“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:11You would think Solomon would be happy. After all, he had it all-money, fame, power, a vast harem, an enormous kingdom, ships that brought him riches …
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.” Ecclesiastes 2:10Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be king for a day? Suppose that for just one day you had unlimited wealth, unlimited power, and could do anything you w…
“I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.” Ecclesiastes 2:9Here is his story, briefly told: At age six, his mother threw his birthday cake off the porch. He played the French Horn at age twelve and by the time he was fifteen he was playing professionally with some of the top j…
“I amassed silver and gold for myself and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well-the delights of the heart of man.” Ecclesiastes 2:8Solomon had a harem, all right, seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. Historians tell us that many of his wives were not romantic attachments b…
“I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem…
“I thought in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ But that also proved to be meaningless. ’Laughter,’ I said, ‘is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?’ I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly-my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted …
Recently a new friend discovered us on the Internet. I’m still not sure exactly how he found us, but he did, and he liked what he saw on the KBM website. After two or three emails back and forth, he wrote me this nice note:I am very proud I am part of your team and want to be more active as soon as I find out like membership, ETC. $$$ and I w…
“I thought to myself, ‘Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.’ Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For w…
Today I was interviewed on American Family Radio by Tim Wildmon and Jim Stanley about the church in China. They asked me why the church has grown so dramatically in spite of decades of crushing persecution. The numbers are indeed staggering:1949: 700,000 Christians1974: 2,500,000 Christians1980: 10,000,000 Christians2012: 130,000,000 ChristiansHow …
“What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.” Ecclesiastes 1:15Here are two stories to ponder. One comes from the Civil War, the other from the Vietnam War. In Charles Bracelen Flood’s book Lee: The Last Years, Flood tells of a time after the Civil War when Robert E. Lee visited a woman who took…