Praise the Lord! So we'll come back to our subject. We have been meditating and learning from the book of Ecclesiastes, and we have come across few things which Solomon talks about. When he talks about his life as well as life in common, we have seen how Solomon brings up an argument that why everything is futile. Even though he had so much of riches, even though he had so much of fame, he had achieved a lot in his life. But ultimately when he looks back to his life, when he introspects his life, when he tried to examine his life and what he has done, Solomon says that it's all futile. And he's assembling people, he's assembling the young generation, he's assembling the people around him to speak about his life and to tell that there is no meaning, there is no purpose in the things of this world. Rather, you have to look beyond the sun. Under the sun you will not find meaning, you will not find purpose. But if you really want to have meaning in your life, you should look beyond the sun. And Solomon has particular arguments why he says that things are futile.

The first argument which Solomon proposes in front of us is that everything will be forgotten. We all will be forgotten once. And the second argument that Solomon brings, and that is the most prominent argument in the book of Ecclesiastes, is that one day we all will die, whether we are rich or poor, whether we are wise or fool, whether we are strong or weak, whoever we are, what all fame we had, no matter how great we were, but one day we are going to die and everything will be over, everything will be over. That's why when Solomon concludes his book, he says that one day God will judge everything. So the entire reasoning of this book, the entire argument of this book, the entire suggestion of this book, and indeed this book in its entirety, it is focusing, it is helping us and it is insisting us to focus on God. Look beyond the sun because under the sun everything is futile.

And when Solomon says everything is futile, what should we do? As I told you yesterday that people take two extremes. Some said we should not do anything; simply said nothing to do, everything is futile. We have seen even church leaders. I don't know whether you're familiar with this person; there was a person in church history, he was called as Simon, and this Simon thought that everything is futile, everything is sinful, and he should abstain himself from the world. You know, what did he do? He climbed upon the tree. He made a house for him on the tree and he lived there on the tree, thinking that this world is futile and everything is full, everything is sinful in this world, and he wanted to keep himself away from this world. That's why he did that. Keeping yourselves away from the world. But that's what not Solomon's suggestion. Some people will say everything is futile. There is no God. Therefore, let's leave everything and enjoy, and they indulge themselves in wickedness. That's their reaction to the futility. They go to extreme. They pleasure them in a they extremely pleasure them. But Solomon is not suggesting that as well. Solomon is talking about a balanced life.

And then when he gives some suggestion, "If life is futile, what should you and I do?" The first suggestion which he gave yesterday, which we heard yesterday, was to enjoy your life. God has given this life to enjoy. Savor your life which God has given, value your life which God has given unto you, value the family which God has given unto you, value the people that God has given unto you. But at the end again He says you should fear God and keep His commandments. So our enjoyment should not go out the boundaries of which God has, God has kept around us. The framework of the law, the framework of the commandment is kept around us because we are weak, we are fragile, we are vulnerable, and God out of his goodwill, he has covered us. He has covered us in his commandments so that commandments may bring blessing in our life. It may bring peace in our life. It may bring good relationship with God. It may bring a good aspect to life.

But when we look out to the modern generation, especially not just modern generation, everyone. No, when we were in college there was a big phrase, I don't know people use it today or not. All of the youngsters in our age, still I am young, not so old, but when I was in college, these boys used to tell everyone that rules are made to be broken. That's the attitude. No rules. We don't want rules and regulations. You know, somebody gifted a t-shirt to our son and on that t-shirt here it was written, "no rules only fun". That is the attitude. We don't want to bound ourselves in some kinds of rules and regulations. And you know, whenever we break some rules, there is a joy in it, isn't it? Isn't it? There is some kind of pleasure in it. More than enjoying like while following the rules, if we break the rules, there is a pleasure in it, just like sin, every sin has its own pleasure, every sin is attractive, every sin is there to give you enjoyment, to give you some kind of temporary pleasure. But Solomon says, this is the conclusion of everything.

Can we imagine a life without all the commandments and all the rules and regulations? Can we imagine a football game without rules and regulations? How would that be? You can do anything. You can kick a person, you can poke a person, you can put him down, you can punch them on the face and that's how the football game is going on. How that football game will go forward? Can we play peacefully? Can we have a good game? Can we have an unbiased result in that game? No! We need to have some commandments, some rules and regulation in order to regulate the life of man, in order to bring good, in order to bring peace in our life. And God knew it. And that's why we saw from the book of Genesis, man was naked. Humanity, the humans were naked. They were vulnerable. But God has protected their vulnerability by giving them clear instruction. But they did not listen to it and they went out from that and destroyed their life.

