Thursday, December 29, 2022
Everywhere You go Always Take The Weather With You
Luke 16:1-13 Ecclesiastes 11 How To Have A Successful Year
1 Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
2 Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
3 If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
8 So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
10 Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
Most irritating song heard on HOPE FM this year was… Everywhere you go always take the weather with you. What? Every time I am in the car I hear this song? Maybe they have limited songs?
Crowded House:
Walking 'round the room singin' Stormy Weather At Fifty Seven Mount Pleasant Street
Well it's the same room But everything's different You can fight the sleep But not the dream
Things ain't cookin' in my kitchen Strange affliction wash over me Julius Caesar And the Roman Empire Couldn't conquer the blue sky
Everywhere you go Always take the weather with you
Everywhere you go Always take the weather
Neil Finn told the story of the song, which he wrote with his brother/bandmate Tim
Ultimately, the theme of the song is, of course, that you are creating your own weather, you are making your own environment, always."
The promise of prosperity. Success is big business. Curiously, however, few ever address what most folks want (but seldom find) in their pursuit of success: contentment, fulfillment, satisfaction, and relief. On the contrary, the roads that are supposed to lead to success are not only rocky; they're maddening. As the Executive's Digest once reported, "The trouble with success is that the formula is the same as the one for a nervous breakdown." And what formula is that? Work longer hours, push ahead, let nothing hinder your quest—not your marriage or family, not your convictions or conscience, not your health or friends. Be aggressive and, if necessary, mean, as you press toward the top. You gotta be smart, slick, and sly if success is the bottom line of your agenda. It's the same old fortune-fame-power-pleasure line we've been fed for decades. At the risk of sounding ultra-simplistic, I'd like to offer some counsel that stands 180 degrees in contrast to all the above.
And Solomon's directives here in Ecclesiastes 11 are actually recognised today as best practice for business. It is called "Soft Skills!" and it works!
While Solomon was a wise man, particularly later in life, he learnt how to bring his life under the big picture of his relationship with God. Here he gives some practical wisdom for achieving business goals. Project planning. There are courses in this at colleges and universities. Here is Solomon's directions to overcome the Paralysis of Analysis.
PROFITER BE:
Proactive not passive
1 Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
Responsible not reactive
2 Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
Life isn't just about the job. In fact if you are a project development manager, you are in fact managing people. Managing people is about demonstrating that you have the best interests of each person at your heart. There is a willingness to share.
Stedman: The idea expressed there is one of openhanded generosity. Give freely, wisely, but generously to the needs of those about. This phrase, "Cast your bread upon the waters," was a proverb in Israel for what looked like wasteful expenditure. No one would take good bread and throw it in the river; he would be regarded as a wastrel for doing that. But here we are enjoined to do that very thing. This is not encouraging us to be spendthrifts, to thoughtlessly and carelessly give away our money, spending it like a drunken sailor. What is meant is, be willing to take a chance where a real need is evident.
Wiersbe: Solomon used two activities to illustrate his point [life is an adventure that must be lived by faith]: the merchant sending out his ships (vv. 1-2) and the farmer sowing his seed (vv. 3-6). In both activities, a great deal of faith is required, because neither the merchant nor the farmer can control the circumstances. The ships might hit a reef, meet a storm, or be attacked by pirates and the cargo lost. Bad weather, blight, or insects might destroy the crop, and the farmer's labor would be in vain. However, if the merchant and the farmer waited until the circumstances were ideal, they would never get anything done! Life has a certain amount of risk to it, and that's where faith comes in.
These are the "soft skills" I mentioned earlier. Recently a friend wrote a Phd on just this.
What are hard skills? Well, the hard skills of a Marketing Coordinator might include things like UX design, SEO and SEM skills, social media skills, or marketing analytics. But what is lacking and what the employers are increasingly looking more for are people who have the right soft skills for the job.
