What Makes the Difference Between Empty Life vs. Purposeful Life?

One member at my message board continually questions why God the Father allowed Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. While responding to a former blogpost which I also posted at my message board, he questioned this eternal act for our salvation, once again.

No matter how many times I have answered him, complete with Scripture verses, scholarly commentary from the great apologists, and explanations from my own Bible studies, he brings up that same question again and again.

If you are a Christian, have you ever experienced discussion on this same topic with a person who, no matter what you say, will never be satisfied with the answers? If you have ever witnessed to someone or attempted any form of evangelism with the public, then I'm sure you're answer is "yes."

Why is that?

A Christian radio broadcaster once stated the exact reason for such attitudes by skeptics in an email that I received several years ago:

DAILY DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY OCTOBER 14, 2003
(2 Thessalonians 3:2, John 12:48, 2 Corinthians 4:4, John 3:11, John 8:24)

Why the lost are so angry at Christians. In the course of your day to day life, as you have opportunities to share Christ with people you meet, know up front that many who are not Christians will get angry with you for even mentioning the name of Jesus Christ. This anger stems from the fact that those who are lost, deep, deep, down, know that something is missing in their life.

When God created Adam, He created Adam in perfection and with a spiritual connection to God. One of the byproducts of Adam's sin was that spiritual connection with God was broken. There was now a gulf between man and God due to man's sin. Since each person is born with sin, they are born with a void in their life that only being reconnected to God can fill.

This is why people get involved with drugs, with alcohol, with gambling, with sex, or become addicted to work and success. This is why so many people get lost in cults and the false religions of this world. There is a void in a person's life that subconsciously they know is there and are trying to fill. I want to tell you today that this void can ONLY be filled by reconnecting to God. The Good News today is that God loves us so much, He sent Jesus to die for OUR sins so that by putting our faith in Him, we could be reconnected with God and that void in our life would be filled.

That is why a Christian can know joy, despite the pain life has to offer. That is why a Christian can know peace, even in the midst of the fiercest trials. That is why a Christian can enjoy the abundance of this life, even when there is no abundance by this world's standards. The joy, the peace, the abundance of this life comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and being reconnected with God our Creator.

THAT is why the lost are so angry at Christians. They have rejected God's free gift of everlasting life through Jesus Christ and look to the things of this world to try and fill the void only God can fill. From time to time, they must justify in their own mind their rejection of Christ. The way they normally do this is by attacking the Bible, since it is God's Word that condemns them.

They always ask about who Cain married (one of his sisters, it was when God gave the law to Moses that incest was forbidden), they always ask about the dinosaurs (they were created with the animals and became extinct during the flood of Noah), how people could live to be 900 years old (man was originally created to live forever, and as the generations went on the age of man decreased), and numerous other questions that in many cases only God can answer. They also point out what may appear to be contradictions in the Bible. Let me assure you, there are NO, ZERO, NADA contradictions in the Bible.

All of this is done to try and minimize and discredit the Bible from being God's inspired, inerrant Word, representing absolute truth, and our final authority in all matters. Again, it is God's Word that condemns them for their rebellion, so of course it is God's Word they attack. My advice is to visit a local Christian bookstore and you will find many books that explain in depth why the Bible really is the Word of God and perfect in every way.

I love you and care about you so much. I realize the anger of the lost keeps many people from sharing their faith. Never forget, they are angry at God, NOT you. Your job is simply to tell them the truth, and share with them the hope and love of Christ. What they choose to do with that truth is then between them and God.

Also, don't be intimidated by their questions. If you know the answer, tell them, if you don't, tell them you don't. SOMEONE THAT IS LOST AND SIMPLY TRYING TO JUSTIFY THEIR REJECTION OF CHRIST WILL ALWAYS HAVE MORE QUESTIONS THAN YOU WILL EVER HAVE ANSWERS. I have never in over 11 years, having dealt with tens of thousands of people, EVER had a person asking a string of questions say, "OK, I am glad you answered that for me, now I will believe."

You will never win a debate with someone that is lost since they have no desire to accept what you are saying. Your time is best spent praying for these people rather than debating them.

Many people you meet however, will be honestly open to looking into having a relationship with Christ. Trust me, you will know who these people are. Do your best to answer their questions, and don't hesitate to get others involved in helping you out. But, never forget that how you live your life and what Christ has done in your life will always be your most effective and powerful witness to others.

I will be praying for you today. God has given us a commandment, not a suggestion to share our faith in Christ with this hurting and lost world. We have the only answer there is. The void in the lives of people that has been created by sin can only be filled by accepting Jesus Christ which reconnects a person to God their Creator. Those who choose to reject Christ are angry because they have a hole in their life only HE can fill.

(bold mine)

That one paragraph (in bold) gives us the exact reason why a lost person will never be satisfied with any answer(s) that a believer gives him/her.

However, I want to go a bit further here, today.

As I awake each morning, I often find myself praying to God for answers to questions that people have directed towards me during the previous day. It is uncanny...no...supernatural, in fact, that God almost ALWAYS comes through with providing an answer. Whether it is through drawing back to my mind a verse in Scripture, leading me to a Christian apologetics-type book that I have read (or am currently reading), finding an email from a fellow Christian believer in my email box, or, like what happened just this morning, seeing a perfect answer in the sermon that I recently listened to; the Lord God comes through loud and clear!!

During my prayer time, I asked God, "why doesn't this man 'get it' Lord? The answer that I got shocked me. It was, "because he is not one of the elect." Then there was a slight pause (as I was saddened and felt so sorry to hear that) as the Lord continued, "yet."

If we take what the Holy Spirit brought to my mind together, it goes something like this, "because he is not one of the elect...yet."

What does this tell me? What does this tell all of us? That we never know who will become one of the "elect" in our lives. That is why we need to continue sharing the hope of the gospel with the lost.

We share...God saves.

It is not up to us to decide who "will be called" by God. All we are supposed to do is "go into all the world" and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is comforting to me. It takes the burden off of all of us to know this. I have known this concept for quite some time, but occasionally I need reassurance that my efforts are not folly.

Remember those two verses in the Bible that say the opposite things about "folly" and "answering a fool"?

Pro 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

Pro 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

It's interesting to note which verse comes first...it's the "answer not a fool according to his folly..."

