WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.680 You're listening to the Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:06.440 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in 3 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:07.480 practical ways. 4 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:14.960 Good horning morning. 5 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:19.679 We talk the whole not through good morning. Good morning. 6 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:22.000 Do you there? It is? 7 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:22.559 Wow? 8 00:00:22.600 --> 00:00:24.839 Hey, good morning everybody. My name's Chris, this is Jeff 9 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:25.640 and we are the bubble. 10 00:00:25.719 --> 00:00:29.160 You just made people's day. No, no, you know what, 11 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:32.600 I actually know people hated breath. I actually know people 12 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:35.799 who don't like that. Well, they can find another podcast. 13 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:37.520 That's true that I'm singing. 14 00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:40.759 We're not the only podcast in the world and I'm 15 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:48.679 singing that's wow. So I'm gonna guess more people love 16 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:49.359 it than hate it. 17 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:50.320 Oh, I don't think so. 18 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:52.640 Oh I think so. You think so? If you think 19 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:54.240 more people hate it than love it, why do you 20 00:00:54.359 --> 00:00:54.840 keep doing it? 21 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:55.640 You're so funny? 22 00:00:55.640 --> 00:01:00.359 Well, because I know personally some people who ask me 23 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:00.640 to do it. 24 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:00.880 Yeah. 25 00:01:01.240 --> 00:01:03.920 Hey, by the way, you you're so kind. 26 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:06.640 You always say that when I do things that people 27 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:07.719 love it, they do. 28 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:12.840 Yeah, I love you. I'm impressed. I'm impressed with people. 29 00:01:13.959 --> 00:01:16.920 I am man, I'm so impressed with the love. 30 00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:20.959 People are like, oh, jeffah whatever, but they're like. 31 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:24.000 Oh, Chris, Chris, is that what is? Yeah? 32 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:28.760 Absolutely no, I'm amazed by it. You have this, Jeff, 33 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:30.079 you have this magnetism. 34 00:01:30.359 --> 00:01:32.319 Okay, now now we need to put this to bid. 35 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:37.400 We're going to read a segment that Desiray wrote and 36 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:39.439 it's called New Year's Resolutions that says. 37 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:42.120 Happy New Year, Happy New Year. Today many are going 38 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.359 to start their New Year's Is this going to be 39 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:47.799 aired on Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 40 00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:51.719 Okay, awesome since most resolutions fail. Wow, that's a that's 41 00:01:51.719 --> 00:01:52.239 a downer. 42 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:55.439 Everybody's like, just quit talking so loudly right now. 43 00:01:55.400 --> 00:01:58.519 Right, Let's ask this question, what is something you would 44 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:03.680 like to do see? Oh wait, see or do or 45 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:10.319 experience this year. That's a pretty good one. So something 46 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:13.280 you want to do or see or experience this year? 47 00:02:13.400 --> 00:02:14.719 So I'm going to toss this out. 48 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:15.319 Okay. 49 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:17.680 I think it'd be fun. 50 00:02:18.199 --> 00:02:23.080 If we got our wives and uh maybe even a 51 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:26.199 few other staffers and we did something out of the 52 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:27.479 ordinary and took a trip together. 53 00:02:28.039 --> 00:02:29.360 Ooh, that'd be fun. 54 00:02:29.719 --> 00:02:31.840 Just like two or three days or three or four 55 00:02:31.879 --> 00:02:33.560 days or something like that, like a quick trip. Where 56 00:02:33.599 --> 00:02:36.599 to I want to go? International? 57 00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:39.800 International? Yeah, like your wife hates going internet? Yeah, but 58 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:43.240 not something like that. I mean like Dominican Republic. Like 59 00:02:43.719 --> 00:02:47.479 she she sees like I FaceTime her and I show 60 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:50.319 her some of the conditions of the places I'm staying 61 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:52.199 and she's like, oh okay, and she sees like. 62 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:55.000 The polity some place, someplace like take her to Greece, yeah, 63 00:02:55.039 --> 00:02:55.520 like Italy. 