Hide and Seek with a Dead Man

There is a crazy contrast of life and death between two men in 2 Kings 13 and 2 Chronicles 24.  Elisha is the prophet of God who pursues God at all costs, and it costs him alot.  He lives a life of deep, personal faith in God.  He withstands tough trials, he takes on people who hate him for his trust in God, and he sees great works of God done through his hands.  And he dies.

Joash was a prince who became king of Judah.  He was only seven when he became king, and he reigned for decades.  He was guided by a priest named Jehoida, who loved God.  Under Jehoida's guidance, he turned the kingdom back to God, and had amazing success as a king.  He lived out a public faith, pointed people to God, faced tough battles with enemy armies, takes on other nations who hated God, and saw great works of God done through his hands.  And then, he died.

But when Joash died, it was ugly.  Jehoida, the priest, had died years earlier, and Joash quit following God.  In fact, he ran the other way, and abandoned God.  Because of this, he was wounded in battle, and then later killed in his own bed by conspirators.  His faith was wide, but not deep.  It was a faith to be seen, but not to be lived personally.  When he needed God's guidance the most, his weak faith did not carry him, and he died a broken ruler who lost his way, at the hands of assassins.

Elisha died of a disease that slowly took his life.  But, through it all, he maintained a trust in God that guided his heart and decisions.  He died at peace, and was buried.  Later, some friends were transporting a friend's body to a funeral.  As they went past Elisha's tomb, some robbers came by.  They stuck their friend's body in the tomb to hide it from the bad guys.  It touched Elisha's bones, and the guy came back to life.  Even in death, God's power and blessing stayed with Elisha's body.

That's a contrast.

Which are you shooting for?  A faith that is a Sunday faith, once a week, make everyone like you, and live life your own way the other six days?  Are you living off of someone else's faith?  OR, are you working out a faith through tough times and trials that is deep, and just by being around you, people gain new life?

Two similar but very different paths.  Which are you on?

Eyes Wide Open

Throughout the years, I have asked God over and over to let me see the world through His eyes, to hear the world the way He does, and to love people with His heart.  In 2 Kings 6:17, the story of Elisha takes this idea to a whole new level.  Elisha is in a city surrounded by his enemies who want to kill him.  A huge army takes up defenses, and is going to destroy the whole city to get to Elisha, the prophet.  His servant panics, like any of us would.  But Elisha doesn't.  Instead, he prays for his servant.


17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.


What is going on is God's army is there to protect Elisha,  He never worried.  He saw the world around him through God's eyes.


We don't need the army of angels around us.  Jesus tells us that He will live in us.  He tells us not to worry, because He has us, and everything around us, covered.  But we forget.


A couple of weeks ago I was riding my mountain bike in Brown County State Park.  The trails there are sweet and fast.  But on a slow part, I took my eyes off the trail for a minute.  My glasses had fogged up, and I quit looking at the trail to look at the fog on my glasses.  In that 2 second window, I went over the bars, and I'm still healing up the wounds from that stupid fall.


When we take our eyes off of God, we fall just as fast, and just as hard.  What we focus on makes all of the difference.


So today, pray that prayer with me.  "Lord, open our eyes so that we can see."

Stolen Veggie Gardens and the Other

1 Kings 21 continues telling the story of King Ahab.  He was king over Israel, and was married to Jezebel.  They are a horrible couple.  They push God out of the country's mind, they set up idols to worship, they murder people, steal, and more.  Ahab is one of the most evil kings in the Bible.


And he's a wimp.  


In chapter 21, there is a dilemma for the king.  He wants to plant some veggies in a garden near one of his castles.  But he doesn't have enough land to do.  Naboth is the guy who owns the land, and doesn't want to sell his family farm for the king's veggie patch. Yeah, that's a tough, king-like problem....


So anyway, he resolves it by doing what any good leader does.  He pouts.  No, really, the Bible is clear that this is what he does.  Check it out.  "4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat."


So, the king is pouting.  His wife meanwhile, takes a different route.  She sets up a plan to have Naboth set up, falsely accused, and killed.  The plan comes off perfectly.  Naboth dies, falsely accused, and the king takes his land.  