Why?

The verse continues, "lest thou also be like unto him."

I think that those last seven words give us the context of that verse. It can be easy to get into a "fight" with a person who follows "folly" in his/her life and if we involve ourselves in such a fight through our own strength (will), human knowledge (mind), human emotions (soul), and/or human fleshly desires (sinful practices rather than God's will for our lives), then we are not using the proper tools that God has given us to use in our spiritual battles.

This is in keeping with God's two greatest commandments:

Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.

Luk 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

Notice in Luke's verse that loving God using all of the bolded nouns above comes first!

When we do that, it is THEN that we can properly "love thy neighbor as thyself."

This makes the message crystal clear to me!! The ones who place "loving thy neighbor" FIRST without loving God with all of their heart, soul, strength and mind, can, unfortunately, do so in ways against God's Laws and will for our lives!!

Back to the Proverbs verses. The second one tells us:

Pro 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

What does this verse tell us? It tells us to answer the folly of others as best we can, so that he/she will not be left "wise in his own conceit."

How do we do that?

By utilizing and sharing God's Word!!

Think about this. If we, as Christians, answer a fool without the wisdom and knowledge of God's Word, then we could only resort to using our own "conceit," so to speak, to answer the folly of the other person!

This is why Jesus used Scripture when answering Satan, the accuser, who obviously wanted Jesus to abandon his mission of salvation of the world through the cross. Jesus "answered that Fool (Satan) according to his folly (trying to be his own god) and therefore crushed the enemy of our souls (and satan's own conceit) as well as accomplishing the task of reconciliation of sinful man to holy God by exposing him (satan) to be the doomed fallen angel that his is!

O.K. This has all been a "backdrop" to the real message of this post. However, I want to include what the Christ doubting, God-rejecting member wrote at my message board:

Is this a legal case, or a moral one?



["Quote" posts originally posted by admin (Christine) with one quote post originally written by Jaded]

Quote:
The Old Testament prophecies predicted that the Messiah would be crucified despite being innocent of the charges.

Well, isn't that what I'd said, all those months ago? Your religion is based on an unavenged murder...not necessarily a sacrifice.

Quote:
Although this group may mean well in their courtroom efforts to claim Jesus' crucifixion illegal, they are stepping on God's Law and the Prophets by doing so. Also, they are dangerously "messing" with God's will, judgment, holiness and righteousness. It is as though they are claiming that God "made a mistake" to let Jesus be crucified for the sins of the world.

Well, I claim only that things happened as they did because that's exactly what God wanted to happen (that "perfect will" you've spoken of)...and what sort of mercy can one expect from a God who crucified his own son?

Quote:
The groups' actions may not seem to appear (at first) to be a kind of heresy that leads to apostasy, but in light of #2 above, we can see that it could be deemed a very deceptive way to carry that out!

Maybe they're just calling for justice to be done, however late; justice that the god seems incapable of delivering. It took the RCC something like 350 years to declare Galileo innocent (although no crime was committed), but even they now admit they treated him unjustly.

All the stories say that Jesus was guilty of no crime, and said nothing in his defense; there were no advocates to speak on his behalf; Pilate himself could 'find no fault with this man'...but the Sanhedrin wanted blood, and they got it. Would you prefer an innocent person's name to remain tarnished forever? Well, yes, I guess you would...

Quote:
The fact is, all of mankind put Jesus on that cross at Calvary because "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Jesus himself proclaimed that he could have called legions of angels down to "rescue" him from his death at the cross. But if he did, then he would have returned to heaven, alone, and we would not have the Savior as our Mediator between Righteous and Holy God and us, as sinful men and women.

Oh, Jesus couldn't possibly have found some other way! His Father also wanted blood--his--and who could defy the will of the Father?

Quote:
They don't proselytize? Isn't that a secular humanistic term that makes evangelism appear to be a bad thing?

No, it isn't. Look it up.

Quote:
Jaded said... Well, since God intended for it to happen all along, as stated in the OT, then how can it be deemed "illegal?" Whether they intend to or not, they are saying that God did the wrong thing, 'cause He wanted Jesus to be crucified.

If God wanted Jesus to be crucified, then of course it can't be illegal...but it does kinda go against the things he supposedly taught us.

All this is happening in Kenya, a place that never heard of Christianity until less than two hundred years ago. I can't help but wonder when the Kenyan evangelicals will take up arms against the American ones for not following their interpretation of the gospel! They looked at the Cross too, and see it as an instrument of murder. The salvation part came from the person on it, not the instrument itself.
Don't worry: the suit will go nowhere.

***
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration--courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth." --H L Mencken

Well...HL Mencken's quote is predictable, especially when we read it in light of this Scripture verse:

1Cr 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

This morning, I watched and listened to Dr. David Jeremiah's sermon entitled:

What On Earth Am I Here For?

Please click on that link and listen to the broadcast!! It is one of the best that I have heard in a long, long time. Be patient, though! Near the end of the broadcast, you will see the enormous difference that Jesus Christ makes in determining an empty life vs. a purposeful life!!

Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments!

Christine

*******
P.S. As an afterthought, I wanted to include a quote I found about the terms "Talk Wisdom."

Talk wisdom to the stupid, and they will think you foolish.
– Euripides

That is not the reason why I named this blog "Talkwisdom." However, ole' Euripides may have a good point.

One blogger mentioned that he thought I named this blog "Talkwisdom" in order to counter the "Talk Origins" site. Well...that wasn't the real reason, either, although many people have made science their "god" and have erected a "Tower of Babel" of their own by doing so.

I mainly named this blog "Talkwisdom" (btw, apparently "Talk Wisdom" had already been utilized by someone else) because I believe that true wisdom is found in the pages of God's Word, the Bible. All else pales in comparison.

That is why I have made it my goal to share God's Wisdom, through the Person of Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible, here at this blog while each of us "talk" and carry on conversations regarding what is happening in our world today. As stated in my blog description:

This blog is dedicated to defending the tenets and values of Biblical Christian faith. We need Christian Culture Warriors who are willing to share our worldview and stand up for Jesus Christ in our present circumstances. He is our Savior, Lord, and King, and His love needs to be shed abroad in our hearts and in our world - now.