64 00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:58.039 Yeah, yeah, yeah, she'd love it. She would love it. 65 00:02:58.120 --> 00:02:59.719 That'd be fun. That'd be neat. 66 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:02.199 You know, I hit the lottery first. 67 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:03.879 But yeah, you got to do that. But still, yeah, okay, 68 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:07.039 that'd be fun things that we'd like to see or 69 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:11.719 do or experience this year. I just was telling you 70 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:13.400 one of my big goals is I want to build 71 00:03:14.199 --> 00:03:17.000 start building. It won't all happen and be done this year, 72 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:19.639 but I want to start building an outdoor kitchen, which 73 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:20.319 is amazing. 74 00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:22.319 So I love for you. Yeah, you love cooking. 75 00:03:22.360 --> 00:03:24.479 I love cooking, and I love all the outdoor stuff. 76 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:28.319 I love smoking meat, I love grilling. I love cooking 77 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:30.520 on a griddle. The whole nine yards, isn't it. Isn't 78 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:32.520 it funny how it's so predictable. You can predict like 79 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:36.439 seasons of people's lives. This is the season, right, So 80 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:36.919 when you're in. 81 00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:38.960 Your thirties, you know you want to do it, you 82 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:41.479 just can't afford it. Right in your forties, it's like 83 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:44.439 I'm almost there. And in your sixties and seventies you're like. 84 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:45.280 I waited too late. 85 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:48.840 Right now is the time you are in the season 86 00:03:48.840 --> 00:03:50.520 where you're like, I think I could make it work 87 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:54.479 financially and and maybe and well if. 88 00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:56.280 You do it by pieces, right, that's what That's what 89 00:03:56.360 --> 00:03:58.719 I do, is do it in pieces. But I started 90 00:03:58.759 --> 00:03:59.319 doing that this year. 91 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:01.680 That's what you need. But you need to do it 92 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:03.520 now while you're still walking. 93 00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:05.360 And then I'll tell the other thing I want to Yeah, 94 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:09.360 exactly the other thing. So the other thing I want 95 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:11.719 to do is my wife is gonna you know, I 96 00:04:11.960 --> 00:04:14.039 want having to travel a lot with the Timoth Initiative, 97 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:15.639 and my wife is going to travel with me more 98 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:17.720 this year, and so that's fine. Yeah, that's gonna be 99 00:04:17.720 --> 00:04:18.040 a lot of fun. 100 00:04:18.120 --> 00:04:20.720 Yeah, that's really fun. Wow, that's actually really exciting. 101 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:23.160 I can't even tell you that the joy that I 102 00:04:23.160 --> 00:04:24.680 actually have when you just said that's it. 103 00:04:25.399 --> 00:04:27.839 Hopefully. I know that in January she's going to go 104 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:32.000 with me to Nairobi. Yeah, and she's never been on 105 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:34.199 a safari or anything. So that'll be fine. I've been 106 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:36.759 on a jillion of them, so I'm super excited to 107 00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:38.360 finally be able to go do that with her. That 108 00:04:38.519 --> 00:04:39.279 is some other things. 109 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:41.240 That is such a win win, win win. That's like 110 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:42.560 four wins. Right. 111 00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:45.519 So you're gone and you're away from her and you 112 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:47.759 love her so much, so that's a win for you. 113 00:04:48.279 --> 00:04:50.920 It's a win for her because you know she's with you, 114 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:55.319 and then it's a win for honestly if she goes 115 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:58.199 to meetings with you. She having our wives with us 116 00:04:58.240 --> 00:04:58.959 always helps us. 117 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:00.560 Yes, well percent and. 118 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:02.639 Then me deliver the line, and then it's a win 119 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:05.240 for her. Not purchasing something when you're gone. 120 00:05:05.160 --> 00:05:07.800 Yes, exactly, because this is what it's always what is 121 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:12.000 bonded by. Yeah, you're right, right, it's always. She always 122 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:15.000 gets it, not in a bad way. So I've kind 123 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:17.800 of given her a bad