the rich the poor the fool the wise… and the one thing they all have in common

Hello again!

Today, what God gave me, rather goes along with yesterday’s post, only this time it’s talking about the one thing everyone on earth has in common.

12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been done long ago. 13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. 14 The wise man‘s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all. 15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then said I in my heart, that this also is vanity.

Eccl 2:12-15 (ASV)

The one thing everyone has in common, is, they all die… Now that may sound rather “negative” but it’s true, and it can be negative, if you look at it like, everyone is going to die, in of the world, boo hoo. But, if you look at it like it actually happens, I think you’ll see a different story unfold, first, we die individually, or one at a time or more accurately, thousands at a time, but we’ll ignore that for now, usually an entire family doesn’t die at the same time, if what I’m trying to get at, so the everyone in the world won’t just die.

The second reason it can be “negative” is if we look at it like a sad thing, of course, for the “unbeliever” death is a sad thing, but for the “believer” even though those on earth will mourn the loss of a brother, sister, parent, or friend, they will be comforted by the fact, that, they are in heaven, and that makes it a much more (and don’t misunderstand me on this) “happy thing”, and by that I mean, they didn’t just die, and go to hell, they died and went to heaven, to be with their Lord and savior, and that’s a lot happier than dyeing and going to hell, I can promise you that.

So, it’s still your choice to make, but, in my last post I only mentioned the good some of the good things you get by following Jesus the Christ. I, however, didn’t mention at all some of the things “non-believers” would consider “disadvantages” or bad.  Such as, you can’t just sin when ever you want, you can’t just go out and kill your self, which is considered a sin. Life is important, and you can’t just kill it unless your fighting for your life, which isn’t at all suicide (usually). But you get Jesus, who will in able you to stop sinning. He will change you to love others, to love your wife, to love your friends and family, it will be without a doubt,  the best thing that happened to your family, not to mention the best thing that ever happened to you! He enters you and he changes you, he changes your wants and desires to be more like his. It’s both amazing and wonderful at the same time. Well, it’s time to make a choice, yes or no? Will you accept Jesus or not?

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

Without Jesus, all is vain

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today:

11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

Eccl 2:10-11 (ASV)

If you read the entire passage you’ll understand what it means when he says “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do” but basically, he’s looking at everything he’s accomplished, and knowing that, when he dies, it will all be gone, BAM no more castle, vineyard, family, “slaves“, (even though that wouldn’t be such a bad thing) BAM, it can really happen just like that, in an INSTANT everything can be gone, including your body, but, where you go after that, is really your fault, elevator operator: “which way would you like to go today sir?” elevator passenger: “I’ll be going…” It’s your decision to make, will YOU go up, or down? Will you accept Christ as your savior, or would you rather keep satan? It’s your choice, it really does matter, I chose Christ, what will you choose?

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

The HORRORS of knowledge

Hello again!

Here is what God gave to me today.

17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Eccl 1:17-18 (ASV)

My dad is a pastor/mentor and my mom a mentor, and they have told me, that some of the hardest people to mentor, are the ones for think they know it all, who think that they can’t be mentored, yet they come anyway, and you know what? When they are confronted on what ever there sin issue is, they start spitting out bible verses and changing the subject, (By the way, this is considered a “bad response”) What they should’ve done, is humbled themselves, and done what they were told to by God and by my parents.

So in other words, what I’m trying to say is this, people with knowledge, have pride issues, don’t get me wrong though, not all people who happen to be knowledgable are stugling with pride!!! There are plenty of people who knowledgeable and still are not “that” pridfull.

So, that’s my thought’s on the passage, please feel free to comment on what you think the passage is talking about, thank you.

You are loved!

Joshua cleveland

 

What gain do we have?

Hello again!

Here is what God gave me in his word today:

3 What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?

Eccl 1:1-3 (ASV)

What have WE done? What have we, ourselves, without God, done?

Absloutyly nothing, God is the only one that can accomplish anything, and he does that through us, and he did it through his son, Jesus.

Now that Jesus has died for us we  have Jesus in us, now Jesus works through us, to accomplish HIS work.

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

The ants…

Hello again!

Here is what God gave me to share today:

24 There are four things which are little upon the earth, But they are exceeding wise: 25 The ants are a people not strong, Yet they provide their food in the summer;

Prov 30:24-25 (ASV)

This is just one of the four creatures mentioned in the whole passage.

“Be it little, yet be it strong!”, Jesus tells us that if we have faith as small as a muster seed, we can move a mountain. I’d say that’s a fair description of ant, they are incredibly small, yet they can lift 10 times their own body weight, I can say for sure that’s more than I can bench!