Return Unto Me, says the LORD

This is really sad to read. Only about 30% of young adults ages 18-30 keep attending church, despite the fact that they attended regularly with their parents during their youth and teen years.

Lots of reasons why they fall away stated in this article's sidebar.

The good news is that Proverbs 22:6 is correct about making the effort to "train up a child." God's Word does not return void. Some may depart for a while (in similar ways to the "Prodigal Son" account), but the research shows that many return to the faith in their 30's. Getting married and having children can spur some back towards the faith.

Pro 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Excerpt from article:

The news was not all bad: 35% of dropouts said they had resumed attending church regularly by age 30. An additional 30% attended sporadically. Twenty-eight percent said "God was calling me to return to the church."

The survey found that those who stayed with or returned to church grew up with both parents committed to the church, pastors whose sermons were relevant and engaging, and church members who invested in their spiritual development.

Perhaps those who experienced a period of time away from church can attest to the fact that it served as an important spiritual growth lesson. The article shares that those who left, later realized their need to return to the Lord. The Lord was calling them back to faith! And Jeremiah reiterates that returning back to God with their whole hearts is key.

Jer 24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I [am] the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.


HT: Christian Business Daily

Netherlands: Weariness With Moral Squalor

It would seem that liberal licientiousness is not all that it's cracked up to be! Looks like the people of the Netherlands have come to the conclusion that they need to rethink that nation's anything-goes policies.

Article excerpt:

The effort to rein in the Netherlands' famed social liberties is not limited to the small, newly empowered Christian Union party, which holds two of the 16 ministries in the coalition government formed this year. Increasingly, politicians from the more center-left Labor Party are among the most outspoken proponents of closing some brothels and marijuana shops -- known here as "coffee shops."

"Has the Netherlands changed? Yes," said Frank de Wolf, a Labor Party member of the Amsterdam City Council. "There is not only a different mood among our people and politicians, but there are different problems now."

The Netherlands is going through the same racial, ethnic and religious metamorphosis as the rest of Western Europe: Large influxes of black, Arab and Muslim immigrants are changing the social complexion of an overwhelmingly white, Christian nation struggling with its loss of homogeneity.

But here those anxieties are exacerbated by alarm over the international crime organizations that have infiltrated the country's prostitution and drug trades, the increasing prevalence of trafficking in women and children across its borders, and dismay over the Netherlands' image as an international tourist destination for drugs and sexual debauchery.

"There is an uneasiness about globalization that the Dutch don't have control over their own country anymore," said James C. Kennedy, professor of contemporary history at the Free University of Amsterdam. "There is a more conservative mood in the country that is interested in setting limits and making sure things don't get out of hand."

It would seem that God had our best interests at heart right from the start! He knows what is best for us. The pitfalls of sin have devastating effects upon the mind, body, soul, and spirit. Obedience to God's Law helps us avoid the terrible consequences of unrepentant sin and is good for us.

Article excerpt:

"This toleration policy goes back 35 years," said Veling, snapping the lids off plastic boxes of pungent marijuana blends marked Neville's Haze and White Widow. "Now the word 'coffee shop' has become a symbol of something we don't like about society."

But historian Kennedy describes the attitude as a national "weariness with moral squalor -- the Dutch have grown tired of it and unwilling to put up with it."

He said the rise of the orthodox Christian Union party, many members of which shun television as part of their strict religious code, has coincided with the changing public attitude

Obviously, it is going to take a long time to turn things around. After 35 years of unrestricted sex, drugs, prostitution, abortion, same-sex marriage, organized crime networks, criminal gangs, marijuana "coffee shops," and several years of allowing euthanasia, no one can expect an immediate return to morality.

Article excerpt:

"They are chopping away at the edges so that people don't notice," Gomperts said, "resetting the norm of what is accepted practice."

Editor Kranendonk said his Christian Union party is realistic: "When you're a small party, you can't change everything in four years.

At least it's a start. This is good news.

*******

In further news, the battle for liberty and our religious freedoms continues. Note this email I received from the ACLJ:

Dear Christine,

Your life - your liberty - are in a battle ... on multiple fronts. From my vantage point - seeing firsthand what's happening from the courtroom to the congressional cloakroom - I can confirm:

The ACLU, Americans United, People For the American Way, N.O.W., NARAL, Planned Parenthood, the abortion lobby, and others are almost overwhelming in their intensity right now.

The heat is on - and not just because it's summertime. Yet wherever a threat exists, the ACLJ fights back. So your generous online gift today, which can be DOUBLED through our $350,000 BATTLE FOR LIBERTY Matching Challenge, will give the ACLJ strength in its battle against the anti-life, anti-freedom groups that are so determined to take those liberties away.

[Please visit the ACLJ website to donate today. ]

We will not see the American people stripped of their constitutional freedoms, their religious liberties, their time-tested traditional values.

We will not stand by and let extremists continue taking the lives of unborn babies as if they are worthless trash to be discarded.

As you read these words, we are in the midst of a ''Battle for Liberty'' of nationwide scope - unprecedented in its breadth. We're in court and in the halls of Congress reflecting your values and viewpoints in every case:

Summum v. Pleasant Grove - The latest attack on the public display of the Ten Commandments. A group is suing to display their own guidelines (the Seven ''Aphorisms''), and we're already preparing to go to the Supreme Court of the United States if necessary.

Trunk v. City of San Diego - Opponents of the Mt. Soledad war memorial cross refuse to give up. They're relentlessly fighting public expressions of the Christian faith, even after our court victories. We'll file an amicus brief in federal court soon.

McLean Bible Church v. McLane, et al. - We're in federal court because Fairfax County, Va., says a Bible church must become an official college or university in order to hold Bible studies or religious ministry classes in its facilities! It's an obvious, outrageous attempt to squelch churches' proclamation of the Gospel - and an attack on freedom of religion and speech.

We're preparing a federal case in defense of Teen Challenge, one of the world's most successful drug rehab programs. A local Tennessee planning commission has discriminated against this Christian organization by refusing them the use of property already zoned for rehab services!

We're working hard to turn back congressional efforts to pass a so-called ''Freedom of Choice Act,'' which would enshrine Roe v. Wade into law and open the floodgates for abortion.

We're also working on Capitol Hill to turn back attempts by liberals in Congress to advance the abortion lobby's agenda and restrict our religious liberties in other bills in Congress.

