Cheer Up!  The Worst is Yet to Come
 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Ecclesiastes 1:18

Three Reasons to NOT Sorrow and Grieve these days!


The direction this country is going has been talked about for years -
and today, we see that it is truly coming true.

1.  The arrest and imprisonment of every Bible Believing pastor and street preacher in this country.
2.  The total abolition of private property, except for corporation execs, politicians, and federal judges, etc.
3.  The training of children by the state, with all mothers forbidden to teach their children anything that resembles true KJ Biblical Christianity.
4.  A social welfare state that carries you from the cradle to the grave on the grounds that you obey it every step of the way.
5.  The confiscation of all weapons, except those carried by politicians, journalists, federal judges and policemen.
6.  Legalize abortion, pornography, drugs and sex perversion.
7.  The abolition of monogamy and wedding vows.

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:10

What makes it even sadder is that we see there isn't much of a fight being put against those trends.
People just seem to be more than willing to have it that way!


What have we ourselves learned in our observations and from the preaching, teaching, etc.?

Do We sorrow and grieve over those things?

Question: Is this Hour of Temptation supposed to be a time of sorrow and grief?

See Matthew 24:3-14+ - endure to the end; it's the Tribulation!  verse 8 - All these are the beginning of sorrows.
See Mark 13:3-13+ - 13:8b ...these are the beginnings of sorrows.

Answer: No - the Tribulation is called BEGINNING of sorrow, not the Laodicean Church Age!
So, what are we to do today?

That's simple - FALL UPON YOUR SWORD and let God carry you through your sorrows and grief, etc.


Wrong but "real" causes of Sorrow? Paul mentions 'proper sorrow!'
Amongst "proper sorrowing" for these times, there must also still be rejoicing!  II Corinthians 6:10; I Corinthians 13:6b - but rejoiceth in the truth;
1.  Godly sorrow can make your heart right with God!  II Corinthians 7:9,10
2.  Over others!  Romans 9:2; 10:1-3;

We ought not lose sleep over sorrows!
Psalm 127:2
 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows:
for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

Why Not?


Because of Jesus Christ!

He is despised and rejected of men;
a man of sorrows,
and acquainted with grief:
and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:3,4

As a man of sorrows, He was acquainted with grief!!!
He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows!!!

John 16:20-22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Remember, He is still talking about the tribulation TO the Jews, etc...
but we certainly have opportunity to make a spiritual application!!!

He HAS SEEN US and we now SEE HIM!
So our heart ought to rejoice - and we should let NOBODY take away our joy - even today!


So, as Jesus 'left,' He sent us Paul - so that He could send Himself to us!

Paul even reminds us...
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18

Peter reminds us...
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently?
but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
I Peter 2:20

Yes, Jesus Christ has NOT returned yet, but He HAS in our hearts.
He is not here - yet...  but the King James Bible is!


Three Reasons to NOT Sorrow and Grieve these days?
1.  Jesus Christ
2.  The King James Bible

and...
3...


Let's go back to Ecclesiastes 1:18

Solomon is talking with himself here - he is not 'preaching to us!'  He is coming to a conclusion here.  After all that he has done, seen, etc. he says that if we increase in wisdom, we will increase in grief!  If we increase in knowledge, we will increase in sorrow.

So, do we refrain from seeking any wisdom?
Do we hold back learning any more knowledge?
Is Ignorance really bliss?

Of course not!


James 3:15-17 tells us that there are two kinds of wisdom:
1)  pure, then peaceable
2)  earthly, sensual, devilish

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

If we seek pure, peaceable wisdom, we will not be distressed,
nor will we be grieved!

In other words, the more we know about life "under the sun," the more sorrowful we will get!  This sorrow will produce more grief if that is what we meditate and set our affection on!  Colossians 3:1-3

What Paul knew about his people caused 'continual sorrow' as it should for us - but he was able to still rejoice... rejoice!  Philippians 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Yes, the world is full of sorrow - pain - grief - unfairness - etc. But there is the other side of the coin - the part that we don't get...

Vanity of vanities, all is vanity versus every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour!
What profit hath a man of all his labour versus ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
This sore travail hath God given to the sons of man versus our present light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
That which is wanting cannot be numbered versus my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus... that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow versus I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord... in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Solomon's 1:18 is his approach to life from an un-saved person's point of view!
It has nothing to do with Biblical Christianity!

It is written to lost folks trying to gain the whole world but lose their soul!  Matthew 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?


Then, as Bible Believing Christians, we ought not be sorrowing except to 'get right' and for 'others' sakes.  Otherwise, we have nothing to be sorrowful about!
1)  Get your heart right with God through Jesus Christ, if that is why you are sorrowing!
2)  Pray and just keep trying to show the truth to those 'others' you are sorrowing over... don't give up on them!
Just remember, they not only need to HEAR the truth from you, they need to SEE it in you, too...
and that means a rightly divided truth!

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.  II Timothy 2:22-26


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