FriDudes - Getting Real. Pursuing Truth.

• Yes!  You are in!  Do you get whipped up in politics?  Odds are you do.  I have and can.  So wouldn't we be wise to learn from the Ultimate Power Source?  What makes a great leader? That's what we tackle today.  Here you go...
• Special thanks and shout out to Two Tall on the opening hook.  You can find Two Tall on Spotify.
• What makes a great leader?  President?  King?  
• I've been working through 1 and 2 Sam; 1 and 2 Kings and and now 1 and 2 Chronicles.  Early on a Wednesday morning, i'm going through 2 Chroncles 15 and a King named Asa.  
• Preface:  When you read through the ancient kings of Israel and Judah, you will realize many were BAD!  I was so moved by that.  I ended up having a conversation with Gemini on the subject (not a sponsor).  Here is the outcome of the conversation...
• Your intuition is spot on. The Old Testament records a massive skew toward kings who "did evil in the sight of the Lord."

• When counting the Hebrew kings recorded in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, there are 42 major monarchsacross the United Kingdom and the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Out of those, only 8 were judged as good.

• The Breakdown
• 1. United Kingdom (3 Kings)
• Before Israel split into two separate nations, three main kings ruled a unified state:

• • Saul: Started well, but disobeyed God and ended badly (Bad)

• • David: Stumbled greatly (e.g., Bathsheba), but repented deeply; cited as the gold standard of a godly heart (Good)

• • Solomon: Wise and faithful early on, but his late-life idolatry broke the kingdom apart (Mixed / Bad)

• 2. Northern Kingdom of Israel (19 Kings)
• After the nation split, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had 19 kings across 9 different dynasties before falling to Assyria in 722 BC.

• • Good: 0

• • Bad: 19
  • Every single king of the Northern Kingdom is explicitly condemned in the Bible, usually with the recurring refrain that they "walked in the sins of Jeroboam".

• 3. Southern Kingdom of Judah (20 Monarchs)
• The Southern Kingdom of Judah retained the lineage of King David and lasted until the Babylonian exile in 586 BC. It was ruled by 19 kings and 1 ruling queen (Athaliah).

• • Good: 8 (Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah/Uzziah, Jotham, Hezekiah, Josiah)

• • Bad: 12

• (Note: Even among Judah's 8 "good" kings, several had flawed endings—such as Joash turning to idolatry late in life or Uzziah letting pride get the best of him—but they are still remembered overall for seeking God).

• Total Scoreboard

Kingdom | Total Rulers | Good | BadUnited Kingdom | 3 | 1 (David) | 2 (Saul, Solomon)
Northern Kingdom (Israel) | 19 | 0 | 19
Southern Kingdom (Judah) | 20 | 8 | 12
Total | 42 | 9 (21%) | 33 (79%)

• This overwhelming ratio highlights a central message of the historical books: relying on human rulers consistently led to moral decay and exile, setting the stage for the prophetic promise of a faithful King.
• So what makes a great king?  Let's take a look at King Asa.  BTW, I grew up in church.  I cannot recall a sermon on this guy.  Sure, I could YouTube it and find it.  How often have you talked about Asa?  Here is what 2 Chronicles 15 says about the King...
• 2 Chronicles 15
  
  Asa’s Religious Reforms
  1Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, 2and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. “Listen to me, Asa!” he shouted. “Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you. 3For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them. 4But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him.
  5“During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land. 6Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem. 7But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.”
  8When Asa heard this message from Azariah the prophet, he took courage and removed all the detestable idols from the land of Judah and Benjamin and in the towns he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. And he repaired the altar of the Lord, which stood in front of the entry room of the Lord’s Temple.
  9Then Asa called together all the people of Judah and Benjamin, along with the people of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them. For many from Israel had moved to Judah during Asa’s reign when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 10The people gathered at Jerusalem in late spring, during the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.
  11On that day they sacrificed to the Lord 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats from the plunder they had taken in the battle. 12Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. 13They agreed that anyone who refused to seek the Lord, the God of Israel, would be put to death—whether young or old, man or woman. 14They shouted out their oath of loyalty to the Lord with trumpets blaring and rams’ horns sounding. 15All in Judah were happy about this covenant, for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly sought after God, and they found him. And the Lord gave them rest from their enemies on every side.
  16King Asa even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole, broke it up, and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 17Although the pagan shrines were not removed from Israel, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful throughout his life. 18He brought into the Temple of God the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated.
  19So there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.
• https://www.bible.com/bible/116/2CH.15.NLT