Thank you for whatever support God leads you to give today.

American Center for Law and Justice is a d/b/a for Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, Inc., a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, specifically dedicated to the ideal that religious freedom and freedom of speech are inalienable, God-given rights. The Center's purpose is to educate, promulgate, conciliate, and where necessary, litigate, to ensure that those rights are protected under the law. The organization has participated in numerous cases before the Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeals, Federal District Courts, and various state courts regarding freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Your gift is very much appreciated and fully deductible as a charitable contribution. A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained by writing to us at P.O. Box 450349, Atlanta, GA 31145-0349.

As always, let us know of threats to freedom in your area by calling (757) 226-2489. And tune in to our daily radio program, "Jay Sekulow Live!"

We can see, in hindsight, what happens when a country such as the Netherlands just lets the moral squalor reign in their midst. Therefore, it is truly a worthy cause to donate to organizations like the ACLJ which work hard in court cases to avoid the downward spiral of licientiousness where the liberal left loonies in this country want to send us. Any readers here who are in a position to give to this important organization, I would encourage you to do just that!

Thanks!
Christine

A Good Reminder For Us All

I have read this story in the past. Perhaps you have read it too. But it serves as a good reminder for us all to take the time and read it once again.

This modern day parable helps us to consider, and contemplate, God's meaning and purpose for our lives. It answers the question of why God allows pain and suffering in this world. It demonstrates to us that He wants all of us to come to Him. It reveals that oftentimes it takes pain and suffering for those who may have previously ignored Him or have proclaimed that "God doesn't exist" to finally come to their senses and realize that they are lost without Him!

I hope that you might then be motivated to share this simple, but powerful story with others!

Christine

P.S. Special thanks to my blogging friend Anna, for sending this to me via email today!

This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen:

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:

"You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."

"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

If you think God exists, share this story with other people---

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS .

Meaning IN Life (part 2)

[Note: For the first segment in this series called, "Searching For Heaven On Earth," go here for the outline. You can look up the verses in the outline and get an idea of why Ecclessiastes 1:1-11 discusses "The Futility of Life."]

SEARCHING FOR HEAVEN ON EARTH
Dr. David Jeremiah

“Sorting Out Your Life”
Ecclesiastes 1:12 - 2:26

February 11, 2007

“vanity”-emptiness or without meaning
“under the sun”- the context for Solomon’s research
“profit”-what is left over

I. The Experiences of Life Under the Sun – Ecclesiastes 1:12 - 2:10

A. Searching for Meaning in Wisdom
Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

Ecc 1:12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

Ecc 1:13 And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.

Ecc 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Ecc 1:15 What is crooked cannot be made straight,
And what is lacking cannot be numbered.

Ecc 1:16 I communed with my heart, saying, "Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge."

Ecc 1:17 And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.

Ecc 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief,
And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Dr. Jeremiah shared a bit about a phenomenol student named Karen Chang. She lives in Fremont, CA and had a perfect score on the SAT's. She was a straight A student and a typical teen. However, she admits that she can be a bit of a procrastinator. Her teachers nick-named her "wonder woman."

Here was a young teen girl who held such a marvelous ability to gain knowledge and retain it. However, when a reporter asked her, "What is the meaning of life?" she answered, "I have no idea. I'd like to know that for myself."

In his poem, Choruses from The Rock (1934), T.S. Eliot states:

"All our knowledge brings us nearer to death,
But nearness to death no nearer to God."

Here's the first stanza, so you can better see the context of the quote:

The Eagle soars in the summit of Heaven,
The Hunter with his dogs pursues his circuit.
O world of spring and autumn, birth and dying!
The endless cycle of idea and action,
Endless invention, endless experiment,
Brings knowledge of motion, but not of stillness;
Knowledge of speech, but not of silence;
Knowledge of words, and ignorance of the Word.
All our knowledge brings us nearer to death,
But nearness to death no nearer to God.
Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
The cycles of Heaven in twenty centuries
Brings us farther from God and nearer to the Dust.

Sounds like he got his inspiration from Solomon!

Ecc 1:17 And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.

Ecc 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief,
And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

If education alone could bring meaning, then every person with a PhD would be happy!

Trouble is, smarter people with a sinful nature are those who learn to do evil in a new way.


B. Searching for Meaning in Wild Living
Ecclesiastes 2:1-3

Ecc 2:1
I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure"; but surely, this also was vanity.

Ecc 2:2
I said of laughter--"Madness!"; and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"

Ecc 2:3
I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

Notice how Solomon tried amusement, mirth, pleasure, laughter, wine and madness. Such things failed to bring him happiness.

1. He tried amusement

Proverbs 14:13 - Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth [is] heaviness.

Perhaps we could visualize Solomon's palace like a casino, today, in Las Vegas.


2. He tried alcohol

Ecclesiastes 2:3 - I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what [was] that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

C. Searching for Meaning in Work

Ecclesiastes 2:4-6

Ecc 2:4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.

Ecc 2:5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

Ecc 2:6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove.

In those previous verses, Solomon said "my" or "myself" six times. It didn't do anything for him.

Why was this so? There was no permanent meaning in the accomplishment unless it's after God!

The key is to not make them (accomplishments) the ultimate goal. It won't fill the longing of your soul. Such a longing can only be filled by God.

Look at the life of Ernest Hemingway. After "having it all" he chose to end his life via suicide. He is quoted as having said, "Life is just one damn thing after another."

Seeking meaning in the three ways described above (in knowledge, wild living, or work) alone is empty. What happens is, people are trying to get more out of them than they can deliver!

D. Searching for Meaning in Wealth

Ecclesiastes 2:7-10

Ecc 2:7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me.

Ecc 2:8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments* of all kinds.

Ecc 2:9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

Ecc 2:10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And this was my reward from all my labor.

Ecc 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun

Dr. Jeremiah desired to express how rich Solomon really was. Take a look at

1 Kings 10:14 -
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

The amount of gold that Solomon had was probably valued at 25 million dollars in the days of Solomon. There was gold everywhere! All the drinking vessels were gold. No second place silver in that household! It's nothing compared to the value of gold. Solomons palace was filled with the best of everything; precious stones, exotic spices, gorgeous clothes, the best of foods.

