🌿 *VAIN EFFORTS WITHOUT GOD* Praise the Lord! May His Holy name be indeed Praised. In our study today, we are going to look at 8 kinds of things we do but all in VAIN. 1. VAIN *BUILDING* 2. VAIN *SECURITY* 3. VAIN *WORK* 4. VAIN *SUFFERING* 5. VAIN *WORSHIP* 6. VAIN *FAITH* 7. VAIN *SACRIFICE* 8. VAIN *FASTING* At the end of this simple study, we shall have understod what each and everyone of these actually means and see if we have been making the same mistakes others have made, we shall see how to correct them. Now let us dive in: 1. *VAIN BUILDING* Psalms 127:1a says > Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour [build] in vain What House are you actually building if at all you are building it without God? * *Are you building your RESIDENTIAL HOUSE apart from God?* A Residential House built without God could be built in the wrong location near or in the path of a Major upcoming project and soon or later that house will have to be demolished and without compensation. Or you could build in a place with Danger that could come in the future, ask those in Kitezi where rubbish came collapsing down destroying hundreds of Houses and their residents. Up today, no one actually knows how many people are dead and still burried beneath the heaps of rubbish. If these men had known and involved God in their Purchase of these lands, God would have directed them else where. Therefore, whenever you are buying land to build, first involve the Lord so He can direct your ways. * *Are you building your BUSINESS apart from God?* A Business built without God could be setup in the wrong location. Many times i have seen businesses set up in locations where customers hardly passby or visit and before you know it, that business closes down barely months after its inception. OR The business could be started and built by wrong partners. What this actually means, Partners who should never have been together. An evil partner could plan the death on another so that they remain with the business if at all it is very profitable OR An evil partner will plan to Steal money out of the business so it can collapse OR An evil partner will Malice the business and start another on the side competiting directly with this one. But all this could have been avoided if God was part of the picture of starting this business. He would have directed on who should be and who shouldn't be a partner. Otherwise now you are left to losses only because you did not involve God in setting up and building your business. * *Are you building your CAREER apart from God?* A Career built without God is most likley to experience lots of challenges. Some people do not even know if they are in the right career or not, they move from one place to another. If you start with God in your career, the chances are high that he will give you confidence about which career you should take and where to apply for your Job. * *Are you building your MARRIAGE apart from God?* Marriage is the Most important decision you will ever have to make after salvation because it will either make you or break you. Therefore choosing the right partner comes with involving God and Only God can tell you * If the time for marriage is right * Or Who you can Marry If these two steps are not followed, you could either marry too early before your time OR you could marry too late after the appointed time OR you could also marry the Wrong Partner who God does not approve of. Therefore be careful which partner you choose to Marry, These can end up being a nightmare in your life. The Marriage starts out in peace, but before you know it, it will end in pieces. Therefore Pray for the right Partner, Consult God always before you make this very important decision. Do not look at the outward, for the outward appearance only appeals to your Flesh. But look inward to what appeals to the Spirit and you will avoid all future problems. * *Are you Raising your CHILDREN apart from God?* Raising Children without God is raising, * *THIEVES*, These could be your children if raised without God Thieves always torment us by stealing our properties. Do you suppose those thieves were Born Again or Know God? If they did, could they have resorted to stealing? No situation can push a Godly person to stealing. Non at all. It only means they have lost direction. Therefore, teach your children to respect properties of others and work for their own. * *BLASPHEMERS*, These could be your children if raised without God Blasphemers always blasphem the name of the Lord, They curse all the time, they say Jesus was not God but Jesus is a mere man or Jesus is not the son of God, because God does not produce, they say God does not Exist and all manner of blasphemy. Psalm 14:1 says > The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. * *DIRESPECTIFUL CHILDREN*, These could be your children if raised without God Proverbs 22:6 says > Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. If you did not start by teaching children respect and good manners, they endup learning the ways of the world as they Grow up. Teach them to respect Parents and even their fellow peers. Beat them when they do wrong, correct them when they make mistakes until they learn and walk uprightly. * *MURDERERS*, These could be your children if raised without God Because you donot not put tight supervision over your child, some how, they learn demonic behaviours like Murder. They learn these from TV Shows, Movies, or by joining demonically inspired Gangs and before you know it, Murdering people becomes their Hobby. * *CORRUPT MEN*, These could be your children if raised without God If you do not instill Godly principles to your children early enough, they adopt corrupt ways of the world. They join in and participate in the web of corruption practiced by the world. When grown it will be easy to steal from Government, take bribes and so on. Therefore take care how to raise your children. All these are forms of Houses you are building. And whatever that house you are building without God being a part of it, you build it all in vain. All your efforts should be regarded vain efforts for God was never a part of them. 2. *VAIN SECURITY* Psalms 127:1b > Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards [watchmen] stand watch in vain. Are you trusting your security: * To *Dogs* rather than God? * To *Askari* rather than God? * To *Razor Wires* rather than God? * To *Alarm Systems* rather than God? * To your *Gun* rather than God? * To your *Karate Skills* rather than God? * Or to your *Juju* rather than God? All this trust is nothing, it is all in vain. Only God can protect you. He stays up all day and all night to watch over all those who are righteous. Once you know who you are in the Lord, you simply handover all your security issues to the Lord. Because He alone can protect you from even spiritual attacks that you never see. Today, i implore you to surrender your life to Jesus and Trust Him with all your Security issues. Because only He can grant you TIGHT security at all times. For Salvation GOTO: http://repent.need-god.com 3. *VAIN WORK* Psalm 127:2 > In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves. * Are you an Early riser to work * Do you stay up late doing work Any form of work, no matter what time you raise or go to bed as long as God is not in it, you raise early in vain. You will toil all day and all night but have nothing to yourself. Without God, no matter how much you work, you WILL have holes in your pocket and never know where all your money goes. And i am not saying those with money are righteous no, all am saying, Put God FIRST in all your Toils of the day and He will bless them. Therefore rise early and rise with the Lord to bless all your efforts. And go to bed late, but work late with God to bless all your efforts or else all will be in vain. 4. *VAIN SUFFERING* Galatians 3:4 > Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? * I believe we have seen Moslem Suide Bombers who self destruct with bombs in the name of escaping Hell but entering Heaven. They end up suffering permanent loss of their lives for a false belief. * We have also seen religions where men suffer and walk hundreds of miles in the name of "Holy" Pilgimages and that God will reward them. Some die along the way due to Traffic accidents, Others fall suddenly and die because their bodies can't take the strain etc. Do you think such God credits their efforts to Life in eternity? * Others spend Hundreds if not thousands of Dollars to travel to Mecca annually in the name of Hajj which is believed to be a "Holy" journey to cleanse the soul of worldly sins. I remember when there was a stampede in Mecca and 2,500 moslems died in 2015. Do you think God credited their efforts of false worship to Life in eternity? * Christianity has only one Holy Pilgrimage and that is our Walk of Salvation to Heaven, nothing less and nothing more Therefore let us be careful or else our suffering and efforts we put in doing some acts of worship will be in vain 1 Peter 2:20 says > But how is it to your credit [benefit] if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good [Or what is right] and you endure it, this is commendable [or Profitable] before God. In this scripture, we learn that suffering for doing what is wrong has no benefits to it, you actually deserve it. But suffering for doing what is right is commendable just like Jesus suffered and yet did not deserve it, but suffered for us sinners and now He is seated at the right hand of God in Glory. You too shall seat in glory if you suffer with wisdom. 