!

All things change, and never rest. Man, after all his labor, is no nearer finding rest than the sun, the wind, or the current of the river. His soul will find no rest if he has not obtained rest from Yeshua. The senses are soon tired, yet still craving what is untried.

Here is a question, Can a five day festival appearing to be a Holy day bring a form of solice to those in the world who have spent 360 days trying to fill the emptiness being felt in the soul. Would there be found some solice in gift exchanging, doing good, Feasting on lifes luxuries, and becoming intoxicated both spiritually and physically as a means of filling that void even just for five days?

Those walking  in the light of salvation know; If this world, in its present state, were all, it would not be worth living for; and the wealth and pleasure of this world, if we had ever so much, are not enough to make us content.

What profit has a man of all his labor  if All he gets by it, will not supply the wants of the soul, nor satisfy its desires; will not atone for the sins of the soul, nor hinder the loss of it: what profit will the wealth of the world be to the soul in death, in judgment, or in the everlasting state?

Matthew 16:26 KJV
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

This observation brings me back to the question. Can basking in what is seen as Holy days described as days displaying frivolity, sharing, feasting, partying, and lusting appease this emptiness or will it, as it did to Solomon after trying all things, found them filled with vanity. Would men find their searching after knowledge, leaving them weary, not only in the flesh but also in the mind as it did Solomon.

The bright lights and flashing colors, traditions, varied customs, myths, and stories of this season add a deeper sense of distraction through the shrouds of goodness and holiness.

Provide a way to accept and blend man’s pleasantries into acceptability. Why is it strange that these actions are the thread that blends a belief of holiness to the many customs and ideologies of folk lore and myths. They become the diversions from them, so believers can mindlessly incorporate paganistic beliefs as comfortable truths. These actions and their validity of them are described in Luke 8:5-15.

You receive as a harvest by what you sow and where. If I am drawn by flashing lights acts of kindness, I will find the shallowness of salvation by works quickly. If done through a demonstration of God’s love, it will bear fruit.

Please note the actions to put forward a front of holiness in defense of celebrating our Saviour’s birth, becomes the actions of, faith-based salvation through works.

Perhaps this explains how mankind after celebrating their caring, kindnesses, and appeasements for five days, are spent physically and emotionally of all their hindrance, needs, wealth and distractions to discover once again they are still on the treadmill chasing emptiness, truly never having left it, only having diverted their attention from it for five days.

Only to comprehend Men love to gratify their own lusts, more than to please God and do their duty. When men do not fear God, they abuse God’s gifts, especially if we make them the food and fuel of our lusts.

It is far better to be plain in speech yet walking openly and consistently with the gospel than to be admired by thousands and be lifted in pride so as to disgrace the gospel by evil tempers and sinful lives.

Let converts be warned to avoid all appearances of the evils they formerly practiced or are likely to be tempted to, and caution them to use Christian liberty with moderation and prudence.

Robert a humble obedient servant to Yeshua and his Father in heaven Yahewa. And all of God’s children say Amen and Amen.