Ecc 2:9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

He had it all! Yet, it didn't bring true meaning and joy to life!

Johnnie Cochran had a saying, "The only value of money is so you don't have to worry about being poor."

But look at Ecc. 2:10-11

Ecc 2:10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And this was my reward from all my labor.

Ecc 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.

II. The Evaluation of Life Under the Sun – Ecclesiastes 2:11-23

A. Man's Work Does Not Satisfy Him
Ecclesiastes 2:11-12

Ecc 2:11

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.

Ecc 2:12
Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly;
For what can the man do who succeeds the king?--
Only what he has already done.

B. Man's Work Does Not Separate Him

Ecclesiastes 2:13-16

Ecc 2:13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly
As light excels darkness.

Ecc 2:14 The wise man's eyes are in his head,
But the fool walks in darkness.
Yet I myself perceived
That the same event happens to them all.

Ecc 2:15 So I said in my heart,
"As it happens to the fool,
It also happens to me,
And why was I then more wise?"
Then I said in my heart,
"This also is vanity."

Ecc 2:16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever,
Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come.
And how does a wise man die?
As the fool!

What has Solomon learned? That all of this doesn't fill the void in his life. He ends up empty. The reason? We are not created that way! The one avenue that gives us pure joy and fulfill is that which leads to God!

Ecc 2:17 Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

C. Man's Work Does Not Succeed Him

Ecclesiastes 2:18-23

Ecc 2:18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

Ecc 2:19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

Ecc 2:20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.

Ecc 2:21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Ecc 2:22 For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun?

Ecc 2:23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

[Note: Depressed yet? It will be O.K.! Just keep reading! Relief is in sight...in the very next paragraph!]

What is Solomon's message to us all? What is the point of relaying all this depressing non-fulfillment information to us? Are you thinking...but I am enjoying my life, these things, my work, my wild life, my _______(fill in the blank)!

The crux of the matter is this:

If all you see is "under the sun" then there is no difference between the wise and the fool! The end result is that they are the same and it doesn't make a difference.

Except! (you knew that was coming....)

Except when you look at eternity!!!

Here's a simple illustration: Do you ever see a hearse pulling a U-Haul?

Of course not!

We have to get through all of this "bad news" to get to the Good News! What is meant in this portion of Scripture, is that you may build what you want, save what you want; but one day you won't be able to manage it.

So, what is the eternal meaning in the accomplishments in life?

We need to step back and get perspective. If we use only our 5 senses, we feel ultimate despair, discouragement and disappointment. Colossians 3:2 tells us the better way:

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

What is the relief from "days that are sorrowful," "work that is burdensome," and the "heart taking no rest?"

Knowing the difference between vanity and the value of eternity!

That verse is worth repeating:

Colossians 3:2 - Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Now wait, it doesn't end there.

(Remember in my hints in the previous post where I stated, "2. ...has both a humorous meaning, and a more serious one, implying that the answer is to enjoy the ride."?)

Don't stop reading now...the next part is really great...I promise!!


III. The Enjoyment of Life Under the Sun – Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

A. True Enjoyment Is a Gift from God
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

Ecc 2:24 Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.

Ecc 2:25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?*

*2:25 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, and Syriac read without Him

Ecclesiastes is not a morbid book, it is an exciting book! It's not a message to just "check out."

It encourages us to get our heads straight and realize that everything we have is given by God! When we know this...really and truly believe and know this, then we experience the real thing - true joy. That's the gift from God that we receive that allows everything to make sense!

The gifts that we receive here, while on this earth are not the ultimate. Think of them as just a "down payment" to what He has prepared for us in eternity!

True joy - when we realize it- is a gift from the Lord!

God isn't a kill-joy.

As Jesus said in Jhn 10:10 - "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly."

But the Bible is filled with admonitions not to seek joy over there (where the thief resides).

Why?

Because you will miss it!

You will miss the true joy!

That personal, intimate joy!

When we have the joy that God brings- then we can enjoy the things he gave us!

We need to keep God in our "portfolio," so to speak!

Think of it this way. We are to hold all that we have in an open hand. If you close your hand - God can't bless you!

1 Timothy 6:17
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

Ecclesiastes 2:25

For who can eat, or who else can hasten [hereunto], more than I?*

*meaning: without Him!

The problem with finding meaning in pleasure is that you have to increase the intensity to get the same "buzz."

Look at how some choose to seek pleasure:

Alcohol
Smoking
Drugs
Gambling
Illicit Sex
Pornography

Isn't it true that the more you seek pleasure in these things the more addictive they can become? They are traps in the hand of the Enemy of our souls...and he know it!

But note this well.

We NEVER have to worry about the intensity of pleasure that God gives!!

People often say, "never say never." But in this case it's biblical!!

This is where the third hint that I had previously given in the first post comes in:

3. The only time to do something when it feels good is if it feels good to God!

Remember the movie, "Chariots of Fire?" The Christian preacher who ran in the Olympics stated, "When I run, I feel His (God's) pleasure." It's just one tiny illustration of what it means to do something that you enjoy, while at the same time, it is pleasing to God, too!


B. True Enlightenment Is a Gift from God

Ecclesiastes 2:26

For [God] giveth to a man that [is] good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

The enlightenment that I have personally received through knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and through studying His Word, the Bible has given me the greatest joy in my life...especially when shared with family and friends!

Dr. Jeremiah shared some examples.

Do you live in a beautiful house? Don't horde it! Use that gift to share God with others through conducting Bible studies or any activity where you can show others the joy of the Lord!

A person once asked Dr. Jeremiah, "if I win the lottery, should I give it to God?" Jeremiah replied, "you shouldn't be playing in the first place; however, if you ever do win give it ALL to God...the devil has had it long enough! Amen?"

Let's end with a beautiful promise verse:



Isaiah 55:1-3

Isa 55:1 "HO! Everyone who thirsts,


Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.

Isa 55:2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you--
The sure mercies of David.

That's a great invitation, isn't it?


Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:


Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,


Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)


Eph 2:6 And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:


Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.


Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

1. "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever".

Amen!

Meaning IN Life

In one segment of his series, "Searching For Heaven on Earth," Dr. David Jeremiah discusses, and answers for us what is "meaning in life." Today's sermon on this subject was truly awesome. I may need to complete it over the course of several days and posts.