reputation because she never does 124 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:20.439 anything that we're not already talking about doing. It's just 125 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:23.720 sometimes I can talk about buying a thing, but I 126 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:26.240 think I mentioned here with something. I'm kind of researcher, yes, 127 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:29.519 so I look and look and on occasion, normally when 128 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:32.800 it comes to making decisions, I don't struggle except spending money. Yes, 129 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:36.399 sometimes it can be paralysis by analysis, and so I 130 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:38.120 can be like, yeah, we should get a house sometime 131 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:40.680 in the next nine years, right, right kind of thing. 132 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:43.399 Or it's time to turn in the car and get 133 00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:45.920 a new car or whatever, and I can kind of 134 00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:47.720 get bogged down looking for what do I want? And 135 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:50.079 can I find exactly all the features I want and 136 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:52.360 all that, And she's looking for the right deal. So 137 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:55.600 on occasion we've been talking about getting a new vehicle 138 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:56.800 and then I come home and she has a new 139 00:05:56.879 --> 00:05:59.199 vehicle or the house. You know, when it came home 140 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:02.920 and she had a house, right, But you know that 141 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:03.560 kind of stuff. 142 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:04.399 That's so funny. 143 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:07.439 Yeah, that'll be fun. The other one that she'll do 144 00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:08.759 is I think she's going to go to Egypt with 145 00:06:08.759 --> 00:06:10.720 me this year. That's wonderful, And so there's a great 146 00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:14.439 benefit because the pastor's wives want to meet my wife. 147 00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:16.879 They want to know, you know, just that I'm a 148 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:19.480 human and not just a pastoral robot, you know what 149 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:22.079 I mean. And so being able to bring it wong, 150 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:24.279 it's gonna be a blast, I think. All So that's 151 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:26.600 that's one of my big goals this year for you, Yeah, 152 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:29.600 what other things do you want to see and do? More? 153 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:33.279 Well? More, I went, I went from well, last time 154 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:34.959 I mentioned this, you said it was a flex but 155 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:37.519 I'm gonna say it anyway. I had to build up 156 00:06:37.560 --> 00:06:40.360 to this. But for two years I was only going 157 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:42.920 to the gym doing that training once a week, and 158 00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:45.040 then for twenty twenty four I did twice a week, 159 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:47.959 and for twenty twenty five, I'm increasing it to three 160 00:06:47.959 --> 00:06:48.519 times a week. 161 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:52.439 It's gonna get ripped, no, yeah, it's gonna be my bodyguard. 162 00:06:52.519 --> 00:06:57.120 My goal is to be able to squat and bend 163 00:06:57.279 --> 00:06:57.879 without going. 164 00:06:59.399 --> 00:06:59.720 That's it. 165 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:01.879 That's my goal. Yeah, because that's what happens when you 166 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:04.199 get old. Two things. You go whenever you go stand 167 00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:06.639 up and go like this. And then when once you 168 00:07:06.680 --> 00:07:10.720 stand up, you go, where's my okay, all right, where's 169 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:12.800 my stuff? You start patting all your pockets trying to 170 00:07:12.839 --> 00:07:14.279 see if you got all the stuff you need right 171 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:18.040 or when you've been down, tie your shoes. You just 172 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:20.279 stay down for a while, yeah, trying to think there's 173 00:07:20.279 --> 00:07:23.879 anything else I need to do. I'm down here, money, 174 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:29.040 come back down again. That's what it happens. Okay, So, 175 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:34.959 speaking of getting older, Solomon. Solomon's getting old, and he's 176 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:36.920 kind of in a bad place right now. 177 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:41.199 Yeah, he's a crotchy he's speaking crotchy. 178 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:43.120 Is this whole thing is just complaining? 