Perhaps we can learn from the ants (And not just to start working out a bit more), maybe we should take this spiritually, as in, maybe we should start working out our spirit, and hearts, a bit more?

Please feel to share you’re thoughts on the passage.

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

the Generations

Hello all!

Today God has opened his word to me again.

12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, And yet are not washed from their filthiness. 13 There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. 14 There is a generation whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

Prov 30:12-14 (ASV)

Frankly, I got about 2 main things in this passage, one is Just don’t be prideful, always works right? two is just don’t sware, or just stop cursing, always worked before right?

What is the main thing you just saw me write? human effort! I’ll tell you now, it doesn’t work, you can’t just not do something, or, you can, but for sure that isn’t a lasting cure, the only lasting cure is Jesus the Christ! Or more accurately, his dying on the cross and in three days rising again interceding on our behalf before God the father and saving us all!!!

That just never gets old, does it? The Gospel, always new always fresh, always ready to save and protect, always ready to help you with your pride, always ready to stop you from cursing etc.

If you have any comments about the passage… please feel free to share them!

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

the similarities between iron and man-kind

Hello again!Here is what God gave me in his word today: Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.(Pro 27:17)

In other words, one Christain man should be building up another Christain man (This also applies to women) and in doing so, the person who at first set out to encourage, is being encouraged!

Here is the way I see it, in my mind it’s like a cycle: Man/Women gets into God’s word.

God shows man/women what to say/do.

Man/Women obey’s God, and goes and ministeries to some one.

That some one is encouraged.

In God’s time they are “fully restored”.

Maybe when they are “fully restored” they may come back to you, and tell you how grate full they are the “God, working through you has encouraged them so much etc.

In this way, you, and the person your ministering to, gets in encouraged or “sharpened”.

Hope you liked reading what God wrote through me. After all, it’s God’s words, not mine…

You are utterly, totaly, and completely loved!!!

Joshua cleveland

 

The reprover and the reproved

Hello again!

Here is what God gave me today: 

12 As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, So is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.

Prov 25:12 (ASV)

Notice the word “wise” this word is extremely important, if you go punishing your kids family friends etc, for example if your neighbor demands you owe him money, because you have done something worthy of you paying him money, then the right thing to do is to go over to him and rebuke him for it right? Wrong, it by far is better to simply pay the money, or better yet to ask for forgiveness and pay the money.

It also mentions in that verse, about a “obedient ear” this is also extremely important, if we are not obedient when our father (be it physical or spiritual) punishes us, we are supposed to listen!!! If we don’t then it will only get worse! If he punishes for doing it one time, wouldn’t it make sense that he would punish us even more? Think about it, if are punished once for it, now that we really know that it is wrong, we may get punished double or triple even as hard as the first time, that’s why it is so important to listen the first time!

you are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

hither and not thither

Hello again!

Here is what God gave me in his word today:

6 Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, And stand not in the place of great men: 7 For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom thine eyes have seen.

Prov 25:6-7 (ASV)

If we put ourselves up (Try thinking of the Lucifer/Devil trying to do this) Then God will put us down (Think again about just how low the devil was put) I think with these verses, the Devil is the perfect “Bad Example” and Jesus is the perfect example, the devil wanted to put himself up as God, Jesus willing lowered himself down to earth, and became a man, the devil was lowered, Jesus died for us, the devil tried and kill us, Jesus rose again three days later, the devil……. didn’t

But I think you get the idea, if you have said, a succesful ministry, and one day someone comes up to you and praises you for your sermons/ministry and says what they like about you, then I’d say about 75-80% of the time, you/I will fall into the trap of pride, but, when we fall there, it is also like we are trying to take the place of God, because suddenly we are the center of attention, not God, we are getting all the glory, not God, And trust me, you don’t want to be in that position.

But if you ever happen to get into it, then once you realize that it is wrong, ask God’s forgiveness and ask him to help you with your pride.

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

The calling to save the unbelievers

11 Deliver them that are carried away unto death, And those that are ready to be slain see that thou hold back.

Prov 24:11 (ASV)

Wow, if anything, this verse is convicting, are we really doing as much as we can do save people who other wise, would be thrown into the lake of fire? Are you and I really doing all that we can to save unbelievers? imagine what it would be like for you if you were never saved, and you were the one thrown into hell? Next time you meet someone who is an unbeliever, really pray for them, don’t actually just think about it, recently I heard a pastor on the radio give an example, he sayed: “If there are five frogs on a log, and three of them decide to jump off, how many frogs are left? The answer is five.”

If you meet someone who is an unbeliever, ask them if you can pray for them, and if they say yes, then right there and then pray for them, out loud…

If you really want to minister to others, then I suggest taking the mentorship course here http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/other-courses/ on the very bottom of the page.

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland