May 27, 2016

“Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying.” 
― St. Vincent de Paul

1 CHRONICLES 20-22

David commissions Solomon to build the temple...and humbly accepts and obeys God.

6Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. 7David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the Lord my God. 8But this word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. 9But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon,^a and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. 10He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

11“Now, my son, the Lord be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would. 12May the Lord give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. 13Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lordgave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

JOHN 10:22-42

Jesus again is harassed by the Pharisees...again he confuses and evades them.

22Then came the Festival of Dedication^b at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^c ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”

31Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

33“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’^d ? 35If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” 39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

JOURNAL 

These three chapters of Chronicles show the humility of David and how he willingly admits his failures and seeks God with his whole heart. The way he prepares the way for Solomon is so touching. David completely checks his ego in obedience, even though building the temple was his great ambition. 

Again the way Jesus evades direct accusation while still speaking truth shows his brilliance but also his deep understanding of the hearts of the Pharisees. He understands what they are trying to do but also knows it is not yet time for him. Again the humility even though being the Messiah is further confirmation of his deity.

I am impressed by how both David and Jesus refuse to assert their power and authority simply in obedience to God...the two most powerful beings to walk the earth and yet both refuse to "show off". Their faith and trust in God in the face of intense pressure is humbling and also reassuring. Seeking God and his way in humility is the path to the eternal. There is no room for arrogance.

18Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.- ROMANS 5:18-19

Leadership

May 26, 2016

“He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good leader.” 
― Aristotle

1 CHRONICLES 17-19

The prophet Nathan tells David of God's intent for him and the Kingdom...David responds.

“ ‘I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you: 11When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. 14I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.’ ”

16Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

“Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 17And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, Lord God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men...

18“What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant, 19Lord. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises.

JOHN 10:1-21

Jesus speaks in code yet his message is clear...

1“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

JOURNAL 

I love the brilliance of Jesus. I love that he brought hope to people that were being oppressed and confused those that arrogantly held power. I love that he spoke in metaphors that and that he suppressed his power in order to reveal himself and his way to those who needed it most. 

6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really know me, you will know^b my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”- JOHN 14:6-7

Protection from Above

Leaders Eat Last (Chapter 1)

A thick layer of clouds blocked out any light. There were no stars and there was no moon. Just black. The team slowly made its way through the valley, the rocky terrain making it impossible to go any faster than a snail’s pace. Worse, they knew they were being watched. Every one of them was on edge.

A year hadn’t yet passed since the attacks of September 11. The Taliban government had only recently fallen after taking a pounding from U.S. forces for their refusal to turn over the Al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden. There were a lot of Special Operations Forces in the area performing missions that, to this day, are still classified. This was one of those teams and this was one of those missions...

Flying over the thick clouds that night was Captain Mike Drowley, or Johnny Bravo, as he is known by his call sign or nickname. Except for the whir of his engines, it was perfectly peaceful up there. Thousands of stars speckled the sky, and the moon lit up the top of the clouds so brightly it looked like a fresh layer of snow had fallen. It was beautiful...

Following his gut, Johnny Bravo decided he needed to execute a weather letdown, to drop down below the clouds so he could take a look at what was happening on the ground. It was a daring move. With the thick, low-hanging clouds, scattered storms in the area and the fact that Johnny Bravo would have to fly into a valley with his field of vision reduced by the night-vision goggles, performing the weather letdown under these conditions was extremely treacherous for even the most experienced of pilots...

Then, just as he was preparing to head down through the clouds into the valley, his instincts were confirmed. Three words came across the radio. Three little words that can send shivers down a pilot’s neck: “Troops in contact.

“Troops in contact” means someone on the ground is in trouble. It is the call that ground forces use to let others know they are under attack. Though Johnny Bravo had heard those words many times before during training, it was on this night, August 16, 2002, that he heard the words “troops in contact” for the first time in a combat situation...

When he finally broke through the clouds, he was less than a thousand feet off the ground, flying in a valley. The sight that greeted him was nothing like he had ever seen before, not in training or in the movies. There was enemy fire coming from both sides of the valley. Massive amounts of it. There was so much that the tracer fire—the streaks of light that follow the bullets—lit up the whole area. Bullets and rockets all aimed at the middle, all aimed squarely at the Special Operations Forces pinned down below...

And so, on that dark night in August, Johnny Bravo started counting. He knew his speed and he knew his distance from the mountains. He did some quick calculations in his head and counted out loud the seconds he had before he would hit the valley walls. “One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand . . .” He locked his guns onto a position from which he could see a lot of enemy fire originating and held down the trigger of his Gatling gun. “Four one thousand, five one thousand, six one thousand . . .” At the point he ran out of room, he pulled back on the stick and pulled a sharp turn.

His plane roared as he pulled back into the cloud above, his only option to avoid smacking into the mountain. His body pressed hard into his seat from the pressure of the G-forces as he set to go around again...

Then the call came. “Good hits! Good hits! Keep it coming!” And keep it coming he did. He took another pass, counting again to avoid hitting the mountains. “One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand . . .” And another sharp turn and another run. And another. And another. He was making good hits and he had plenty of fuel; the problem now was, he was out of ammo.

He pointed his plane up to the clouds to fly and meet his wingman, who was still circling above. Johnny Bravo quickly briefed his partner on the situation and told him to do one thing, “Follow me.” The two A-10s, flying three feet apart from each other, wing to wing, disappeared together into the clouds.

When they popped out, both less than a thousand feet above the ground, they began their runs together. Johnny Bravo did the counting and his wingman followed his lead and laid down the fire. “One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand. Four one thousand . . .” On cue, the two planes pulled high-G turns together and went around again and again and again. “One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand. Four one thousand.”

That night, twenty-two men went home alive. There were no American casualties.

THAT AUGUST NIGHT over Afghanistan, Johnny Bravo risked his life so that others might survive. He received no performance bonus. He didn’t get a promotion or an award at the company off-site. He wasn’t looking for any undue attention or reality TV show for his efforts. For Johnny Bravo, it was just part of the “J.O.B.” as he puts it. And the greatest reward he received for his service was meeting the forces for whom he provided top cover that night. Though they had never met before, when they finally did meet, they hugged like old friends.

Where do people like Johnny Bravo come from? Are they just born that way? Some perhaps are. But if the conditions in which we work meet a particular standard, every single one of us is capable of the courage and sacrifice of a Johnny Bravo. Though we may not be asked to risk our lives or to save anybody else’s, we would gladly share our glory and help those with whom we work succeed.

I use the military to illustrate the example because the lessons are so much more exaggerated when it is a matter of life and death.

There is a pattern that exists in the organizations that achieve the greatest success, the ones that outmaneuver and outinnovate their competitors, the ones that command the greatest respect from inside and outside their organizations, the ones with the highest loyalty and lowest churn and the ability to weather nearly every storm or challenge.

These exceptional organizations all have cultures in which the leaders provide cover from above and the people on the ground look out for each other. This is the reason they are willing to push hard and take the kinds of risks they do. And the way any organization can achieve this is with empathy.

May 25, 2016

“The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.” 
― Winston S. Churchill

1 CHRONICLES 14-16

David continues to have success and his fame spreads. David praises God...

 8Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;

make known among the nations what he has done.

9Sing to him, sing praise to him;

tell of all his wonderful acts.

10Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

11Look to the Lord and his strength;seek his face always.34

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

35Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;

gather us and deliver us from the nations,

that we may give thanks to your holy name

and glory in your praise.”

36Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting.

JOHN 9:24-41

The Pharisees question the man who was healed and then throw him out of the temple...they then interrogate Jesus further...

35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

37Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

38Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

39Jesus said,^a “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

40Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

41Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

JOURNAL 

The Pharisees are desperate to discredit Jesus. They just cannot believe that someone that is not one of them could be ordained by God. They also refuse to believe that someone with Jesus' background could ever be the Messiah.

I love how time and time again throughout the Bible, it is often the least likely who are called to do the miraculous. God continually turns human opinion and traditions upside down. It reminds me that many times my worries and hopes are far from future reality. I cannot know the future or tomorrow. What I can know is God's love today...and that is enough.

16“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”- MATTHEW 20:16

EPILOGUE: THE STORY OF TAYLOR

Mansfield's Book of Manly Men (241-244)

GENTLEMEN, I WANT TO CLOSE THIS BOOK BY TELLING YOU one more story. I hope it will make you want to act, and act in very much the same way the men in this story did.
There is a church I know and love very much. Its members are nearly all African American, and what is most remarkable about this church is its amazing ministry to men. Frankly, it’s the best I’ve ever seen—bold, fiery, effective, and fun, measured by how men live loving and righteous lives in their homes and their communities. It is wonderful.

The main reason it’s wonderful is a man we’ll call Taylor. He had the ability to rally men to the example of Jesus and to fulfilling their destinies in this world. He also had an infectious laugh, gave a bone-crushing hug, and could out-eat anyone in the state.

Taylor’s ministry to men rocked on for years, changing lives and impacting the community. Well, the thing happened that often happens in churches. A new pastor. A shift in priorities. A new budget. By the time it had all settled, Taylor got hurt and left the church. And he really left the church. He wouldn’t talk to anybody. He completely cut himself off. Taylor’s wife told some of the men that he had locked himself in his house and wouldn’t come out.

This went on for a number of weeks, and no one did anything. Everyone seemed to think Taylor would eventually “get over his mad” and get back to his life. But he didn’t, and more weeks went by.

Finally, two of the men in the ministry were talking and one of them said, “You know, I don’t want to turn to you in five years and say, ‘I wonder what happened to old Taylor. He sure was a good guy. I wonder how he’s doing.’ We had some pretty special times together, and I’m just not going to sit by and let him drift away. I’m just not going to do it!

Both men agreed and decided to start talking to all the other men. Then together these men came up with the most astounding plan I’ve ever seen come out of a church men’s ministry.

Within forty-eight hours, these guys had set up camp in Taylor’s yard. About 150 of them. They had decided Taylor was going to come out if they had to stay there—on a rotating schedule so men could work their jobs—for the rest of the year if they had to, but they weren’t going to let Taylor go.

Picture it: more than 150 African American men camping in Taylor’s big old yard with electric lines running from neighboring houses to power the televisions and the refrigerators. About twenty grills and smokers are working up some of the best barbecue in the world. These are men, after all. They don’t plan to starve! And there are great big signs all over the place: “Taylor. Come Out. We Love you!” “Taylor, You’re an Idiot. Get Out Here!

One of the leaders told me later, “We had some fun, but don’t think this wasn’t a sacrifice. Black men don’t camp. But we decided we would do it for Taylor.

This went on for days. Taylor never came out. But our men had come to settle in for the long haul.

All of this must have ticked Taylor off, because on the third day the police came. Taylor had called them. When Taylor’s wife and some of the leaders explained what was going on, one of the policemen said, “I wish the guys in our church loved each other this way. Don’t worry. We’ve got this.” Then the two cops just drove off. No one knew what they meant by, “We’ve got this."

The next day, the police came back. They walked through the crowd of men without saying a word and rang the front doorbell. No one answered. One of the officers shouted, “Sir, are you in there? Sir, are you okay? We’ve had a call that you might not be safe. Sir, you’ll need to come to the door to let us know you’re okay. Sir, are there guns in there?

Of course, no one had called the police. These officers had decided to help.

Finally, Taylor came to the door, and the men camping in his yard exploded with cheers, which lasted until Taylor finished his chat with the officers and went back inside.

But the police came back. Twice a day. And not the same policemen, either. Different guys. Apparently the first two had let the entire police department in on what was happening, and they all agreed to help. So twice a day a patrol car pulled up to Taylor’s house. Twice a day policemen rang the doorbell. Twice a day one of them shouted that they had received a call and needed to make sure Taylor was all right. And twice a day, the men in that yard got to scream their love for Taylor.

On the sixth day, someone looked up on the porch and there was Taylor—crying his eyes out and sputtering how sorry he was.

And Taylor came out.

This is a true story. In fact, I’m not telling you where this happened because I’m not completely sure that what the policemen did wasn’t some violation of regulations.

I’ve told this story, though, because it is almost a picture of wounded manhood in our age. And what’s the answer? Men need to bring men in. Men need to stand for other men. Men need to rescue the men who are adrift. Men need the presence of other valiant men—both living and dead—to draw them out to what they are meant to be.

That’s it. That’s the story. And at the heart of it is the simple truth we started with. Don’t sit around talking so that years from now you’re wondering what happened to your life. Act. Act now. Act like a man. Do what men do. There’s time for change, and God is with you.

What then will you do? How will you show yourself a man?

