5 Minute Lessons on the Kingdom of God
I Once Was Young & Now I'm Old
(The Words of Solomon)
Read time: 4 minutes
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Solomon, the wisest man in the world said,
"12So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king?). 13I thought, 'Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. 14For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.' Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. 15Both will die. So I said to myself, 'Since I will end up the same as the fool, what's the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!' 16For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten.
17So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind."
(Ecclesiastes 2:12‑17 NLT)

"1Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, 'Life is not pleasant anymore.' 2Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.
4Remember him before the door to life's opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.
5Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.
6Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don't wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it."
(Ecclesiastes 12:1‑7 NLT)

"13That's the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty. 14God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad." (Ecclesiastes 12:13‑14 NLT)

Later the Apostle Paul gave much of the same instruction that Solomon did: Men should repent, because God has set a day in which mankind will be judged.
"24Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla. She was a Jew. Felix sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25Paul talked about how to live right. He talked about how people should control themselves. He also talked about the time when God will judge everyone. Then Felix became afraid. "That's enough for now!" he said. "You may leave..." (Acts 24:24‑25 NIrV)

On Mars Hill the Apostle Paul gave these further instructions,
"30While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:30‑31 New Revised Standard Version) (See also Psalm 9:8; 96:13; 98:9)

Or as 2 Corinthians 5:10-11 states,
"10For we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid according to the things he has practiced while in the body, whether good or bad." (NWT)

The Message Bible states,
"...It's no light thing to know that we'll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That's why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God." (2 Corinthians 5:11 The Message Bible)
Questions
  1. What will save us from God's wrath and Judgment?
    Answer
  2. What did God do to save us?
    Answer
  3. Grey hair is a crown of glory if...?
    Answer
  4. If we live out our lives, we are promised how many years of life?
    Answer
  5. What should we declare to the next generation?
    Answer
  6. Even in our old age we can serve God.
    True or False
    Answer
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The Old Man & His Girlfriend