Imagine a life without God. Imagine anything without God. There is a famous book written by Ravi Zacharias and the title of that book is Can Man Live Without God? You imagine anything out of the framework of God. You imagine family life out of the framework of God. Today, people are taking it out. You imagine a marriage out of the framework of God. It's a mess today. You imagine your work outside the framework of God. It is hard labor, toil as Solomon says, it is worrisome. You imagine your social life outside the framework of God. You imagine your society outside the framework of God. There is no love. There is hate between people. The life is very some, the life is futile. It is because it is going outside the framework of God. Now therefore Solomon says, enjoy your life. You're going to die, value the blessings that God has given to you. Praise God for the blessings that God has given to you. When you eat good food, let it helps you to glorify God. You know, one of our professors used to say in our classroom that "theology must lead to doxology". Have you ever heard of that phrase? Theology must lead you to doxology. That means your theology should always lead you to praise God. The outcome of our learning, the outcome of our theology, the outcome of our doctrine, the outcome of our life, the outcome of our relationship with God should end up in praising God. Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. That is the purpose of our life. Otherwise, life is futile. Therefore, enjoy your life.

Now second suggestion that Solomon would like to bring in front of us is I would like to take your attention to chapter number seven of book of Ecclesiastes. When life is futile, what should you do? Sorry, chapter number 9. Chapter number 9 of Book of Ecclesiastes. Verse number 10. Solomon says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your strength because there is no work, planning, knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going". Solomon is saying that this life is futile. And when this life is futile, when everything in it's futile, so you should enjoy your life. And the second suggestion that Solomon is giving to us is to work. Work hard in your life. Invest in your life. Make use of the time that God has given to you. Do the work. You know when God has created this world, it is God's idea was to give work to mankind because God worked. Bible says God worked for six days. And then on the seventh day he took rest. Work was a commandment which was given by God before the fall, before man committed sin. Adam and Eve were created and then God kept them in the Garden of Eden and said to them, "You should tend, you should take care of it".

Have you ever thought about the theology of work? But when you take it outside the framework of God, we think that there is meaning only in working. We see so many workaholic people, always working, working, working, working, working. The one God who has created the work, He has created the rest also. And that is very much necessary in the life of man. God has given few time for rest. When we read the law of Moses, there were rest on the seventh day, there was rest on the seventh year, there was rest on the 49th and 50th year as well. And it was a time when people should take rest and focus upon the Lord. People that showed their trust, how much they believe on God. God told them to work for six days. God told them to work for six years and the entire seventh year you should take rest. Then people will ask, you and I may ask, "From where will I get food if I don't work for one year?" You know, this was the assurance that God has given to the people that "I will provide you for the sixth, for the seventh year as well". "In the sixth year, I will provide you for the seventh year". But people of Israel did not obey the commandment. They were greedy in their approach. They did not hear the commandments of God. And that's why when we come to the captivity, we see that the land was in rest for 70 years. The land was in rest for 70 years.

So when life is futile, Solomon is saying, make use of the time that you're having. Make use of the opportunity that God has given. You are going to die soon. Get, do the work. What is, what, what you get in your hand and do it with all the might and that's what he says when we come to chapter 11 as well. When we come to chapter 11, Solomon is using a Hebrew idiom there and he says, "send your bread on the surface of the water". Verse one of chapter 11 and "after many days you may find it". What does this mean? Throwing your bread on the water, and you will find it after many years, what does this mean? What does this mean? It's a Hebrew idiom. Now in those days, the farmers used to throw seeds when they used to sow the crop, probably the wheat or barley. And especially the farmers who used to sow their seeds near the river, they used to throw some of the seeds in the river as well when there is water in the river. But after many days when there is hot summer, this water will eventually dry and there is nothing on the ground. But when this water is dried up in the river and when there is nothing on the ground, you will see some seeds bringing fruit even in the time of summer. Even in under the hot sun, you will see, and from where this fruit has come, it was those seed which fell in the water. And it has brought bread. It has brought value when under the sun, when under this heat, when under this dry, hot sun, when rest of the land is lying barren. Here is something that is bringing fruit. Can you imagine that? Here also he says the same thing.

We don't know what is coming ahead of us. In Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon is arguing that God did not tell us the future. You know which is the greatest business in this world? It is to know the future. No matter which religion, no matter what people see, all of us want to know what's going to come to us in the future. People use all kinds of different means. Now there are apps, mobile apps and they claim that they will tell you when you will get married, how you will get married, whom you will get married, from where you will get married, everything, and people are putting lakhs and lakhs of rupees in it just to know the future. But Solomon says, God did not tell us. God did not tell us what is coming ahead. Therefore, invest today in your life. Invest today in your life. What is the purpose of writing the book of Revelation? Uncle is sitting here. He is a good teacher of the book of Revelation. You know what is the purpose of... You know one purpose of writing the book of Revelation? To scare us. Some people believe that. No, when I read Revelation, no, I get scared. To scare us... I believe one purpose of writing the book of Revelation was to encourage you and me. To tell us that your future is secured. To tell us that because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Because he lives, all fear is gone. Because I know that he holds my future. That was the strength that apostles used to give to the believers. That was the strength that the author of Hebrews is giving to a persecuted Hebrew churches. That was the strength that Paul, Peter is giving to the churches who are in dispersion: "One day all your sorrows will be over". "All these problems will be over. This is there for very short time. Work hard today. Work. Invest your life".

If you don't work, you will not be able to have good future in your life. Solomon says we don't know what kind of trouble is coming, what kind of problems are coming. Invest your life, where should we invest? Share market? Have you ever thought of investing in your children? Have you ever thought of investing your life in evangelism? Have you ever thought of investing your life in serving others? Have you ever thought of investing your life in encouraging others? When I speak about children, many of us, many of us today, we feel that, oh, it's not the time, especially when you come to Bengal. I see so many parents who are not even bothered about their children. They're small, they're little. "Once they grow up, we will tell everything." We don't know whether they'll listen it or not. Invest in their life today.

One good example I find in the book of Haggai, when God tells them to build the temple, when he's talking through Haggai, when there is Zerubbabel to work, people are saying, "No, no, no, no, no, no, this is not the right time". "Let us build our houses. Let us build our mansions". And they bought all the resources from the Persian kingdoms , and they have used all the resources to build their own houses, their own mansions. And Haggai is lamenting saying that the house of God is lying in ruin because they're thinking that it is not the right time. Now here also Solomon is giving us an example of the farmer, and look at what he says in verse 4, "The one who watches the wind will not sow, the one who looks for the clouds will not reap". Many of us don't want to do anything because we will think that we will do it tomorrow. We will postpone our task: Bible study tomorrow, studying the word of God tomorrow, meditation tomorrow, church activities tomorrow, serving others tomorrow, prayer tomorrow, training and teaching and helping our children tomorrow, visiting others tomorrow. You don't know what's there tomorrow. God did not tell you that. Here Solomon says, invest your life, throw your bread on water. Because when this water will subside and when there will be wet ground on the river bed due to hot summer and when the entire land will dried up, when entire land will be affected due to the heat of the sun, here, the unknown seeds, which seeds no one have seen, nobody have ever knew where did it fell. But when there is drought everywhere else, this will flourish and bring fruits. Have you ever thought about it?

Investing our life in our children. I have seen families who entrust that responsibility to church Sunday school. No. It is my responsibility to teach the word to my children. It is my responsibility to teach the discipline to my children. It is my responsibility to tell him right when he is young. It is my responsibility to serve the Lord when I have strength. It is my responsibility to serve one another when I am strong, when I can do it. Now, if you wait, you cannot drive, you cannot wait in the car, saying that "only if I get green signals, I'll drive". "Everywhere I need green signals." You cannot do that. You will have to start driving. You will have to start investing. You will have to make use of your time with all your heart. Do it, whatever you get in your, invest in your life. That is the second suggestion that Solomon is trying to give it to us.

There is one more suggestion and that's very interesting when we come to chapter 7. When we come to chapter 7 and when we read from verse 15. Look at what Solomon is saying here. "In my futile life, I have seen everything. There is a man, a righteous man who perishes in spite of his righteousness. There is a wicked man who lives in spite of his evil". Verse number 16. It was very hard for me to understand this. Verse number 16. "Don't be excessively righteous and don't be overly wise". "You should, you should, you, why should you destroy yourself? Don't be excessively wicked. Don't be foolish". What is this man saying? Solomon, Mr. Solomon, what do you want to tell us? "Don't be excessively righteous." So you don't want us to be righteous? "Don't be excessively wicked." What does this mean? Solomon says this life, this world is full of futility. This life is full of folly. And then is he saying that you should not be righteous? You should not serve the Lord? You should not read the Bible or you should not pray? Or you should not obey the commandments of God? What is he saying? And see again, when we come to verse number 20, he is contradicting himself. And in verse number 20, he is saying that "there is certainly no righteous man on earth". On one hand he saying don't be overly righteous and on the other hand he is saying don't be overly wicked. What does that mean? Shouldn't we try for righteousness? Solomon is saying, this life is full of futility. Therefore, don't go to the extremes. He is not telling us not to be righteous. He is not telling us to be wicked. Rather, that is the thought with which this world is moving ahead.