MAY 24, 2016

“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.” ― Muhammad Ali

1 CHRONICLES 11-13

David is made King and a group of warriors become devoted to him, David honors their devotion, and his humility and commitment to God by his actions.

15Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 17David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 18So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the Lord. 19“God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

JOHN 9:1-23

Jesus heals a blind man and refutes the notion that all illness happen because of sin...

1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

JOURNAL 

I love this section of the story of David and his men.  There are several more stories of their devotion and the skills they posses. I also love how in each case the spirit of God comes over each of them and motivates them in their devotion to David. They are drawn to the Character of David and his devotion to God.

Then there is the blind man whom Jesus heals. Jesus at this point is turning everything that the Jews are teaching on its head. They use illness and misfortune to control people. Their intent is not to love and see people healed it is to line their pockets and keep control of their position.

David and Jesus give all devotion and credit to God. They are not consumed with power and position but rather service, obedience and love.

25He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

27Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”- MARK 2:25-28 

PRESENCE

Mansfield's Book of Manly Men (231-240)

• I have learned that when a man is a genuine man and tends his field with devotion and to the glory of God, he receives both authority and grace for that field. He has weight in that field, occupies it for the good of others. He stands within it and somehow permeates it at the same time. He has rank. His spirit covers it.
• I think this is a feature of righteous manhood.
• The power of John Wooden’s presence. He was a man committed to God. He had worked hard to overcome his background and his failures, and in time he had led many fierce competitors in epic athletic contests. You felt it. All of it. It radiated from him. There was a steely authority wrapped in a grandfather’s tenderness, and you didn’t know whether to hug him or come to attention
• He had come into the world in the Indiana of 1910. 
• Among a people devoted to basketball, young Wooden led his high school team to the state championship finals three years in a row. 
• He attended Purdue University, where he was a star player, the first to be named a three-time consensus All-American. 
• He played professionally after college before the navy called and he spent three years as a young officer during World War II.
• When he returned to Indiana, he coached basketball at Indiana State, accumulating championships and crafting a philosophy of achievement that began to remake the lives of many of his players. 
• Finally, in 1948, he became the head coach at the University of California, Los Angeles. 
• From that year until his retirement in 1975—a twenty-seven-year career—John Wooden won ten national championships. 
• He was awarded every honor possible for a college basketball coach. There has been no one like him since. 
• In the nine years after John Wooden retired, four men tried to fill his shoes. All failed. 
• Many called him the greatest coach in history. He died on June 4, 2010, four months and ten days shy of his one-hundredth birthday. His was a life well lived.
• This famous pro returned to UCLA after some years and spent time with his old mentor. When the player arrived, he announced to Coach that he felt it was more appropriate for him to call Coach by his first name.
• But it all became too much for the visiting player. He finally broke down and blurted out, “I can’t do it. I just can’t!” Can’t do what?” Wooden asked. "I just can’t call you by your first name. It just isn’t right! You are Coach. You always will be. Trying to call you John is just pride. I’m sorry.”
• Later, this player said, “You just feel this force coming from the man and the last thing it makes you want to do is be all chummy with him. You want to do what he tells you to do. You want to please him. You might even want to fall down and worship. What you don’t want to do is call him John.”
• John Wooden radiated something powerful, something that arose from his life, something that surrounded you, something that drew you in and made you better.
• He was a great man, a great spirit, and you felt it every moment you were in his presence.
• And that’s how it works. In your home. In your marriage. In your parenting. In your church and your community. Men stand. Men radiate. Men carry something holy and strong for the good of all they’ve been assigned.

May 23, 2016

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” 
― Nelson Mandela

1 CHRONICLES 8-10

The death of Saul is described...

13Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, 14and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

JOHN 8:37-59

The Jews still are blind in understanding what Jesus is talking about...they refuse to believe he is the Messiah.

48The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”

49“I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

52At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

54Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

57“You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

58“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

JOURNAL 

Saul was double-minded because of his jealousy over David. He no longer trusted God, he feared David and because of that he abandoned his faith in God. The Jewish leaders are much the same...they fear Jesus and do not seek God. They become double-minded and refuse to see the beauty of God.

This becomes a lesson to me in that fear produces double-mindedness. This can lead me to become controlled by fear rather than trusting in God. God promises that no matter what I face or what difficulties I experience that I can have joy and peace, if I trust in him.

9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.- ROMANS 12:9-13