Brenda Online

Brendaonline.com Ecclesiastes 7:1-29 (KJV) 1 A good name [is] better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. A good reputation is better than expensive medicine.   Because we do not know God, death is better than birth.  2 [It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that [is] the end of all men; and the living will lay [it] to his heart.  Bad times make us think.  Happy times we tend to think for the moment. We must face this saying like it or not, and if you are living you will have the evidence and know this is true. 3 Sorrow [is] better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. To a man who does not know God, it is better than laughter:  at least you think more about the realization of life while you are facing someone's death. Why do we learn through pain better? Pain makes us remember that we should do something differently.  4 The heart o...

brendaonline.com 6  There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: Solomon states he sees common problems among people. 2  A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease. You have the luxury of life but to sick to enjoy it.  A stranger eats what was prepared for you.  This is vain and it is a disease that is evil. 3  If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and  also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he. A man with many children who lives a long time and his children did not care for him is worse than a miscarriage. 4  For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with da...

Brendaonline.com Ecclesiastes 5:1-20 (KJV) 1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.   The purpose of gathering to go into the house of the Lord is to hear the Word of God.   Some people treat God's house as a runway or social club or even a place to take care of business.  If we are not ready to hear, we will offer God an offering that shows we are clueless about what He expects from us. The Philistines (1 Samuel 5) made an offering of gold tumors (hemorrhoids) and mice.  When  I read that I was taken back and thrown for a loop.  The Philistines showed that they had no idea what to offer because they did not know God's expectations. Fools think they know God, but in reality, God shows us who He is by  His mercy Himself.  The only way to know God is by His Word. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter [...

Brendaonline.com Ecclesiastes 4:1-16 (KJV) 1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of [such as were] oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors [there was] power; but they had no comforter.    2 Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.  3 Yea, better [is he] than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.  4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit.  Surprisingly to me was the first verse that states the oppress and the oppressor both need comfort.  If we as mere men saw a man being beaten, we would naturally try to save the one who is being hurt.  But Jesus said they both need me.  This was love on another level. Solomon at this time did not intr...

Brendaonline.com After all, is said and done, God has given us three things according to Ecclesiastes 3 and they are what we see in verse 13: eat, drink and work hard.  We must understand that each of us has an assignment to do.  We are all one body and many members.  If we all took care of what it took to be what we have been given to do, we will work as one complete unit.  For example, my left eye was made to see from the left side of my face.  It does not argue with my liver.  My liver is a part of me, you do not see, but it is doing what is designed to do.  We must function as God has gifted us and know that is the only part we have to give into account.  There is no need for judging and being full of pride.  We have been given our portion and God wants us to have a good time carrying it out. God told us that we were given a season and time within the season.  In our season we must take heed to apply ourselves to the will of God. ...

Brendaonline.com The most dangerous position to find yourself in is to think you know God and He does not know you.  To know God is to know His Word.  Without God's Word, it is impossible to know God. Solomon, being the richest  man known to  man left us a warning;  if  what we do is not recognized by God, it is a waste of time.  Chapter 2 gives us a glimpse of a life that is too busy to know what God has to say about our choices.  2  I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. 2  I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 3  I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. 4  I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5...