We always think, we always live with the idea of retribution. You know what is retribution? If you do good, good should come to you. If you do bad, bad should come to you. But Solomon says, "See the idea of life. See what I see around. I see righteous man suffering. I see evil man prospering". This was the Solomon had this dilemma. He had seen everything. That's what he claims. And in his claim he sees righteous man is suffering even because of his righteousness. And this evil man is prospering. This was not just the problem which Solomon had. So many other Bible authors had this issue. Jeremiah had this issue. Habakkuk is talking about this. Asaph is talking about this. "Why is righteous man suffering and why is evil man prospering?" Solomon is not giving a spot on answer to that. Rather he wants us to know, when he says that "don't be overly righteous," he's talking about a self-righteous attitude with which people live. When he says that "you should not be overly wicked," he's talking about a life when you totally deny God and live life according to your standard. Avoid the extremes. Don't be foolish. That's what Solomon is suggesting. Let's look into that. He is saying that don't be excessively righteous and don't be excessively evil.

Our Lord has given us a good example to understand this. Lord Jesus Christ was a good teacher. He knew how to speak and He knew where, how should he speak? In front of people. So when we come to Luke chapter 15, we see one beautiful parable which Christ is telling, and you have read that parable probably hundreds of times, and I would like to use that parable to understand this passage. It is a parable of a father and his two sons. One son, he came to his father. Bible tells that he was the youngest. One son, he came to his father and he says, "Father, whatever is mine, give it to me". And father gave it to him. He took everything and went away. He lavishly spent all that he has bought from his house. My English translation, my Bible, it tells that he has spent everything in foolish living. He has lived lavishly, extravagantly. He was not bothered about the future. His life was foolish. And he lived everything. He spoiled everything what he has brought from his father , all the riches that he has received. Then there was a famine in the land and there was nothing in his hand. Probably no friends to roam around him. Probably no friends to take care of him. Probably he might have spent a lot in his friendship. But now he's alone and there is famine in the land. There is no food to eat, no house to live. He was pushed to live with pigs. He was forced to eat the food which was, which was thrown in front of the pigs. What a pathetic life he had, away from his father, spoiled all the blessings that his father has given. Now living with pig in Jewish context is like worst thing that a man can get in his life. A Jewish man can never accept that. A man living with pigs, the ruined life, the ruined life.

But then we read that in our Bible it says, "he came to himself". In Hindi they say, "wo jab apne aapme aaya," which means when he thought about the distressful life, when he acknowledged his weakness, when he understood the wretchedness that he had, he took a decision that "I will go back to my father". He comes back to his father. His father sees him from afar away and his father runs towards him. He hugs him and he changes his clothes and he, because of the joy of this return, he wants to enjoy this time with his neighbors. He calls everyone, hosts a big party, a big meal has been served. Everyone is happy that his son has come back. Father is happy that my son has come back, except one person who is not happy. And Bible tells that he is the eldest son. He comes in the evening. He hears the sound of the joy, sound of celebration, and he asks someone, "What is going on here?" And he gets this news, "Your brother who left, who spoiled everything, has come back and your father is rejoicing in his return". He gets upset, angry towards his father. For what? Why this man is angry? He's telling to his dad that, "Dad, I was here all the time with you, but you have not given me one small goat to go and enjoy with my friends". Why this man is angry? Have you ever thought about it? Father had possessions and half of the possession was taken by the, by the, by the younger fellow and spoiled. What was left belonged to, belonged to the elder one. Now he is upset, "You are giving my position to this fellow who has spoiled everything in wretchedness. I'm not happy, Dad. I'm not happy".

