Finishing Well

I admit to a certain fascination with King Solomon. I wonder how could someone who the Scriptures call the wisest man in the word finish his life in such a mess. I realize that many aspects of his life are recapitulated in my life and the lives of others. Advantages mean little if they are not followed up by discipline.

Solomon also reminds me that people are a mixture of good and bad, that which works and that which doesn't. He builds a magnificent temple for the Lord, but his own palace is twice as big and just as opulent. He is, perhaps, a captive of his culture as he increases his army and his wives ... because he can and the culture expects it. Sadly, God had warned in Deuteronomy about multiplying horses and wives.

Solomon doesn't follow God fully like his father, David. His final years are lived in seeming comfort but the peace that characterized the early years of his reign is gone. David is a murderer and an adulterer ... yet he never worships other gods. In contrast, Solomon is chastised for his faith that seems so easily diverted. This doesn't excuse David's sins, but it does point out that David continue to have a source to give him hope. Solomon took his hope in his wives and false gods.

1 Kings 10-11

Discipline Dilemmas

I was thinking about the issue of discipline this morning. It has to be one of the least natural things in one's life. There are aspects of life for which discipline seems to take little effort (i.e., brushing your teeth, putting on make-up, etc.) with a seemingly small return. There are other aspects of life for which discipline takes great effort (i.e., exercise, good nutrition, spiritual disciplines, etc) that promise a great return. We pat ourselves on the back for doing the minutae of life while conveniently ignoring that we have positioned ourselves for continued failure.

I share this ambiguity. I wrestled this morning to get up and go exercise. I had all the good excuses lined up. It was a mighty tussle to finally admit that the return - although far off - was a good one.

Now as I sit/lie/stand with a pinched disc in my back, I have to question the wisdom of what I did. But, that's all smoke and mirrors because I know that making the attempt this morning was good and right. The trick is to do it a second and third time!

1 Kings 8-9

A Tough Opponent

I face a tough opponent tonight - junior high students. Out on the soccer pitch with a whistle in my mouth, I don't have much trouble ordering what is going on. If I blow the whistle, I make the call - then we play. I have pretty much absolute control. The kids want to play soccer so they stay within my guidelines in order to get that accomplished.

But, with the junior high group at church, it's a different story. Their purpose for attending is quite a bit different than mine. In the last few weeks, I've watched my inner temperature rise as we worked at cross-purposes. Now, these students are not "bad" ... they're just adolescents. They have their own likes and dislikes, along with their own way of expressing those opinions.

I just find myself weary as it comes to gathering their attention on eternal things. I have to constantly remind myself that this is a long process, in which I am only one part. It is God who is continually at work in the hearts and lives of these kids. My role is not to be the wise adult with all the answers. My role is to cooperate with God in what he is doing in the lives of these kids.

1 Kings 3-5

Taking It Seriously

One of the challenges of being a Christian is trying to take it seriously without becoming grim. There is a fine balance there. At our Men's Huddle (Men's group), the guys asked about my library. They wanted to know what tools I used in preparing sermons, teaching, etc. As I was explaining, one of the younger guys asked, "How did these authors find time to do all this?"

I immediately blew his mind by noting that works like Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, Hodge's Systematic Theology, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, and others like these were done without the aid of a computer! My young friend was a bit glassy-eyed as he tried to absorb all of this.

It's not that I long for these days gone by. Believe me, I love my computer, cell phone and all the other modern gadgets (try writing a paper in seminary on a typewriter and having to include Greek or Hebrew characters ... it was a nightmare!). I just wonder what got into these men and women to produce these types of works. In contrast, we appear to have very "thin soup" when it comes to what is being sold in Christian book stores today.

Could it be that in days gone by that these saints just toughed it out and dug into God's Word when things were going bad? Today, we have all sorts of volumes for all sorts of ailments that face in our lives. People have done the research for us. I wonder if there is something more when you dig it out for yourself.

1 Kings 1-2

Old Wine and New Wineskins

We had a spirited discussion in our Men's Huddle last night at church. We had read an article about having "kingdom vision" that was replete with all the current ministry buzzwords. The guys immediately got on to the shoddy use of terms and definitions.

I was reminded again that not everything that is new is good. I heard a pastor say recently that for every current author he reads; he reads two books from authors who are deceased. It was his way of reminding himself that the church is built on the shoulders of some giants of years, decades, and centuries gone by.

The difficulty is that Spurgeon, Henry, Wesley, Luther, Calvin, Augustine and their ilk are simply not easy reading. They write in a dense manner that means the reader must slow down. I've gotten to the point of reading a paragraph and then summarizing its content in the margin. But, these men and women were thinkers (This is not to say that anything modern is of no value. There are many serious writers in our generation that are well worth the read). They brought in a breadth and depth of knowledge that is lacking today. It is not that they are any more right than authors in present generations. But, my reading experience shows that they were not so much caught up by the fads of their day. They wrote with a sense of purpose, with a view to the long run rather than bowing to the god of "what's-happening-now."

I've been in ministry long enough to see trends come around. A recent article in a major ministry publication touted the importance of multi-generational churches. I had to laugh because my church is finally on the cutting edge and we didn't do anything to get there! The reality is that God wants a special operation done in each special place. Each ministry is unique to its own environment. There can be some similarities, but cloning a ministry is a recipe for diminishing returns.

2 Samuel 23-24

THE New Year

One of the perks of having an understanding wife is that I get to watch as much football during the holidays as I can handle. I try not to abuse this privilege. I also make sure I sprinkle these days with plenty of dinners and conversation.

Occasionally, Judy will join me ... not so much to watch football, but to do something together. It's kind of refreshing to see - what has become for me "old hat" - these games through new eyes. One aspect that has her shaking her head is the "introductions" of the offensive and defensive teams, especially in the pro games. The players - who for the most part - glare at the camera ... state their name and the university they attended. There are a few - who relish their roles as rebels - that give the name of their high school or junior high. Then, there are those who choose to use a special moniker for their school. We hear of players being from "The 'U'" (University of Miami) or "THE Ohio State University."

I'm reminded that for all the school spirit and bravado ... the Hurricanes of Miami or Buckeyes of Ohio State have (and will in the future) fall on hard times. The game of football is not one for dynasties. Fortunes and the won/lost records change from year to year.

It reminds me of Jeremiah's words - "Thus says the LORD, 'Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,' declares the LORD" Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NASB).

My boast of knowing God only comes to reality through my actions. My words and my deeds either confirm that I am changed by knowing God or they show a lie. How sad it is to live with this boast, but be living a lie.

Knowing God starts with a humble heart that says "I don't know, but I want to know." Although I am grateful for all my education and knowledge ... I "know" that I have only scratched the surface. And, I look forward to knowing much more and being known.

"To the faithful, You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless, You show Yourself blameless, to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd." 2 Samuel 22:26-27 (NIV)

2 Samuel 20-22