Soft skills are the things that help you fit in at the workplace, work well with colleagues, connect well with associates. They include things like attitude, communication, listening, motivation and manners. Both hard skills and soft skills are needed in any workplace and you're not going to get very far in a role without either one. Soft skills are "a really big focus right now". Some of the current trending soft skills from LinkedIn's research were: resiliency (which is probably no surprise given the pandemic we've all been living through) digital fluency emotional intelligence, and humour
Open not Obstructive
3 If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
Remember.. everywhere you go you take the weather with you. Your attitude colours how you look at everything, even the weather. It is what it is. But how you look at it is affets your lives.
If it rains.. it rains! If a tree falls it falls! So what are you going to do about it? Our feelings dominate how we look at a thing. As we get older plenty of odd feelings arise.
Some struggle with the sense of uselessness: "I'm over the hill, in the way, and have nothing to contribute anymore." This sentiment is especially prevalent among people who were once prominent, resourceful, and highly respected. Kenneth Gangel catches this idea well when he writes concerning the feelings of many retirees, "Above all the physical and emotional changes looms the question, 'Who am I now?'" Are your identity and value as a person inseparably tied to what you do for a living or to your role in your home or community? If you were to lose this position, who would you be?
Another feeling that often grows with age is guilt. People think, I blew it! If only I could go back and give life a second try, but I can't. these feelings of remorse, regret, and guilt can dominate our thinking and our lives.
A common feeling among that all people must negotiate is a combination of bitterness and resentment. These feelings result in thoughts of self-pity: "I have been so mistreated. My life would have been so much better if it hadn't been for such-and-such. I've had it rough!" There are few people more difficult to be around than those who have lost the battle against bitterness. They are hardened, unpleasant, and brittle. What they lack is a perspective like Joseph's. Though severely mistreated by his own brothers who sold him into slavery, Joseph held fast to his faith in God's enduring presence and sovereignty over the events of his life, concluding, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).
Perhaps you're holding on to bitterness. You know it's wrong to refuse to let go, but the feeling seems so justified! The Bible doesn't deny that unjust things happen; they do. But it teaches that God is the One who will avenge, not us. God's Word challenges us to forgive despite what's been done to us.
A final feeling that often heightens with age is fear. "I'm so afraid of losing my home! What if I get sick? I'm scared to be alone." As we age we face several realistic fears, but much of the time we imagine the worst-case scenarios and plan our lives around things that may never happen! Irrational fears can rob us of all the potential joy we could experience in life. Christ told us that rather than fear the people and things of our temporal existence, we should fear (revere) God, who has complete control of all things (Matthew 10:28).
Though we know that God has good things in store for us at every stage of our lives, Solomon painted a bleak picture of aging that drives home his point: why wait to seek the good things of God?
Remembering our Creator means more than just thinking about Him now and then. It means keeping Him at the forefront of our minds so His will affects our attitudes and actions. The important thing to realize from this verse is that we're exhorted to remember God while we are young, not to put it off until we're older. Solomon told his readers that as we age, we will find it more difficult to remember God and to enjoy the good days He's given us as a gift. Sorrow and guilt will rob us of our peace and joy, and our adjustment to the difficulties of aging will be even more challenging.
3 If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
Focussed not fearful
4 He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
A farmer, ragged and barefooted, was standing on the steps of his tumbledown shack. A stranger stopped for a drink of water and just to pass the time of day he asked: "How is your cotton coming along?" he asked. "Ain't got none," replied the farmer. "Did you plant any?" asked the stranger. "Nope," was the reply, "afraid of bollweevils." "Well," continued the stranger, "how is your corn?" "Didn't plant none," came the answer, "'fraid there weren't going to be no rain." The visitor persevered: "Well, how are your potatoes?" "Ain't got none. Scairt - of potato bugs." "Really, what did you plant?" pressed the stranger. "Nothin'," was the calm reply, "I jest played safe."
Where are you making excuses for failing to step out in faith and trust God and get busy in building His kingdom? Why are you procrastinating?
Why are you scared to take risks? – "All authority is given unto me … Go .. Make Disciples"
Intelligent not Impulsive
5 As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
Don't Try to Unscrew the Inscrutable – leads to being overly cautious and paralyzed – you don't have to have everything figured out – Trust God to work
"Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things."