• Yes!  You are in!  Theo Vonn is back!  I love that guy and his interview style.  I also love finding salt and light in unlikely places.  An here is another nugget.  Check out this mic drop from Theo with former/legencary coach Nick Saban...
• Boom!  That is epic.  Thank you Theo Vonn.  Thank you Nick Saban.  If you would like to listen to the rest of the interview, please find the YouTube link here in the show description...
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apvbONX_tMc
• Avid listener, if you go back through all the 8 episodes of this rag, tag, flawed crew, you will hear Matt 22: 36-40 probs more than any other verse.  Ok, Rom 3:23 too.  There you go, see I worked it in again.  Going back to Matt 22.  Some of you are not sure on your Purpose and Plan.  Key parts are literally written out fo ryou.  Matt 22: 36-40, is a key part of your Purpose and Plan.  And I hear Coach Saban share that nugget.  I also hear Theo living out his Purpose.  He is really good on focusing on others.  That is what makes him a great interviewer.  
• 36“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
  37Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
• Do you pray like Nick?  You should.  Jesus words are clear as day.  Love God.  Love Others.  How can I be a blessing to God and others?  For most of us, our defauilt prayer setting is bless me, protect me, heal this, heal that, can I have this job, like a to do list.  God already knows what you need.  In fact, God knows better what you need vs. what you think you need.  Side note, it's ok to pray that.  God loves hearing from you.  
• The mature believe and follower of Christ will realize the bigger picture.  Matt 22: 36-40.  God how can I serve you today?  How can I bless you?  What do you want me to do today?  Do my goals today line up with yours?  Do you want me to take that job?  Do you want me to date this person?  Do you want me to view this on my phone?
• Next step, who you do you want me to love and encourage today?  Who can I bless in your name?  Who can I serve?
• Next step, actually pause, at least for a minute and just wait and listen.  You'll often get names and direction.  Write them down.  More importantly, put the Word into Action.  
• Ok, thank you again Theo and Nick, that was epic.  Coach, I'm guilty of judging you and thinking you were smug.  That was a great share.  
• Special shout out to Two Tall on the opening hook.  Extra thanks to Penn State Blake on the previous episode.  If you have not heard that one, please check that one out.  Great feedback on that episode thus far.
• Ending on a prayer note.  

• Yes!  You are in!  Meet Penn State Blake!  His 180 is stunning.  God put him on my path up at Man Camp up by Big Bear CA.  Forest Hills to be exact.  Special shout out to the Maverick River Collective and Tim and his team for running that.  A handful of churches from Orange County and one from Indian Wells, CA called Wellspring.  Bonus shout out to Pastor Josh, DeLaw and Brother Ralph for being part of Blake's journey from hopeless to hope.  In a span of 4 weeks of being down and out was this interview...and there is a lot more of Blake's story.  We'll see if he has the courage to share more.  I bet he does.  Until then, here is part 1 of hopefully more.  Giving God thanks for Penn State Blake, here you go...

• Yes!  You are in!  What is a prophet?  Versed ones you know the Word warns us about false prophets.  We all know liars.  That's what we tackle today.  Here you go...
• Special love and shout out to Two Tall for that opening hook.  I love you young brother.  If you would like to hear more of him, check out Spotify.
• What is a prophet?
• Simplest definition is one who has/had a direct connection with God and what is shared comes true.  
• Pastor Derek, cat watching story.  God told me...
• Today, we are going to give some love to Zechariah.  Of course, I"m going to encourage you to read his words after.  Hey, read them before I even finish this.  Versed listener, you have heard me say.  I am not a prophet.  I don't get direct downloads where God says tell the world __________.  I simply love my Heavenly Father, his son and my Lord and Savior and his gift of the Holy Spirit guide.  Your choice to accept and embrace that power as well.  So my heart overlflows and I'm simply called to encourage hearts.  When I have my A game, I'm and encourager.  What about you?  1 Thes 5:11
• Zechariah was a Jewish prophet around the years of ______________.  And as the definition reflects true, all his words came to fruition.  Special thanks to Suave of my MonDudesPM group.  He is the one that got us on the prophet path.  Reading books that many don't read.  Giving honor where God gifted direct connects.  Why Suave has a soft spot in his heart is discovering in adulthood the direct connect of prophets like Isaiah and Zechariah to predicting Jesus Christ.  Tying the Old to the New.  It is a precious connection.