Before I get started on sharing the sermon notes, I decided to google the phrase, "meaning in life." Over 95 million links came up! However, most of the ones I viewed (in the first 30 pages) were headlined, "meaning of life." It appears that most people write about the meaning of life, rather than gaining knowledge and information about meaning in life. What's the difference you may ask? You might discover the difference at the end of this series of posts.

I did find a few links that were entitled, "meaning in life." But I found them quite lacking (as compared to Dr. Jeremiah's sermon) in the information shared.

One link was written by DERK PEREBOOM and was titled: "MEANING IN LIFE WITHOUT FREE WILL." That author based his writing upon philosophical thoughts. He had some good things to say, but he lost me when he wrote:

One might argue, however, that we nevertheless desire to be loved by others as a result of their free will. Against this, it is clear that parents' love for their children -- a paradigmatic sort of love -- is often produced independently of the parents' will. Kane endorses this last claim, and a similar view about romantic love, but he nevertheless argues that a certain type of love we want would be endangered if we knew that there were factors beyond the lover's control that determined it. He says:

There is a kind of love we desire from others -- parents, children (when they are old enough), spouses, lovers and friends -- whose significance is diminished... by the thought that they are determined to love us entirely by instinct or circumstances beyond their control or not entirely up to them... To be loved by others in this desired sense requires that the ultimate source of others' love lies in their own wills. (Kane, 1996, p. 88; cf. Anglin, 1991).

The plausibility of Kane’s view might perhaps be enhanced by reflecting on how you would react were you to discover that someone you love was causally determined by a benevolent manipulator to have the love she has for you.

Leaving aside free will for a moment, in which sorts of cases does the will intuitively play a role in generating love for another at all? When the intensity of an intimate relationship is waning, people sometimes make a decision to try to make it succeed, and to attempt to regain the type of relationship they once had.

Notice the lack of discussion about the role of commitment and covenant being essential in a loving relationship. If we read down a bit further, the closest he gets to even mentioning such a thing is this:

...a marital relationship ideally involves a continuously repeated decision. Indeed, many of us might very much desire a relationship with this sort of voluntary aspect. But again, it is difficult to see what is to be added by these continuously repeated decisions being freely willed in the sense required for strong accountability, as opposed to, say, expressing what the agent really stands for. It might well be desirable for each participant that the other make these decisions. But that the participants should in addition be praiseworthy for these choices seems hardly relevant.

Continuously repeated decision? Seems rather cold and lifeless...to me. I didn't find much satisfaction regarding finding meaning in life within that particular philosophical evaluation.

Then I found this link: More Meaning in Life. But I found that link unsatisfying, too. It was a post that was limited to the concept of "Setting (and remembering!) goals makes frugal living enjoyable."

Decided to go on to page 31 and found a Rabbi's philosophical idea interesting, but still lacking in any all-encompassing search for meaning in life.

OK. I'd better check some of the "meaning of life" links. Since there were so many, I just picked the ones that happened to catch my eye.

If you go to Wikipedia's site, you'll need weeks, if not months, to go through all of that material there!

However, at the top of the page it says this:

There is no question. The meaning of life, the universe and everything is 42.

I thought to myself...what?

Further down, this one offering states how many different ways even the question can be interpreted!

"What is the meaning of life?"


means different things to different people. The vagueness of the query is inherent in the word "meaning", which opens the question to many interpretations, such as: "What is the origin of life?", "What is the nature of life (and of the universe in which we live)?", "What is the significance of life?", "What is valuable in life?", and "What is the purpose of, or in, (one's) life?". These questions have resulted in a wide range of competing answers and arguments, from scientific theories, to philosophical, theological, and spiritual explanations.
These questions are separate from the scientific issue of the boundary between things with life and inanimate objects.

Now I know why Dr. Jeremiah specifically named his sermon, "searching for meaning IN life." It is a much more distinct question than "searching for the meaning OF life."

In my search, I found these interesting:

The meaning of life; can you find an answer on the web?

Yes...perhaps...if you want to search through all 95 million of them!!

Atheism, Depression, & Meaning: Do Atheists Lead Meaningless Lives?"

The author starts off claiming that such a thing (in the title) is a myth. Then, I thought that maybe he was on to something when he said this:

A theist might appear to be correct that, without God, there is no objective, externally imposed meaning or purpose to life. The universe does not seem to establish purpose to our lives, aside from perhaps reproduction, or meaning to our lives, aside from perhaps the sheer act of living itself. Thus it may not be unreasonable to conclude that, without the existence of a creator god, there may not be an objective meaning or purpose to our lives.

But, alas, he went on to state:

If, however, the need for an objective purpose or meaning is dispensed with, the need for a God is also eliminated. Do we need such a purpose or meaning? To be quite honest, I don't think so. It seems perfectly adequate for us to create our own meanings and purposes. Indeed, it is arguable that this is a preferable situation. When someone else imposes upon us a purpose of their own design, aren't we little more than slaves?

My answer? It's not "slavery" when one considers the concept of redemption through repentance. Repent is a word that is positive, not negative in meaning. "Re" means to "return." and "pent" means "highest position" (e.g. a penthouse is the highest position in a building.).

So, when we repent, we return to the past, highest position that was once enjoyed by Adam and Eve before the Fall.

At the Wikipedia page, I decided that I should post these, so that when I get into the actual sermon, you can look back at these thoughts, ideas and philosophies that have, as their goal, the desire to push God out of the picture when considering the "meaning IN life":

Atheistic views
Main article: Atheism
Atheism's strictest sense means the lack of belief that a god or supernatural overbeing (of any type or number) exists, and by extension that neither the universe nor we were created by such beings. Atheism pertains to three of the five interpretations of the meaning of life question: "What is the origin of life?", "What is the nature of life (and of the universe in which we live)?", and "What is the purpose of, or in, (one's) life?" Because most atheists reject supernatural explanations for the existence of life, lacking a deistic source, they commonly point to abiogenesis as the likely source for the origin of life. As for the purpose of life, some atheists argue that since there are no gods to tell us what to do, we are left to decide that for ourselves. Other atheists argue that some sort of meaning can be intrinsic to life itself, so there is no need for any god to instill meaning into it. Some believe that life is nothing more than a byproduct of insensate natural forces and has no underlying meaning or grand purpose.