You might object: I don't see how my investing in the kingdom will really make much of an impact … What can God possibly do with this mysterious teaching ministry over the internet? I can't see the process or the results?? When I witness, I don't see any amazing conversions … doesn't seem like it matters …
How about if the obstetrician threw up his hands and said .. I'm not going to use my skills to help with this delivery of this new life into the world … I don't fully understand how it all works … I know the facts of life … but they don't make a lot of sense to me … How does God create a new life … How do the bones form and grow?? I give up.
Be intelligent. Act on what you know. Acknowledge what you don't know. If you are not a doctor don't claim to be one. If you are not a solicitor, don't give legal advice.
Trusting not tentative
6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
Enjoy not endure
7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
8 So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
1Peter 4:1-5 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
There are two sorts of judgments here.. the judgements we bring on our lives by not acting wisely, and eternal judgment. It is pretty clear that eternal judgment is in mind. But don't forget, if you don't live godly you will bring pain on your body no matter what age you are.
Wiersbe: "Walk in the ways of your heart" (NKJV) is not an encouragement to go on a youthful fling and satisfy the sinful desires within (Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:20-23). It is rather a reminder for young people to enjoy the special pleasures that belong to youth and can never be experienced again in quite the same way. Those of us who are older need to remember that God expects young people to act like young people. The tragedy is that too many older people are trying to act like young people.
Rejoicing Not Revelling
10 Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
But this vexation is that struggle between anger resentment anxiety and fear.
Remove vexation from your heart. It brings pain. Now.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added t:o you. 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Worry is Unprofitable
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Worry is Useless
27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
In verse 27, we read, "Which of you, by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?" In other words, Jesus is asking, "Which of you can solve your problem of worrying?" By asking this rhetorical question, Jesus wants us to understand that worrying doesn't do us an ounce, a "cubit", of good—not even a little bit! So the first reason why we should never worry is because worrying never profits us; it is useless. The second reason why we should never worry is because it is needless. In verse 30, we read, "If God so arrays the grass of the field . . . will He not much more do so for you?" In other words, "If God looks after birds and lilies, is it not foolish to think that He would neglect us?" Sure, things don't always go as smoothly as we would like, but you must take quite a leap to reach the conclusion that God does not care for us. Jesus reminds us elsewhere, "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father . . . Therefore do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows" (Mt.10:29,31). The point Jesus is trying to make is that, if God, the ultimate Power of the universe, cares for us, and promises to provide for us, it doesn't make much sense to worry; it is needless.
Worry Is Ungodly
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Anxiety and fear is heathenish. In verse 32 Jesus reminds us, "all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek". When we worry about "these things" we are doubting God's care. And when we doubt God's care we resemble unbelieving Gentiles—we resemble people who do not depend on the provisions of our loving Heavenly Father.
Friends, the reason so many people are anxious is because so many are living apart from Christ. Be we, who have trusted in Christ, must not live as the heathen do.
It makes no sense for us to be anxious. It is useless. It is needless. It is heathenish.
So how do we fix this? How do we escape our tendency to worry about things? Thankfully, Jesus offers us an alternative to anxiety that makes perfect sense. Jesus calls us to make the honour of God our chief aim, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Mt.6:33).
Your Top Priority is Personal SEEK ye FIRST"
In Papua New Guinea, the Pidgin English spoken is a very simple straight foreword language. "Nambah One!"
Psa 105:4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
1Chron 22:17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, 18 Is not the LORD your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people. 19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God;
Christ's Deity Demands It
Col 1:18 He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything.
Christ's Death Demands it 1 Cor 6: 20 for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
If you seek the Lord you will Experience Peace "All these things shall be added unto you"
The Lord Jesus has instructed the disciples about true treasures The Lord is showing that there is only one thing that deserves Numbah 1 place in your life. And He says that your heavenly Father will look after the rest.
If you Seek the Lord You Will Experience God's Presence
Deut 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; 31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
2Chron 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
