LABORING FOR THE WIND?

by Tony Alamo

“There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?” (Ecclesiastes 5:13-16). Only what we do for Christ will be of any eternal value.

I decided many years ago not to labor for the things of this world, since I couldn’t take them with me when I died.1 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also [if your treasure is upon earth, your heart will be in the dirt, then Hell]” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Is what God, Jesus, their prophets and their apostles tell you, in the Word of God, wisdom? Or do you think the way you live and think is wise? Since we have to face God—and soon—I’m sure it is better to live according to the wisdom of God.2 When we don’t, we labor for the wind.

You may ask how I find out what to do. What is wisdom? And how do you understand what God likes, so that you might please Him?3 Proverbs 1:2-5 says, “To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; [How do we correctly judge the right thing for us to do, and instruct others to do the same?] To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.”

Haggai 1:6 says, “Ye have sown much [worked hard], and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.”

According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word “vanity” means: “(1) Emptiness; want of substance to satisfy desire; uncertainty; inanity. (2) Fruitless desire or endeavor; emptiness. Vanity possesses many people who are desirous to know the certainty of things to come. (3) Trifling labor that produces no good. (4) Emptiness; untrue (5) Empty pleasure; empty pursuit; idle show; unsubstantial enjoyment.” Sin with emptiness has filled the works of men. Vanity (emptiness) is the food of fools.

“Vanity of vanities; all is vanity. [All the work of mankind is as emptiness except what is done for God.] What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3). In Ecclesiastes 1:14, King Solomon says, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold [look], all [everything, except what is done for the Lord] is vanity [emptiness] and vexation of spirit.” “I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit” (Ecclesiastes 1:16-17). “I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-2). “Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity” (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19).

“The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:11-14).

The smartest man in the world the same as said that anything you do, except for serving the Lord, is working for emptiness—laboring for the wind.4

Let’s lay away treasure in Heaven for eternity because laboring for what is here is “laboring for the wind.”5 Say this prayer to be saved, to enter Heaven. Then serve the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength:

Prayer

My Lord and my God, have mercy upon my soul, a sinner. 1 I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. 2 I believe that He died on the cross and shed His precious blood for the forgiveness of all my sins. 3 I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit 4 and that He sits on the right hand of God at this moment, hearing my confession of sin and this prayer. 5 I open up the door of my heart and I invite You into my heart, Lord Jesus. 6 Wash all of my filthy sins away in the precious blood that You shed in my place on the cross at Calvary. 7 You will not turn me away, Lord Jesus, You will forgive my sins and save my soul. I know because Your Word, the Bible says so. 8 Your Word says that You will turn no one away, and that includes me. 9 Therefore, I know that You have heard me, and I know that You have answered me, and I know that I am saved. 10 And I thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving my soul, and I will show my thankfulness by doing as You command and sin no more. 11

You've just completed the first step in a series of five steps which are necessary to receive salvation. Your second step is to deny yourself and take up the cross daily for the purpose of mortifying yourself, that is, for putting to death your own will, your soulful self, and the world with all of its lusts. All these must be baptized into the death of Christ.

Step three is your resurrection from the satanic life of Adam unto the sinless life of Christ. Step four is your ascension into a position of authority to reign for God on earth, and the fifth step is to reign for God on earth to the end for the purpose of bringing about the kingdom of Heaven on earth. You must learn the Word of God, then submit yourself and do what the Word says, so that the Church and the world may see evidence of your submission to God's Word, His order, and His authority in and by you.

Praise the Lord. May God bless and reward you abundantly.

Pastor Tony Alamo


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Laboring For The Wind? footnotes:

1. Job 1:21, 21:7-13, Psa. 49:10, Luke 12:16-21 return

2. Psa. 1:4-6, 96:13, Eccl. 3:17, 11:9, 12:14, Dan. 7:9-10, Matt. 7:22-23, 25:31-46, 2 Cor. 5:10, Heb. 9:27, Rev. 20:11-15 return

3. Psa. 15:1-5, 111:10, Prov. 1:7, 4:7-27, 8:1-21, 32-36, 9:10-11, 15:33, Eccl. 7:12, 19 return

4. Eccl. 5:16 return

5. Matt. 6:19-21, 19:21, Mark 10:21, Luke 12:33-37 return


Prayer footnotes:

1. Psa. 51:5, Rom. 3:10-12, 23 return

2. Matt. 26:63-64, 27:54, Luke 1:30-33, John 9:35-37, Rom. 1:3-4 return

3. Acts 4:12, 20:28, Rom. 3:25, I John 1:7, Rev. 5:9 return

4. Psa. 16:9-10, Matt. 28:5-7, Mark 16:9, 12, 14, John 2:19, 21, 10:17-18, 11:25, Acts 2:24, 3:15, Rom. 8:11, I Cor. 15:3-7 return

5. Luke 22:69, Acts 2:25-36, Heb. 10:12-13 return

6. I Cor. 3:16, Rev. 3:20 return

7. Eph. 2:13-22, Heb. 9:22, 13:12, 20-21, I John 1:7, Rev. 1:5, 7:14 return

8. Matt. 26:28, Acts 2:21, 4:12, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14 return

9. Matt. 21:22, John 6:35, 37-40, Rom. 10:13 return

10. Heb. 11:6 return

11. John 5:14, 8:11, Rom. 6:4, I Cor. 15:10, Rev. 7:14, 22:14 return