As I read this, I thought about how many times I act like Ahab, and how many times I act like Jezebel.  I mean, so many times life doesn't go exactly like I want it to.  Sometimes I get mad at God and pout.  I go in my room and lay on my bed sulking.  At least, in my heart that's what I do.  I try and milk the situation for sympathy from others, and I get upset with God for not giving me what I want.


Other times, when things don't go my way, I get mad, and create a plan to make things happen.  I simply take whatever it is I think I am owed or what I deserve.  I don't wait on God or anyone else, I just make it happen.  "I'm a leader, a do-er", I think as I justify my actions.  And I get what I want.


But I never stop to think why God is telling me "no".  I never think about the Naboth in my story.  I get so focused on what I want, that I honestly don't stop to think that God is telling me "no" because to tell me "yes" would hurt someone else.  I get so caught up in me, and my desires, I forget how intertwined my life is with everyone else.  


But God never forgets the other.  He always looks at my life with others in view.  Both Jezebel and Ahab got what they wanted with their actions.  They got another veggie garden.  But a wife lost her husband, children lost their father, people lost a friend.  Naboth lost his life.


When God tells us "no", maybe we need to remember the other, and trust Him.  Maybe we need to try and think of the other before we ask.  Maybe....

The Power of the *

I was reading in 1 Kings 15 today, and it is talking about the different kings of Judah and Israel.  One of the kings, Asa, follows God, and the writer compares him to his great great grandfather David.  So, a couple of hundred years after David has died, he is still seen as the standard.  Here is what the verse says about David:

"⁵ For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life--except in the case of Uriah the Hittite." 1 Kings 15:5 (NIV)

David has an * on his record.  He kept all of the commands of God, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.  That was Bathsheba's husband, the woman he had an affair with.  Uriah was the general in his army whom he had murdered.

So many times today, we have athletes with great records, but there is an * on their sheet, either for cheating, steroid use, or whatever else.

It's the power of the *.

I really don't want to have a record that is 99% great, but then have an * after it.  "Jason did very well, and served God faithfully for decades, except for *".  God is working on my to understand that the little habits, the  small sins that I coddle, the things that no one sees today, those are the things that lead up to the *.

What is yours?  Is there one?  Are you forming habits, and babying sins because they are "small", that are going to lead to an * on your life one day?  Be ruthless.  Go after it all.  Because of God's generous grace and forgiveness, we always have a second chance.  I want my life to leave behind a !, not an *.

What about you?

Summer Break

For those of you who read my blog on a regular basis, I have two things.  One, thanks.  I really appreciate you taking time to invest in this.  Two: I'm sorry I haven't written in several weeks.  Quite honestly, it's been a tough summer.  In short:
1. Got the worst food poisoning I've ever had. At a graduation party.  I have NEVER been sick like that before.
2. Developed kidney stones. Three days before a mission trip.  I have NEVER felt pain like that before.  Geesh!
3. My computer died unexpectedly.  Three days before a mission trip.  With every file and record for the trip on it.
4. I haven't felt right physically much at all this summer.
5. Our Kings Island trip was the roughest I've had in a while.
6. We were turned down for a sabbatical grant that we were REALLY hoping to get for next year, after tons of work went into it.

So, there is my whining.  BUT, there is the other side as well:
1. Got to take a Sunday off and go mountain bike riding with a bunch of guys who have been asking me for ten years to go.  One of the best days I've had in a long time!
2. I've taken several vacation days, and got to hang out with Jill and the girls a bit more this summer.
3. Our Atlanta mission trip with the senior high was AMAZING and I saw God work in so many people over the course of the week.
4. All of my "sickness" is pretty petty, and non-life threatening.  I am so grateful for that.
5. I've started a second job working at the local bike shop in town as mechanic.  Such a generous opportunity from God for sure.

In the midst of all this, I haven't been writing any.  And I can tell.  I mainly write on here for cathartic purposes.  It's just good for my soul and mind to write.  I've missed it.

Now, I have a lot of vacation days coming up, along with middle school camp in Wisconsin for a week.  I simply won't be on here regularly.  But I am going to do my best to write more than I have, just for my own sake.

