Sufficient Self's Bible Study Group

[BarredBuff]

My 2 on this

Okay, I want to understand the repetition of the eat/drink and taking pleasure in all your toil and what it means to you all.

At this point King Solomon is still having a strong dialogue with himself about the purpose of life "under the sun". He is still not speaking or pondering the question from a child of God's standpoint, which is the reason why it is all vanity. Without God, there is no purpose, or meaning to life, so all the unbeliever has is his work.

Good point!!

 

[Beekissed]

I've been reading a book called In Light of Eternity lately and it has a lot to say about storing up riches here on Earth. I'd always heard preachers talk about it but I never realized just how we were to "store up riches in Heaven" until I read that book.

It makes so much sense when someone takes the time to explain just how we are to work down here on Earth. I never really thought about how my life would be in Heaven, I just assumed it would be good, no matter what was happening, where I lived, in what dwelling God placed me.

And it will be, of this I'm sure. But that book really outlined what our "riches" will be like in Heaven and why we should work towards earning crowns/rewards there. It makes it quite clear that we cannot earn our way into Heaven, but that our good works certainly earn us a richer, more fulfilling life there. I had always just counted myself fortunate to even get there, let alone thinking of what my lifestyle there would be.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Bee, who is the author of the book, i will look for it in mychurches library.

17 I said to myself, God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man, for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.

Can we ponder this for a moment? My dh, who had been raised in a christian home, but wh is recently saved, asked me this question. He said he knows unbelievers will be judged, but how will believers be judged. I did some searching on the net, and found him an article, but I still think it is a valid questiont that many do not fully comprehend.

 

[sheaviance1]

That sounds like a very good book. I will look for that one.

I should list all of the different books/studies I have that I have already finished in case anyone wants to borrow. That would be fun to have a "library" that we all have access to and swap when needed.

 

[Beekissed]

The author is David Alcorn. In his book he clarifies that very question....one I had always had. I quailed at the thought that all my misdeeds would be laid bare at the judgement and I would feel all the shame and sorrow that I feel now when I think back.

He says that judgement for believers will be different than for sinners and that our good deeds will be judged and rewarded, our lost opportunities will be pointed out and one can lose those rewards by missing opportunities to glorify God and do His work. Our sins have been washed as white as snow, so they will no longer be subjected to judgement....but our work for God will be judged and awarded accordingly.

There are references to losing one's crowns/rewards in the following scriptures:

Rev. 3:11, 1 Cor. 9:27, 1 Cor. 3:15, Matt. 25: 28-29, Matt. 6: 5-6

Until reading that book, I used to scoff at one wanting to earn crowns of glory....used to laugh and say I wasn't a hat person, so I didn't want to wear one anyway. Now, however, I am more enlightened to what that entails and would very much love to earn crowns to throw at Jesus' feet one day.

 

[sheaviance1]

Bee, I am beginning to think that you should WRITE a book. You are very eloquently spoken.

Now I know I want to find that book, thank you for the additional insight. I will look those scriptures up during my quiet time tonight.

 

[BarredBuff]

I agree! I couldnt think of any one better to be an ambassador to God and his love and works!

Im reading a book currently that has helped me tremendously with understanding other world religions. By the way......

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, I am beginning to think that you should WRITE a book. You are very eloquently spoken.

Now I know I want to find that book, thank you for the additional insight. I will look those scriptures up during my quiet time tonight.

Thank you for the kind words, sheaviance and James!

You can find that book and others by the same author on Amazon for a very cheap price! If your church library does not have them, Amazon is an amazingly cheap place to find them.

I am trying to amass a nice library of books that explain certain things that are pertinent to this time in the world. If there is anything I want left behind, it is these books, my Bibles and any other reference I can leave to inform someone who may be desparately looking for comfort during those times.

There is another book right now that answers so many questions for me and I can't seem to put it down, though I've read it over and over. What In The World is Going On? by Dr. David Jeremiah....so much insight into the end times prophecy as it pertains to Israel, the middle east, the European Union, the rapture, etc. I honestly didn't know~ after listening to a lifetime of preaching~ most of the things he has researched and related in this book.

It helps me to read these books with my Bible standing by in order to reference the scriptures they draw from....it really helps to read the kind of books that brings a lot of the scriptures about a certain subject into one place so that one can peruse them as a whole, instead of fragmented throughout the Bible.

 

[Wannabefree]

So are we going to do an End Times study?

 

[miss_thenorth]

I would love to. My church does not have one planned in at least the next 6 months. and for the record. i am not argumentative. (Unless you insult or disprespect me, then I tend to get my hackles up.) differing or opposing view are not seen (atleast to me) as something to argue over, just learn from.