Humanist views
Main article: Humanism
To the humanist, life's biological purpose is built-in: it is to reproduce. That is how the human race came to be: creatures reproducing in a progression of unguided evolution as an integral part of nature, which is self-existing. But biological purpose isn't the same thing as human purpose, though it may be a factor thereof. Human purpose is determined by humans, completely without supernatural influence. Nor does knowledge come from supernatural sources, it flows from human observation, experimentation, and rational analysis preferably utilizing the scientific method: the nature of the universe is what we discern it to be. As are ethical values, which are derived from human needs and interests as tested by experience.

Enlightened self-interest is at the core of humanism. The most significant thing in life is the human being, and by extension, the human race and the environment in which we live. The happiness of the individual is inextricably linked to the well-being of humanity as a whole, in part because we are social animals which find meaning in relationships, and because cultural progress benefits everybody who lives in that culture.

When the world improves, life in general improves, so, while the individual desires to live well and fully, humanists feel it is important to do so in a way that will enhance the well being of all. While the evolution of the human species is still (for the most part) a function of nature, the evolution of humanity is in our hands and it is our responsibility to progress it toward its highest ideals. In the same way, humanism itself is evolving, because humanists recognize that values and ideals, and therefore the meaning of life, are subject to change as our understanding improves.

The doctrine of humanism is set forth in the Humanist Manifesto [1] and A Secular Humanist Declaration [2].

Nihilist views
Main article: Nihilism
Friedrich Nietzsche characterized nihilism as emptying the world and especially human existence of meaning, purpose, comprehensible truth, or essential value. The term nihilism itself comes from the Latin nihil, which means "nothing". Nietzsche described Christianity as a nihilistic religion, because it removes meaning from this earthly life, to instead focus on a supposed afterlife. He also saw nihilism as a natural result of the idea that God is dead, and insisted that it was something to be overcome, by returning meaning to the Earth.

Martin Heidegger described nihilism as the state in which "there is nothing of Being as such", and argued that nihilism rested on the reduction of being to mere value.

Nihilism rejects claims to knowledge and truth, and explores the meaning of an existence without knowable truth. Though nihilism tends toward defeatism, one can find strength and reason for celebration in the varied and unique human relationships it explores. From a nihilist point of view, the ultimate source of moral values is the individual rather than culture or another rational (or objective) foundation. The characteristic that distinguishes nihilism from other skeptical or relativist philosophies is that, rather than merely insisting that values are subjective or even warrantless, nihilism declares that nothing is of value, as the name implies.

Positivist views
Main article: Logical positivism
Of the meaning of life, Ludwig Wittgenstein and the logical positivists said: expressed in language, the question is meaningless. This is because "meaning of x" is a term in life usually conveying something regarding the consequences of x, or the significance of x, or that which should be noted regarding x, etc. So when "life" is used as "x" in the term "meaning of x", the statement becomes recursive and therefore nonsensical.

Other philosophers besides Wittgenstein have sought to discover what is meaningful within life by studying the consciousness within it. But when these philosophers looked for a holistic definition of the “Meaning of Life” for humanity, they were stone-walled by the Wittgenstein linguistic model.

Logical positivism asserts that statements are meaningful only insofar as they are verifiable, and that statements can be verified only in two (exclusive) ways: empirical statements, including scientific theories, which are verified by experiment and evidence; and analytic truth, statements which are true or false by definition, and so are also meaningful. Everything else, including ethics and aesthetics, is not literally meaningful, and so belongs to "metaphysics". One conclusion is that serious philosophy should no longer concern itself with metaphysics.

Pragmatist views
Main article: Pragmatism
Pragmatic philosophers suggest that rather than a truth about life, we should seek a useful understanding of life. William James argued that truth could be made but not sought. Thus, the meaning of life is a belief about the purpose of life that does not contradict one's experience of a purposeful life. Roughly, this could be applied as: "The meaning of life is those purposes which cause you to value it." To a pragmatist, the meaning of life, your life, can be discovered only through experience.

Although I found many of the following lacking in depth concerning the absolute truth as revealed within the Bible, there are some segments within that can be considered biblically sound and agreed upon. (I have bolded my favorites)

Theistic beliefs
Main articles: Religion and Religious humanism
There are many different interpretations to the "Word of God", and therefore many interpretations to the meaning of life. However, reaching Heaven in the afterlife can be seen as a universal meaning of life or goal for followers of Abrahamic religions. Also universal teachings, or meanings, to be followed in virtually all religions are "The Golden Rule" and simple living.

Relationship to God
Most people who believe in a personal God would agree that it is God "in whom we live and move and have our being". The notion here is that we respond to a higher authority who will give our lives meaning and provide purpose through a relationship with the divine. Although belief is also based on knowing God "through the things he has made," the decision to believe in such an authority is called the "leap of faith", and to a very large degree this faith defines the faithful's meaning of life.

[Note: the following assumption is deeply flawed. For one thing, Satan's destiny has already been settled. Humans are here to find God through Jesus Christ and to worship Him forever; not to "settle a dispute between God and Satan." And, what's up with the mispelling of Satan's name? :]

Another belief by Fundamentalist Christians is that humans have been placed here to settle a dispute between God and Satain. The belief is that Satain thought that he could be as good as God, and therefore become God. With this God threw Satain out of Heaven. Satain appealed to God to be allowed back in by saying that none could follow God, or believe he is God. With that God made a deal with Satain, that if there was one believer in every generation, then Satain would be cast down into the lake of fire. Since the beginning of human creation, with the creation of the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve, there has been a believer in every generation. A Jewish believer before the coming of Christ, and followers of Christ after his coming. R.B. Thieme, and others ministries

To "be fruitful, and multiply; fill the earth, and subdue it"
An example of how religion creates purpose can be found in the biblical story of creation in the Old Testament of the Bible: the purpose for man comes from his relationship to God and in this relationship he is told to "Be fruitful, and multiply; fill the earth, and subdue it" Genesis 1:28. This indicates that subsequent to the goal of being in personal relationship with God, the propagation of the human race, the care and population of the earth, and the control of the earth (but as man sinned, he lost the full ability to do so, characterized by the fact that animals are not under full control) are the first three commandments God has set for man.