179 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:44.279 Now get off my lawn. 180 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:47.240 My life's miserable, right yeah. 181 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:48.399 Not bad, not bad? 182 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:50.759 Yeah, yeah. If you don't know, we're trying to figure 183 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:55.240 out the worst transitions possible between our conversation parts the Bible. 184 00:07:55.360 --> 00:07:57.959 I forget it every time. Yeah, and you don't, you 185 00:07:58.040 --> 00:07:59.360 remember it? So good for you. 186 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:05.600 So in Ecclesiastes chapter eight, he's been complaining about all 187 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:09.399 the things. But then even then, in this moment, he pauses, 188 00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:13.279 reminds me, but I'm still king, all right, So he says, 189 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:15.560 obey the king, since you've vowed to God that you would. 190 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:18.079 Don't try to avoid doing your duty, and don't stand 191 00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:20.480 with those who plot evil. For the king can do 192 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:23.560 whatever he wants. His command is backed by great power. 193 00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:26.680 No one can resist or question it. Those who obey 194 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:29.279 him will not be punished. Those who are wise will 195 00:08:29.319 --> 00:08:31.360 fill it, will find a time and a way to 196 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:33.440 do what is right, for there is a time in 197 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:36.960 a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble. Indeed, 198 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:39.320 how can people avoid what they don't know is going 199 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:41.879 to happen. None of us can hold back our spirit 200 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:44.159 from departing. None of us has the power to prevent 201 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:46.639 the day of our death. There's no escaping that obligation, 202 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:49.639 that dark battle, and in the face of death, wickedness 203 00:08:49.679 --> 00:08:54.720 will certainly not rescue the wicked. No one mourns the wicked, 204 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:58.559 that's correct. I have thought deeply about all that goes 205 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:01.559 on here under the sun, where people have the power 206 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:04.759 to hurt each other. I've seen wicked people buried with honor, 207 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:07.360 yet they were the very ones who frequented the temple 208 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:10.200 and are now praised in the same city where they 209 00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:13.559 committed their crimes. This, too, is meaningless. When a crime 210 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:15.840 is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to 211 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:18.480 do wrong. But even though a person sends a hundred 212 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:20.279 times and still lives a long time, I know that 213 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:23.240 those who fear God will be better off. The wicked 214 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:25.440 will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their 215 00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:28.799 days will never grow long like the evening shadows. And 216 00:09:28.840 --> 00:09:31.039 this is not all that is meaningless in our world. 217 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:33.360 In this life, good people are often treated as though 218 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:35.200 they are wicked, and wicked people are often treated as 219 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:38.159 though they were good. This is so meaningless. So I 220 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:40.879 recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people 221 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:42.960 in this world than to eat and drink and enjoy life. 222 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:45.519 That way, they will experience some happiness along with all 223 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:48.120 the hard work God gives them under the sun. In 224 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:50.360 my search for wisdom and in my observation of people's 225 00:09:50.360 --> 00:09:52.440 burdens here on earth, I discover that there is ceaseless 226 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:55.039 activity day and night. I realize that no one can 227 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:57.799 discover everything God is doing under the sun, Not even 228 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:02.480 the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim. 229 00:10:02.519 --> 00:10:04.240 Well, there you go, there you go. 230 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:06.120 You know, as you were reading this, I was thinking, 231 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:09.360 what are we going to talk about? Because there's not 232 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:13.320 a lot here in terms of like, for instance, like okay, 233 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:15.679 one of the things that we can probably talk about 234 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:20.840 is obedience to the king. And you've said this before, 235 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:23.240 and it's such a great saying. You said, all of 236 00:10:23.240 --> 00:10:25.600 that is great as long as you're a good king. 237 00:10:26.519 --> 00:10:28.440 Right, Yeah, he's good kings and bad kings. 