{"id":4387,"date":"2015-09-16T22:27:46","date_gmt":"2015-09-16T22:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/?p=4387"},"modified":"2026-01-26T22:30:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T22:30:50","slug":"vanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/index.php\/2015\/09\/16\/vanity\/","title":{"rendered":"Vanity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who will remember you?…Vanity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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“For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and with success; yet he shall leave it as inheritance to a man who has not labored in it. This also is vanity and a great evil.”\u00a0 Ecclesiastes 2:21<\/em><\/h3>\n

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“For the living know that they shall die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.\u00a0 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, have now perished; nor do they ever any longer have a part in anything that is done under the sun.”\u00a0 Ecclesiastes 9:5-6<\/em><\/h3>\n

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The American Dream, for many it has become the American Nightmare in the past several years.\u00a0 The idea is simple.<\/h3>\n

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After high school, go to college or get a good hard-working American job.\u00a0 Either way, once your career choice is established, meet the woman of your dreams, buy a house, have a family.\u00a0 From there take vacations to great places throughout your life, all while saving for retirement.\u00a0 Retire at a decently ‘young’ age and enjoy your later years without having to worry about money.\u00a0 Die.<\/h3>\n

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While the exact definition of the American dream may vary a bit, none of the versions include the last word, die.\u00a0 There is a reality behind it, nobody like to think about it, but we all know that eventually death will come to find us.\u00a0 We will all die.\u00a0 So what has happened in the past several decades in America to help alleviate this uncomfortable truth?<\/h3>\n

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The churches in America have grown in unison with the ‘trust us’ mentality.\u00a0 There are different variations used in their methodology.\u00a0 Some churches simply use a repeat-after-me prayer and then ‘resolve’ the problem, others have a works based methodology.\u00a0 Still others simply convince their converts to not be worried about dying, things will work out in the end.\u00a0 Death, dying, the dead, this is something that man seeks to be comforted over.<\/h3>\n

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Sometimes this comforting is not even about oneself at the moment, at times it is in regarding a loved one.\u00a0 When a parent, a spouse, a child, a loved friend or family member or in many cases for many people, a celebrity dies, what does everyone proclaim?\u00a0 The proclamations are generally that the person is now ‘in a better place’ or ‘ they are in heaven’.\u00a0 People are comforted that they are now ‘looking down on them’.\u00a0 What if there was such a great evil purported, what if a grand scheme that was SO HORRIBLE had taken place?<\/h3>\n

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The American Dream, it now includes the fact that one not only has what they desire BUT that they also<\/strong> have eternal rest.\u00a0 The real question is this, does it really include your eternal soul?\u00a0 To further the deception, for whom does one really put their trust in when it comes to God’s eternal Word?<\/h3>\n

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The world has churches with stages, fancy lighting, coffee shops or the other extreme–the conservative Baptist church on the corner that proclaims ‘just repeat after me’ or easy-believerism.\u00a0 God has laid out in His Word how man can be Saved.<\/h3>\n

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In the past several years the American Dream has turned into a nightmare for many.\u00a0 Their mortgage is underwater, they are cash strapped, they have lost their homes, too much debt, not enough decent paying jobs, etc.\u00a0 Yet for those whom have in the past and still do continue to live the American Dream, what has become of them, what will become of those once they die?<\/h3>\n

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Even with all of the luxuries in the world, the comforts, delectable food, warm and fine imported linens, sports cars (or huge SUV’s), a dolled-up wife (for the man) or a loaded husband (for the woman), vacations that present pictures that create envy and jealously on Facebook, Instagram and other social media outlets and finally that tenure from the career that one chose, what then?\u00a0 What is the conclusion?\u00a0 What is the value of these things?\u00a0 In the end, what is it all worth without Christ?\u00a0 Have you considered!\u00a0 This is important, stop and think!<\/h3>\n

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Those of you who have acquired such things know that it is not enough!\u00a0 Do not say it is not so, I have been there.\u00a0 Tossing money here and there buying what one wants does NOT satisfy the soul, except for a brief moment.\u00a0 As soon as the newness wears off the mind immediately affixes itself on something different, something else.<\/h3>\n

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“I made my works great; I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
\nI made gardens and orchards for myself, and I planted trees in them, of all <\/em>kinds of<\/em> fruit. I made pools of water for myself, to water the forest springing up with trees. I have bought slaves and maids, and had servants born in my house; I also had more livestock, herds and flocks, than all who were before me in <\/em>Jerusalem<\/em>. \u00a0I also gathered silver and gold to myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got men singers and women singers for myself, and the delights of the sons of men, wives and concubines.\u00a0 I was great and increased more than all that were before me in <\/em>Jerusalem<\/em>; also my wisdom remained with me. \u00a0And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I did not withhold my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my share from all my labor. \u00a0Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and striving of spirit; and there was no profit under the sun. And I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what can the man do who comes after the king, when it has already been done? \u00a0Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness. \u00a0The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness; and I also considered that one event happens to them all. \u00a0Then I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me; and why was I then more wise? And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. \u00a0For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever, since that which is now shall all be forgotten in the days to come. And how does the wise <\/em>man<\/em> die? <\/em>Same as<\/em> the fool! \u00a0Therefore I hated life; because the work that is done under the sun is evil to me; for all is vanity and striving of spirit.”\u00a0 Ecclesiastes 2:4-17<\/em><\/h3>\n