We see two approaches to God there. How people approach God, two ways in which people approach God. One extreme is that you go away from God and spoil everything. And there is another approach that is even more dangerous. I call it Judas approach. Have you heard of Judas approach? You do all, you're involved in all kinds of spiritual activities. He is right there with the father every time, he is there in the house. But still his heart is away from the father. There is no love. There is no love. He is just like his younger brother. They both of these brothers, they don't love father. They know they love only the possession that father had. They love only the riches that father is having. But one went to the father, had a different approach to take it. Another sought the same thing from the father, but with a different approach. Christ is differentiating between the Gentiles and the Pharisees there. That's what the context tells us. There were Gentiles, were prostitutes, were harlots, tax collectors were coming to listen to him. That's how Luke chapter 15 begins. All the sinners were coming and these Pharisees they were not happy. "How can they come and listen and believe? Doesn't we have a copyright on God?" That's the same thing Christ tells when he narrates the parable of the vineyard workers. Those who came last and those who came first got the same wages and those who came first were complaining to Lord saying, "How can you make them equal to us?" Christ is talking about self-righteousness, and Solomon is saying that is the greatest folly of humanity.

Often we think that we can please God by doing so many things, just like Pharisees, acting Christianity, involved in so many activities, and we can force God to be obligated towards us, to bless us. Solomon says, "I have seen everything and it is futile". But what is the wisdom? When we come to verse number 18 at the last part, Solomon says, "for the one who fears God will end up with both of these things". The fear of the God will make you stand. How is our life? On which side are we standing? Pharisees were not able to rejoice in the sinners of coming. Who is the prodigal son there? Younger one or older one? In the way which Jesus Christ is narrating that story, I believe the older one was the prodigal because he was right there with the father but still he was away from the father. Don't be overly righteous, neither be overly wicked. Fear God, love God with all your heart. With all your heart, you love God. Don't be self-righteous like the Pharisee and tax collector who went there to pray in the temple. This tax collector was standing outside, he was beating his chest, crying to God. But what about the Pharisee? He went inside and he, you should read that once when you go home. This Pharisee is standing inside the temple, and the author of the gospels writes it very brilliantly. He says, "he said to himself." He is there to pray, but he's talking to himself. Why he's talking to himself? Because he thinks that he himself is his God. And what is he saying? "I am not like that man. I fast, I give offerings, I do this, I do that." Solomon is saying that is folly. That is folly. Don't be excessively wicked. Don't be self-righteous. Just fear God. Just fear God.

Now that was my life before I came to know the Lord. I was an acting Christian. Have you heard of that term? Acting Christian? Because I grew up in... I believe that most of us, those who born in Christian family, have faced this. Have faced this. I was born in a Christian family, and the problem with Christian family is that there's one challenge that I have faced in my young life is that from your very childhood, since you were born in the family, you are involved in the spiritual activities, right? You sing songs every day, there is prayer in your house every day, there's a reading of the scripture every day. Right. You do know, you are involved in Sunday school, you are memorizing the Bible verses. All things deserve good. And after you reach a certain age, somebody from the church will ask, "Hey, don't you need to be baptized?" And in our young age, we think, yes, why can't I? Oh, to take baptism, do you believe in Lord Jesus Christ? And we think, yes, I have believed in Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because from my very childhood, I am listening that Jesus Christ is our God. "Are you believe that Jesus Christ has died for your sin?" Yes. "Why not? Because from my very childhood, I am listening this". "Oh, do you believe that he came for you? He died for you on the cross of Calvary and he's going to come and receive you again." Yes. Yes, I know because from my very childhood I am been listening all these things. Okay, then you're ready for baptism.

I have met many youngsters who have fooled themselves in their Christian life , thinking that they are saved. There was no real realization of the sin. There was no true realization of wretchedness. There was no genuine confession. That was my life either. That was my life as well. I used to think because I can gain something good from God if I'll be active in the church, and I was active. You tell about any church program, you'll see Shine there. But back in my heart, back in my heart, it was darkness. You could have seen true Shine when he was with his friends. A life of double standards. In front of everyone, holy, pious, jai masi ki, praise the Lord, hallelujah, stotram, everything. I used to fake Christianity. I used to fake. I had a fake Christian love. That is even more dangerous than living a wicked life. Than living a wicked life. In that day, there will be many who will say, "Have called the name upon the Lord, we have prophesied in your name, we have preached in your name," but I will tell them that "I don't know you". Does this scare you? It scares me a lot. Think about a life where you are living in your entire life you are living thinking that you are a true Christian and doing so many things and you are at the verge of reaching heaven and God says, "Fellow, I don't know you, get lost". Oh, how painful that would be. In the entire life, we were thinking that I am preaching the word of God. In the entire life, we were thinking that we are serving God. In our entire life, we think that we are having fellowship in the name of the Lord, but paying, giving offerings, helping others. But at the verge of our eternal life, He is saying, "I don't know you." That's scary.