How about you?  How is your summer going?  I'm sure there are several things that are tough right now, and quite likely they are much, much more serious and worse than my little issues.  But what about what God has blessed you with this summer?  I want to encourage you to stop, and write them out.  He is SO good to us, far beyond what we can ever hope for.  Be sure to take some time to practice saying "thanks" today.  It's good for you.

Raising Solomon in a Fool's World (new blog post)

In the book of Proverbs, Solomon writes down line after line of wisdom.  The book is considered one of the most important writings on wisdom in history.  It's quoted everyday.  We put it's proverbs on pillows, posters, coasters, cups, and business cards.  The writings in it have influenced kings and presidents, and been used to teach children worldwide.

That's why I think it's so interesting in chapter one when Solomon begins the whole book with this advice:

"7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, 

but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 

9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck."

There are two things that jump out to me from this beginning set of instructions.  One, we are supposed to be teachable.  In a world where knowing the right answer is so important, where we are judged on how much we know. where you can win thousands of dollars for pointless trivia on game shows, Solomon says to develop a teachable heart.  Be willing to learn.  Be humble.  Listen to others and take it in.  Only fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Yeah.  I've got a ways to go on this one.

The other thing that hit me is the call to parents.  We are supposed to be teaching our kids Godly wisdom.  Its our job.  The kids are supposed to be willing to learn, but we are required to teach it.  That means we have to have it to teach it.  Hmmmm......  How seriously are we taking this idea, moms and dads?  What do you and I need to do to pursue God's knowledge and wisdom, so that we can pass it on to our kids?  It's assumed we will.  But are we?

Do we need to sacrifice pursuing foolish things some times in order to pursue wisdom?  I gotta be honest, I hear parents much more concerned about what movies they've seen recently, than about the wisdom they are intentionally tracking down.  What needs to change in us, you and I, that we can have a better handle on this wisdom?  Where will our kids find it, if not with us?

I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on it.

Why Do Your Kids Act Like They Do? - a new post for parents and parents to be

As parents, it can be so tough to discipline our kids.  I remember when I was growing up, I was pretty convinced my parents enjoyed it.  At least, it always seemed to be easier for them than it was for me.  But that didn't last long.  As soon as I had to be in charge of a youth group, and be the one handing out discipline, I realized what an incredibly heavy burden it can become.   Then later, as a father myself, it has only grown even tougher.

But I also know how important it is.  I work with students every week who are not given enough discipline at home.  They are allowed too much freedom, and given it too early.  Parents, I promise, I understand how hard it is, how exhausting it is, how defeating it can feel.  But it is SO incredibly important.

In 1 Kings 1, David is dying.  One of his sons, Adonijah, decides he will be the next king.  So he begins to set things up to make it happen.  There is a very interesting set of verses in the story for us to look at:

"5 Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.

6 (His father had never rebuked him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.) "

Do you catch what is going on there?  David never disciplines his kid.  This story is seen over and over in David's family.  The king who is called "a man after God's own heart" doesn't discipline his own kids.  The one who took Goliath on head first, who built a world super power in a tiny land, who survived assassination attempts and countless wars, he chooses not to discipline his children. It's understandable.  He is giving his heart and attention to so many other things, he ignores his own families needs.

But at what cost?  Three of his sons try to take his kingdom.  They all die.  One of his daughters is raped by one of his sons.  His family is constantly in disarray.  It's horrible.

The same holds true today.  We can short cut discipline because it's hard, because we want to be cool and loved, because we don't do it well, because it makes us feel icky, or a thousand other reasons.  The truth is we are simply delaying the pain.  It will come back, and it comes with interest added on.  

I want to encourage all of us as parents; lovingly, carefully, thoughtfully discipline our children.  Jesus tells us to make disciples of all nations.  Deuteronomy six tells us it starts at home.  The word disciple and the word discipline come from the same word.  

If you want some resources to help with discipling your kids well, contact me or Evan Casey, our children's pastor.  We'll point you to some good tools.  If you love your kids, discipline them.  God does, so should we.