238 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:32.159 Yes, right, So so yes, he's talking about Hey, obey 239 00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:35.039 the king. His command is backed by great power. No 240 00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:37.399 one can resist or question it. Those who obey him 241 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:39.600 when not to be punished, and all these these kind 242 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:42.480 of things, Well, all of that's fine if he's a 243 00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:46.720 good king, right, right, So I'd like to think honestly 244 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:49.559 that Solomon was a good king, even though that he 245 00:10:49.639 --> 00:10:51.240 you know, had his own personal struggles. 246 00:10:51.960 --> 00:10:53.200 You know, it is. 247 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:57.039 Recorded everything that everything that's recorded about Solomon, about him 248 00:10:57.080 --> 00:11:00.720 actually doing his kingly duty, refers to him as a 249 00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:03.960 great king, right, So I believe that he served his people. 250 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:04.279 Well. 251 00:11:04.679 --> 00:11:07.559 I believe that, you know, you know, when it talks 252 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:10.279 about us obeying the laws of the land and you know, 253 00:11:10.440 --> 00:11:13.039 respecting the government and the authorities that are placed over 254 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:16.279 us as long as they don't conflict with God's word. Right. 255 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:18.840 And that's a little ironic. 256 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:22.679 Because later on Solomon actually gives in toward the end 257 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:26.840 of his life to false idle practices, right. And so 258 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:31.879 therefore that is a time where I would say, don't 259 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:34.639 obey the king, right, or at least that which he's 260 00:11:34.679 --> 00:11:39.159 invited you to, because it directly conflicts with God's words. 261 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:41.559 So I think there's a sermon in there somewhere. 262 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:44.679 Yeah. I also think that what you have here is 263 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:47.720 he says, you know, there's a time there's a way 264 00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:49.519 to do the right thing all the time. This really 265 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:51.799 jumped out. Those who obey him will not be punished. 266 00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:55.279 As verse five, those who are wise will find a 267 00:11:55.320 --> 00:11:57.840 time and a way to do what is right. There 268 00:11:57.879 --> 00:12:00.519 is a time and a way for everything, even when 269 00:12:00.519 --> 00:12:02.879 a person is in trouble, and I go, okay, that 270 00:12:02.919 --> 00:12:08.039 resonates not everything he says, resonates with wisdom and right 271 00:12:08.200 --> 00:12:11.799 living right. So you've got to measure his statements according 272 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:15.919 to the rest of scripture. But that phrase, that phrase 273 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:20.120 really does resonate with everything he teaches us in proverbs. 274 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:21.840 But then all throughout the rest of the Bible, it's 275 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:24.240 possible to do the right thing, even when you feel 276 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:26.159 like there's no other way. How often do you hear 277 00:12:26.200 --> 00:12:29.080 people say, well, I know you're not supposed to do that, 278 00:12:29.159 --> 00:12:31.159 but there wasn't any other way for me. I had 279 00:12:31.159 --> 00:12:33.759 to do the wrong thing right. People are quick to 280 00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:37.240 justify wrong behavior just by saying I couldn't find another way. 281 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:39.679 And he said, there's always a way to do the 282 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:42.440 right thing. It's always possible to do right. And so 283 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:45.519 you know, I think that there's all those little nuggets 284 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:48.360 you're always trying to sift through the book you Ecclesiastes 285 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:50.960 and find what is true versus what's not true. And 286 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:53.799 that only is possible when you know the rest of 287 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:57.639 the word, because the Bible is its own best commentary. Yeah. 288 00:12:57.879 --> 00:13:00.159 Yeah. And then he talks about. 289 00:13:00.840 --> 00:13:01.840 Death happens everybody. 