Another Biblical example is given in Micah 6:8, which states "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." However, instructions given by God and the meaning of life (or the purpose of one's existence), are not necessarily the same thing.


To love God and neighbor
Another example, this one also from Judaism and Christianity, which agree broadly on two of their most important imperatives for life:

"The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength'." This is the 'first commandment' according to Jesus (Mark 12:28-31), and is also a quote from the central prayer of Judaism, known as the Shema (Deut 6:4-9).
"And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'." (Christianity: Mark 12:28-31). Judaism records this both in the positive sense (Leviticus 19:18: "Love thy neighbor") and the negative sense (Hillel, ""What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole Law; the rest is just commentary")
Both of these commands are relational and are primarily concerned with knowing God in order to equip the believer to maintain a loving relationship with other members of the human race. According to Benedict XVI, the ultimate reason for loving God and men is that "God is love" (Deus Caritas Est) and men are made in his image. The Christian God, he says, is the Logos, (the Word: meaning and reason).

Reformed theology: glorify and enjoy God
The Westminster Shorter Catechism looked at the history of what God has taught man, and summarized it at its outset: "man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever".

Finally, just for fun, I thought I'd include some of the humorous responses that have been given by popular culture. [Notice, too, the explanation (below) of the comment shared above that expressed that "the meaning of life" is "42."]

Humorous and popular culture treatments
The very concept "the meaning of life" has become such a cliché that it has often been parodied, such as in the radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, later released as a novel, a television series, a film, and a computer game. As the story goes, an advanced race of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings (mice) builds a gigantic computer called Deep Thought to find The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything.

Seven and a half-million years later, the computer gives the answer: "42". After giving the answer to an (unsurprisingly) underwhelmed audience, Deep Thought explained that the problem with the answer was not the answer, but that no-one really knew what the question was. (It may be worth noting, that later on it is revealed to Arthur Dent, that the answer and the question cannot be known at the same time. In the book The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, it is found that the question is: "What do you get if you multiply six by nine." The answer would be 54 in base ten, but 42 in base thirteen.) In reference to this series, "42" is commonly provided as an honest answer if someone feels the word "meaning" is too vague. Joe Bob Briggs miscommunicated this in one of his columns as "43". In one strip of the parody comic "Sev-space" it is inquired "why the number 47 constantly shows up on the monitor?" it is then stated that "42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything... But you get 47 if you adjust it to the inflation." This is an obvious reference to the "Star Trek" series where the number 47 is heavily featured [5].

Or maybe there is no meaning to life; that is, "What you see is what you get", as portrayed in the comedy film The Meaning of Life: you are born, you eat, you go to school, you have sex, you have children, you grow old (if someone doesn't kill you first), and you die, and in Heaven every day is Christmas. At the very end of the film, Michael Palin is handed an envelope, opens it, and says nonchalantly: "Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try to be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try to live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations."

In The Simpsons episode "Homer The Heretic", a representation of God tells Homer what the meaning of life is, but as usual the one who really wanted to know (the viewer) is left disappointed. The dialogue goes as follows:

Homer: God, what's the meaning of life?
God: Homer, I can't tell you that.
Homer: Why not?
God: You'll find out when you die.
Homer: Oh, I can't wait that long.
God: You can't wait 6 months?
Homer: No, tell me now...
God: Oh, OK... The meaning of life is...[Theme music starts and the show ends. The creator's original idea was that a commercial would come after this scene and before the credits, thusly having the commercial interrupt God's explanation to humorous effect]

In the Peanuts comic strip Charlie Brown explains he thinks the purpose of life is to make others happy, to which Lucy responds that she doesn't think she is making anyone happy, and—more importantly—no one is making her happy, so someone isn't doing their job.

Paul Gauguin's interpretation can be seen in the painting, Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?

In Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, Bill and Ted end up meeting God. Before being admitted into his presence, St. Peter (billed as The Gatekeeper on IMDb) asks them what the meaning of life is, and they reply "Every rose has its thorn. Every night has a dawn. Every cowboy sings a sad sad song.". These are the lyrics to a song by Poison, a 1980s glam rock band.

Another popular belief is that the meaning of life is to die, according to comedians and other types of media. In a similar vein, antagonist Smith in the final part of The Matrix trilogy, Matrix Revolutions, tells the protagonist Neo that "it was your life that taught me the purpose of all life. The purpose of life is to end."

In the movie Judge Dredd (1995):

Warden Miller: So tell me, Rico, what is the meaning of life?
Rico: It ends.

Conan the Barbarian, in the film of the same name, when asked, "What is best in life?" responds, "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women."

In several different media, the theme of finding one's individual path is revealed. For example, Coelho's "Alchemist" and the movie City Slickers both present a similar theme: the meaning of life is an individual journey to find one's own "path". In this context, the "path", similar to what is defined in Buddhism as the "4th Noble Truth", and is best explained simply as the overall way one chooses to lead their life. It is a different answer for each person, and the only obligation one has in life is to find his or her path.

Due to the apparently overwhelming "knowledge" of the MSN Messenger chat bot SmarterChild, its creators have claimed that the meaning of life is one of the most common requests from its users. The algorithm has since been tweaked so that instead of responding with a generic message, it replies with a humorous "ask Ken Ma" and a smiling emoticon. There has been speculation as to whether or not Ken Ma is a real person, whilst one common theory is that the name is an inside joke amongst the developers of the chat bot.

In his book "A Man Without a Country", Kurt Vonnegut sums up life with the words: "We're all here to fart around. Don't let anyone tell you any different!" Although it could be said that he believes the meaning of life was stated best by his son Mark whom he quotes in two books, stating, "We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is."

George Carlin has once said that the meaning of life is "to find a place to put all your stuff". In another skit he speculates the meaning of life is that the earth wanted plastic which humans pollute the world with.

One popular phrase is "The meaning of life is 'to live': it's in the dictionary[6]" which, although technically incorrect ("life" is a noun while "to live" describes a verb), has both a humorous meaning, and a more serious one, implying that the answer is to enjoy the ride.

Interested in a sneak preview of what the sermon shares?

Here's three hints:

1. "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever".
2. ...has both a humorous meaning, and a more serious one, implying that the answer is to enjoy the ride.
3. The only time to do something when it feels good is if it feels good to God.

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HT: Wikipedia