Solomon is saying, "It is wise to fear God, not to be self-righteous and neither be wicked". When we read the parable of Prodigal Son, God neither likes the self-righteous person nor He likes the wicked person, but He always admires a repenting heart. That is the right way to approach God. That is the right way to approach God. That, that repenting heart, you know, that repenting heart of that younger son, it forced his father to get up from his chair and run towards him. Why did father run towards this boy who has lost his, who has, who has spoiled the entire possession that he was given? That repenting heart that forced the father to get up from the chair and run towards the son. That's our God. He's gracious enough to get hold of us.

If we read the same chapter, chapter 7 downwards when we read from verse number 23. Solomon is telling us that our we are surrounded by follies. We are surrounded by foolishness in this world and he is characterizing folly as a woman. As a woman. Not to not to demean you sisters, not to say that women are bad. Husbands don't fight with your wife saying that see Bible says woman is foolish. When you read the down, the downwards, I'm, I'm, I don't have time to read the entire portion, you can read from verse 23 to 29. In verse 26, he said, "and I find more bitter than death the woman who trapped, who is a trap, her heart a net, her hand a chain". Which woman? Some people say that Solomon is talking about adultery, but I don't think that will fit into the context. When we read the book of Proverbs, especially Proverbs chapter 3, Solomon is describing the folly, foolishness of this world in the form of a woman, especially in the form of a prostitute. One who seduces, one who entices a man and attracts it towards her and traps her down. He's talking about the folly and a great number of folly that is revolving around, that is present around us. That is present around us. And that's what he says in verse number 29. "Only see this I have discovered that God made people upright, but they pursued many schemes".

This world has been stuck in foolishness. What kind of foolishness? Our children are surrounded with this foolishness. Right there in their science book. I was talking to uncle yesterday. He was telling me his intention to choose Zoology and to study it. In the science book of our children, it denies, it says that "we have come from monkeys". "We have evolved, we are not created". It is denying the almighty, all-strength, all-powerful, the strength of our Creator. It is denying the creation. We are surrounded by folly in marriages where this world is saying that homosexuality is right. Where this world is saying lesbianism is right. Where this world is saying that polygamy is right. That's the folly we are surrounded with. It is there in the streets. It is there in our workplace. It is there all around us. Solomon is saying, "don't be foolish. Fear God". "Don't be excessively wicked, neither excessively righteous". We cannot deny God and run away from him. We cannot, we cannot do some things and then force God to bless us. We will be entrapped by this woman who seduces and probably demolishes us. His hands, its hands, her hands are like chains. She's like a net. She's like a trap.

Now, when we think about these follies around us, and what is this world trying to make it? It's trying to make it look good. Trying to make it look good and telling us in many ways that this is fashion. Even today, many churches are following this folly and they are saying that this is the way God has created them. They are denying their gender identity. They are denying their marriage. They are denying their personal identity. They are denying God's strength, God's sovereignty with the foolishness that is available right around us. Telling us and convincing us by saying that this is convenient, this is good, this is right. Solomon says, "be wise. Don't be excessively wicked, neither be excessively righteous. But fear God". Let's have a heart of repentance. Every day, let us remind this true gospel that has changed our life. When you face problem, when you are angry with someone and you don't find any reason to forgive them, remind gospel. Because you are forgiven, go ahead and forgive. When you are not able to love someone, when you are not able to respect someone, remind this gospel. Remind how is this heart of repentance every time that we were not good but by the grace of God he has lifted us up. What a great God we have and what a great work that he has done in our life.

If your theology is not leading to doxology then it is making you a man full of pride. Did you understand? If your theology is not leading to doxology, then it is making you a man full of pride. You are being a man full of pride, thinking that you are right every time. But it was repentance that forced the father to stand up from his chair and run towards the son. Why don't we introspect our life and ask God to do necessary corrections in our life? And say that, "Lord, I am sorry. All these years I have been living a life of a self-righteous or a life of a wicked like a hypocrite, but Lord, this is the time I submit myself in your hands. Use me, change me, Lord, and make me a blessing, help me to come out of this foolishness and be useful for you." May the good God bless each one of us as we have meditated this word. May Lord's name be glorified.