290 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:05.159 Yeah, death happens everybody, of course. And by the way, 291 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:07.840 when he says, I recommend having fun because there's nothing 292 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:09.919 better for people in this world to eat, drink and 293 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:12.279 enjoy life. That way, they experience some happiness along with 294 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:13.840 the hard work that God gives them unto the sun, 295 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:18.480 I think in the proper context, that's really good advice. Yeah, right, Like, like, 296 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:22.120 you know, there is something to be said about enjoying life. 297 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:25.480 I think I told you this, but I think I 298 00:13:25.559 --> 00:13:27.039 made reference to it. But when I was over in 299 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:30.240 the Dominican Republic, which I went over to, you know, 300 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:33.600 this nonprofit that I'm working with, I ran into this 301 00:13:33.720 --> 00:13:35.480 woman at the hotel who said she goes back and 302 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:38.639 forth from the United States to the Dominican And I said, hey, 303 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:40.440 do you like the States? And I was referring to 304 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:43.600 the luxuries over there versus the area that we were 305 00:13:43.639 --> 00:13:45.360 in at the time. It was a pretty rough area 306 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:49.360 that we were in and she said, she said, yeah, 307 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:52.679 I like it, but she said, I just can't keep 308 00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:56.159 up with the pace. She said, it's just it's a 309 00:13:56.200 --> 00:13:58.960 horrible thing. She said, I go over there and I 310 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:01.639 make Yeah, I make some money from business. She's to 311 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:04.519 come back here to enjoy life. She said, people over here, 312 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:07.519 like they know how to have siestas, they know how 313 00:14:07.559 --> 00:14:11.519 to enjoy one another relationally, and they spend time like 314 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:16.799 actually enjoying life. And she claimed that we over here 315 00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:20.360 don't enjoy life, right, And I thought to myself, well, gee, 316 00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:23.240 that's maybe overstated, but perhaps. 317 00:14:22.840 --> 00:14:26.080 Not entirely untrue. Right, A lot of us don't enjoy life. 318 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:29.279 Yeah, I was in Rome and we were talking with 319 00:14:29.799 --> 00:14:34.080 a guy and I was surprised. So he's Roman. I 320 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:36.759 was surprised. You know, we'd be going through the day 321 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:39.639 and then we only had just a couple days. Were 322 00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:41.559 trying to put together a trip for other people to 323 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:44.000 join us on this trip, which we'll eventually do here. 324 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:48.399 But so we were trying to get restaurants scheduled and 325 00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:50.000 all those kinds of things because we need to test 326 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:52.919 those out too. And so in the books that would 327 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:55.759 say or the websites would say, the restaurant open at seven, 328 00:14:55.799 --> 00:14:58.200 So we'd be standing at the door at seven because 329 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:00.600 they closed down, right, so they served line to shut 330 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:02.799 down all afternoon and they opened back up a seven. 331 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:05.720 We'd be standing at the door at seven, and they're 332 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:08.360 clearly have no intention of opening the doors at seven. 333 00:15:08.440 --> 00:15:12.080 It's just they're just arriving. They're doing some mopping, getting 334 00:15:12.279 --> 00:15:14.399 the stoves going, the oven's going, you know, all that 335 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:16.919 kind of stuff. They mean they mean to feed you 336 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:18.919 at nine. They don't mean to feed you at seven, right, 337 00:15:19.159 --> 00:15:20.879 So as Americans were like, what do you mean. It's 338 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:23.200 it's it's two hours after dinner time, right, and you 339 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:23.799 published it. 340 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:25.639 Yeah, and so you better have that door open. It's 341 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:26.399 seven o one. 342 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:28.799 So I was talking to the general manager of this 343 00:15:28.840 --> 00:15:31.080 hotel we were staying in. He's really really friendly guy, 344 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:34.399 and he said yeah, he said, so Americans are always 345 