House Of Pain

Solomon writes this simple advice in Ecclesiastes 12.1 "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say,
"I find no pleasure in them"-
2. Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3. when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows
grow dim
4. when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when men rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
5. when men are afraid of heights and dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blooms
and the grasshopper drags himself along
and desire no longer is stirred
Then man goes to his eternal home
and mourners go about in the streets.


Solomon possessed wisdom and powers of observation but had to conclude some things are beyond understanding.
Failing in his attempt to figure out life he fell back on simple advise to conclude his book " FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS" (from my Bible commentary)
advocating a life of faith he describes (above) the decay that was already at work in his body. (HOUSE)

The video of "Bittersweet Symphony That's Life" by THE VERVE
describes the irony of life" your a slave to money then you die" in its lyrics and the refrain in the chorus "I am here in my moan..... I'll take you down the only road Iv'e been down...... no change I can't change"
describes the hopeless trap of this body (house)
and the human condition without God and without purpose and meaning as summed up by Solomon.

Talkin bout all generations

Talkin Bout My Generation

Not a 1969 song by "The Who" but originally from a time after Moses succesor Joshua died at the age of one hundred ten.
Judges 2 vs.10 "after that generation had been gathered to their fathers , another generation grew up, who neither knew the Lord nor what he had done for Isreal."

It has been said that "Christianity is only one generation from extinction"

It has been called "The greatest generation" when refering to our world war 2 parents and grandparents who plowed the hard ground for the bountiful harvest of the over consuming "Kids of the baby boom"
In an effort to give a better life and protect our children from stark realities we often fail them by coddling them and asking so little of them. any psychologist would tell you this is bad for their self esteem and purpose and value.
We fail when we do not teach as we go : duet 6:7 " (These comandments)....Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
An article in the TULSA WORLD Religion section Saturday March 28-2009 Titled "ASK MORE OF US" discusses what teens want-more intellectual challenges.
The Article speaks to the myth that adolescence is a time to goof off and authors Alex and Brett Harris state "The teen years are meant to be a launching pad" They have a book titled "DO HARD THINGS : A TEENAGE REBELLION AGAINST LOW EXPECTATIONS"

They place an emphasis on doctrine and apologetics to address the issue of the post-modern worlds rejection of truth and the emptiness of a shallow theology.

Apologetics is a branch of theology that offers an intelectual , rational defence of the Christian faith"

They quote" The no.1 reason young people leave their faith in college is intellectual skepticism, a beleif that there is is no scientific or historical proof for their faith"

Of course the warning of knowing the facts without know the diety (relationship with Christ).
As the Eagles sing "all the knowledge in the world is of no use to fools" (LONG ROAD OUT OF EDEN TITLE TRACK)

Corinthians 8:2 "The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3. But the man who loves God is known by God." or in vs.1 " KNOWLEDGE PUFFS UP, BUT LOVE BUILDS UP"

Also in Corinthians .27 "BUT GOD CHOSE THE FOOLISH THINGS OF THE WORLD TO SHAME THE WISE;" vs;26 "THINK OF WHAT YOU WERE..."


1 cor 2 :4-5 "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of THE SPIRITS POWER, so that your faith might not rest on mens wisdom , but on GODS POWER"
All this" imformation age" life without a True God experience is growing a void in the hearts of men searching for meaning and purpose, HEALING AND UNDERSTANDING
which helps explain the runaway success of the book by William Paul Young Titled "THE SHACK"
Much more on this next post.