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Recently there was a website that was hacked.\u00a0 This site is designed for married people only and for finding another married person to commit infidelity with, adultery!\u00a0 Clearly this practice is forbidden, but yet nearly 37 million people, mostly Americans, where on this website!\u00a0 37 MILLION!\u00a0 This is just ONE website, there are MANY more.\u00a0 Apparently most people are not content with their spouse, it is never enough!<\/h3>\n

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Rest assured that if you don’t figure it out sooner than later, realize that it will never be enough.\u00a0 The increase of goods never satisfies the soul.\u00a0 Yet man tries to include a sense of security, a thought or promise from those WHO CANNOT PROMISE SUCH THINGS that their soul is secure, that they are going to Heaven when they die or to paradise, or perhaps floating around in space or commandeering a planet as a little god.\u00a0 Yet the Creator, the Most High, the One who lives in Heaven, the One who sent His Son to die for your sins, should you accept that, has told man how to get to heaven.\u00a0 This is serious stuff.<\/h3>\n

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Time is nearly out, the time to continue on with this charade, these distractions of life, these vain things are passing away.\u00a0 You will pass away, you will die, yet the Lord God Almighty proclaims that there is an accountability before Him.\u00a0 Will you not at least consider what God has told you regarding Salvation, Himself, Jesus, Creation, how to live, repentance, sin, life and death?\u00a0 Will you not hear from Him how to get to Heaven?<\/h3>\n

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Many people put their trust in things, I know first hand.\u00a0 Despite trusting God, I also trusted in preparations made by myself should bad times come.\u00a0 Yet in all of these issues, nearly none of the preparations made were of any value.\u00a0 When a time came to utilize such backup or emergency preparation, the trouble that came was not what was expected.\u00a0 There had been no plan for such an emergency.\u00a0 Trusting in anything except God is vanity and a large lack of faith.<\/h3>\n

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What happens when the world starts to fall apart?\u00a0 What happens when the ‘end’ that everyone has dreaded becomes a reality?\u00a0 What plan could you possibly have to survive the entirety of such a scenario?\u00a0 Are you rich?\u00a0 What if your riches can’t buy food.\u00a0 Are you secluded?\u00a0 What prevents the USSA or a foreign entity from traveling to your driveway?\u00a0 Are you prepared with food and extra supplies?\u00a0 How are you going to carry such things should your planned location not work?\u00a0 You have no clue.<\/h3>\n

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Without Christ all is lost, without Christ your life is a breath of air, without Christ you are not only on your way to Hell when you die, your life is vanity…all is vanity.\u00a0 To gain Christ is to gain the world.\u00a0 To have Jesus as your Savior, to follow Him to TRULY accept Him through repentance and believing into Him is life.<\/h3>\n

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“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”\u00a0 Philippians 1:21<\/em><\/h3>\n

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“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss because of Christ.\u00a0 But no, rather, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;\u00a0 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,\u00a0 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.\u00a0 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold, since Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.\u00a0 Brethren, I do not count myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and stretching forward to those things which are ahead,\u00a0 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.\u00a0 Therefore let us, as many as are complete, be of this mind; and if in anything you think differently, God will reveal even this to you.\u00a0 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.\u00a0 Brethren, join in being imitators of me, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.\u00a0 For many conduct <\/em>themselves<\/em>, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ:\u00a0 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and who glory in their shame; who set their mind on earthly things.\u00a0 For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,\u00a0 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subject all things to Himself.”\u00a0 Philippians 3:17-21<\/em><\/h3>\n

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You are dead without Jesus.\u00a0 Enough with the vanity, drop what you are doing and consider your ways!<\/h3>\n

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“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is for every man.\u00a0 For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”\u00a0 Ecclesiastes 12:3-4<\/em><\/h3>\n

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Who will remember you?…Vanity   “For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and with success; yet he shall leave it as inheritance to a man who has not labored in it. This also is vanity and a great evil.”\u00a0 Ecclesiastes 2:21 \u00a0     “For the living know that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1,1331],"tags":[175,488,179,1371,16,442,17,21,1370],"class_list":["post-4387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-salvation","tag-all-will-stand","tag-allwillstand-org","tag-bible","tag-choices","tag-god","tag-gospel","tag-jesus","tag-salvation","tag-vanity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4387"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4391,"href":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4387\/revisions\/4391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allwillstand.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}