Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

November 22
Sunday


HEAVEN ON
EARTH?

READ:
Ecclesiastes 2:15-26
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Set your mind on
things above, not on
things on the earth.
__Colossians 3:2
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The Singapore developer of an extravagant condominium advertised its new project as, "Rediscover Heaven on Earth." I suppose it meant to convey to prospective buyers that their purchase would be so luxurious that it would be like living in heaven while here on earth.

Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, was an extremely wealthy man (Ecc. 1:12). He tried to find heaven on earth and had the means to live as luxuriously as he could wish (2:1-12). Yet he wasn't satisfied. So disillusioned was he with life, he described it with just one word--"vanity" (or "meaningless"). And he repeated the word eight times in chapter two alone. As long as he looked only at life "under the sun" (2:18), he felt hollow and dissatisfied. All of his striving was ultimately futile. There would come a day when he would have to relinquish his possessions and leave them to someone else (v.18).

If you are a Christian, you can look to Christ's promise of a heavenly home He has gone to prepare (John 14:2). That's why Paul advised those who are enjoying what God has given: "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:2). Don't try to find heaven on earth. You won't--no matter how hard you look! __C. P. Hia
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````````````````Lightly hold earth's joys so transient,``````````````
```````````````````Loosely cling to things of clay;`````````````````
```````````````````Grasp perfections everlasting,`````````````````
````````````Where christ dwells in heaven's day! __Bosh````````````
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Those who have their hearts fixed on heaven
will hold loosely the things of earth.

************Today's Bible Reading __ Ecclesiastes 2:15-26**********

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."

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!

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. 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....
This also is vanity.

20 Therefore I turned my
heart and despaired of all
the labor in which I had
toiled under the sun. 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. 22 For what has man
for all his labor, and for the
striving of his heart with
which he has toiled under
the sun? 23 For all his days
are sorrowful, and his work
burdensome; even in the
night his heart takes no rest.
This also is vanity.

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.

25 For who can eat, or who
can have enjoyment, more
than I? 26 For God gives
wisdom and knowledge and
joy to a man who is good in
His sight; but to the sinner
He gives the work of
gathering and collecting,
that he may give to him
who is good before God.
This also is vanity and
grasping for the wind.