5. *VAIN WORSHIP* Isaiah 44:9 > All who make idols (Carved images/Statues for worship) are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame. I hinted on this in my last article. All worship of idols which include carved images or statutes is false worship, its abominable worship hence VAIN worship and the Lord does not regard it at all. Therefore all those who spend precious times worshiping these idols and all other forms of idols, are chasing the wind. In Luganda language they say, *Bayoola byoya bya nswa*. In the English Translation, this would mean, they are gathering feathers of white ants. We all know these feathers are weightless no matter how much of them you gather. 6. *VAIN FAITH* James 2:20 > But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Todays popular teachings encourage faith without works for modern christians. They teach that you can believe that you are saved and that is all that matters and you shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. My dear, if that is what you have believed all this while, then you have believed a Mega Mega lie. True salvation apart from justification is coupled with works. Salvation comes in three Phases * First: *Justification*, When you Repent and Receive Christ into your life * Second: *Sanctification*, This is the Learning of How to live a Christian life, by giving up all evil ways that you had learned in the past * Three: *Glorification*, This is when all Born Again Christians who meet all the Heavenly requirements to be raptured, will be raptured or Glorified So, When we talk about works, we are talking about the Second Phase of Salvation which is Sanctification. Therefore, Salvation = Faith + Works This mathematical expression is only true if Works or Faith are part of the equation. If Works = 0, Then that Salvation is not biblically true. You must deliberately play a part in your Sanctification process before you ever get Glorified when you die or when Christ will rapture you. So take care, not to believe in an incomplete salvation 7. *VAIN SACRIFICE* Proverbs 21:27 > The sacrifice (of worship, of prayer) of the wicked (Unrighteous, Ungodly) is an abomination, How much more when he brings it with evil intent! Incase you have taken any care during your bible study, you will notice that many scriptures indicate that God does not hear prayers of the Wicked and neither does he recieve their worship Who are the wicked? * These are the Ungodly, because they have never given their lives to Jesus. Therefore they are sinners. * There is also another group of the wicked, These are people who once professed Jesus as their Lord and saviour but have backsliden and Live and Enjoy Sin. All these groups of people, their prayers are unheard unless they repent and return to the lord. Therefore any Spiritual sacrifice they make to the Lord will not be received for it will be in vain. 8. *VAIN FASTING* Isaiah 58:3b-5 > “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. > Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. > Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord? There are so many religions that do fasts. Moslems fast, Witches fast, Buddhists fast, Catholics fast and many others But all those fasts are not received by the Lord except the Fasts of those who are Righteous or Called to be is Children But God can also reject the fast of His children if not done in Line with his requirements, and that is what that verse in Isaiah actually is explaining. Christians during a Fast should observe the highest stands. * Must *Avoid Strife*, *Quarrels* * Must *Avoid Pleasures of Food* * Must *Avoid Pleasures of Sex* * Must *Avoid Pleasures of Entertainment (TV, Tiktok etc)* * Must *Forgive Prisoners* * Must *Forgive anyone who has wronged you* * Must *Control your Tongue* * Must *Spend valuable time in the Word* * Must *Spend valuable time praying* * Must *Repent of all Sin* * May *Visit the Sick* (Added Advantage) * May *Visit the Poor* (Added Advantage) Among others. Apart from all this, you waste much time with your fast and it will not be accepted by the Lord. Because a lot of things we do during our fasts, defile the Fast. * We fast But Quarrel too much * We fast But still harbour Hatred * We fast But carry Unforgiveness * We fast But Speak lies * We fast But Gossip * We fast But Read No Bible * We fast But Pray less * We fast But do not Repent With all this in the Picture, Trust me your fast is empty, and if you believe you still see results with you current type of fast, Now imagine if all these were put into action. How much more would you be able to see better results. Do not settle for less, Go for the real results by doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. CONCLUSION As you have generally observed, there is vanity in many things we do especially if we do not do them in the Lord. Therefore from today i pray we shall align our efforts with bibilical principles so as to gain from them. ... Incase you found this message insightful, please be generous and share it with a friend or loved one. 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