00:15:34.440 --> 00:15:37.240 surprised at that. He said, you know, Romans, we kind 346 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:38.879 of have. We just kind of take it easy. He said, 347 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:42.120 we're getting things done. It's gonna be okay, right, everything's 348 00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:45.600 gonna be Yeah. He just he keeps saying just chill, 349 00:15:45.799 --> 00:15:48.559 and he said, if you're starving, he said, there's gonna 350 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:50.159 be something on the street available. Go get a go 351 00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:52.080 get a piece of bread, go get some ice cream 352 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:54.639 or something. We get some gelato. Uh, and then then 353 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:57.279 just come back And I said, well, it's just surprising 354 00:15:57.320 --> 00:16:01.000 to me. He says, you know, everybody else around Italy 355 00:16:01.159 --> 00:16:02.639 is a little bit more. He said, you have to 356 00:16:02.679 --> 00:16:04.120 go to Milan or something, and they're going to be 357 00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:05.960 more precise. He said, but do you know where they 358 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:09.320 go for vacation. They come to Rome, he said, there's 359 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:12.399 a reason, he said, we're always on vacation. Yeah, he said, 360 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:15.879 everything gets done. It all gets done eventually. But we 361 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:19.399 enjoy each other. We enjoy conversation, we enjoy good bread, 362 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:23.120 we enjoy good pasta, we enjoy good a good glass, 363 00:16:23.399 --> 00:16:28.080 we enjoy beautiful places. But really it's about just enjoying life. 364 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:30.759 So the things get done, but they they're not high 365 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:33.639 pressured like that. And he said, I think you would 366 00:16:33.639 --> 00:16:37.559 live longer if you didn't have so much pressure and deadlines. 367 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:39.799 Yeah, there's no doubt about that. 368 00:16:39.960 --> 00:16:40.159 Yeah. 369 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:43.320 Right, And there's also something to be said. 370 00:16:43.080 --> 00:16:46.440 About, you know, like a lot of the futility that 371 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:49.960 Solomon talks about, where he says, you know you're gonna 372 00:16:50.200 --> 00:16:52.919 end up dying, and all the wealth that you have 373 00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:56.639 doesn't really mean anything. And although you know, we understand 374 00:16:56.720 --> 00:16:58.759 the context for that wealth is necessary and. 375 00:16:58.679 --> 00:17:00.320 You want to leave a legacy for your kids and 376 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:03.720 all that stuff. But you know, but but in the end, uh, 377 00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:05.960 you know, what is it always about? It's about relationships, 378 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:06.640 right right? 379 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:11.880 So everybody that I know is you know, at the 380 00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:14.160 at the end of their life, they just worry about family, 381 00:17:14.200 --> 00:17:17.759 They worry about friends, and they and they worry about relationships, 382 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:21.920 and everything else is great, but without those essentials of 383 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:25.079 you know. And and by the way, that's another nod 384 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:29.519 to there must be a God, because because it doesn't 385 00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:31.960 matter who you are, you could be an atheist, you 386 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:34.920 can be an agnostic, you can you can deny the 387 00:17:34.920 --> 00:17:37.640 existence of God. And yet still at the end of 388 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:41.400 your life you're going to finally realize that it's about relationship. 389 00:17:41.559 --> 00:17:45.039 You are created by your heavenly Father. 390 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:49.359 To be dependent upon him and dependent on others, and 391 00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:51.759 you're created to be relational with others around you. 392 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:53.400 That's what it is. 393 00:17:53.799 --> 00:17:56.759 So I think it's very appropriate that we've been going 394 00:17:56.759 --> 00:18:01.960 through Ecclesiastes here in the holiday season. Right on one side, 395 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:05.240 he's kind of a downer, right, but the other side, 396 00:18:05.480 --> 00:18:08.519 in those glimpses of those sane moments, he reminds us, 397 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:11.119 you know, it's the people that matter. It's enjoying life 398 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:14.119 that matters. Don't be so miserable. And so this may 399 00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:16.720 be on this New Year's Day, this may be that 400 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:19.720 reminder again, Hey, how do you have more fun? 401 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:20.279