• Reflection with a dude that wrote a book about 2700 years ago and how it applies to you and today.  

• Yes!  You are in!  There's a battle around your mind.  Doubt me?  Lots of companies tracking, monitoring and feeding you.  You talk about cruised and hey, there's a pop ad for a cruise line.  Coincidence?  I think not.  How do we counter that?  Stick around, we'll tackle it, here you go...
• Thanks again for clicking in.  For podcasts also can shape minds.  That's a good test.  Look at your podcast line up.  How many strengthen you?  Encourage your heart?  On the flip, how many whip you up?  Get you agitated?  Hint:  news will most likely agitate.  So how about some Good News?
• What % of your time is in the Good News?  The Word?  I bet you and I have room for improvement.  As my Brother John Paul of the MonDudes says, "You got to get in the Word, man!"  He's right, Pretty simple truth.  
• So let me ask in a different way, what % of your time is in the Word vs. Ways of the World?  You know the difference.  The Word has 66 books.  Confession, I mainly leverage the screen version, YouVersion Bible App.  More convenient.  My phone is almost always with me.  So instead of hitting the news app or social media apps first.  The Word gets first.  Ideally, it gets more screen time too.  
• All that leading to this verse that my TuesDudesPM is tackling and marinating in...
• 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
• Source:  Bible.com, NLT Version
• Ending on a prayer note...

• Yes!  You are in!  This is TommyP aka Tom aka Tomas aka Loco, and today we will be discussing Al Capone, Scarface.  Odds are you are too young to fully know that name.  Heck, he was before my time and I'm Gen X.  Yet, he does have a lesson for me.  Yes, that notorious dude has a lesson for you and me.  Here is Dr. Loritts, one of our greatest teachers of this generation, I declare, here you go...
• For more of that message from Dr. Loritts, please click here...
• https://youtu.be/OZMdyWLcef4?si=D0cRspPNrMFk-0k_
• Did you waste your life?  I know CEO's and government leaders who are now retired.  I know celebrities that are now dead.  They don't matter anymore.  Not really.  Ok, to a few they do yet that will fade in more time.  So you were a big deal in 2009?  Who cares.  Ecclesiastes vibes for any of the versed ones out there 
• Wait a minute Tom, you are Mr. Positive.  Mr. 1 Thes 5:11.  I am.  I'm stil here.  Just a wake up call for some of you or someone you know.  There is a bigger picture I declare.  I'm simply echoing Dr. Bryan Loritts who is echoing Paul who wrote that letter to the Church of Philippi over 2,000 years ago.  
• Are you still breathing?  Well, you are not done yet.  You have room for improvement.  Confession, so do I.  
• I've done some dumb things.  I dug crazy holes of debt chasing things.  Avid listener, that will not be news to you.  All of that is going to pass, one way or another.  For now, I owe so off to work I go.  
• There's a bigger picture.  This world isn't just it.  So have you learned to be content in all circumstances?  Not happy.  Content.  Big difference.  
• Despite your mistakes, are people going to know you for encouraging others in Jesus Christ?  How well do you know Jesus Christ?  If your prayer and share log presented like your phone or social media, how often do you two talk?  
• Odds are you are a believer and empowered follower of Jesus Christ if you are listening to this.  If not, welcome.  Better is ahead.  Your choice.  Back up and you'll here episode after episode of legacy and transformed hearts:  Kenny, John of Mecca, James of Compton, Casey, The Jogging Jesus, Gary, Scooter and on and on.  Learn from them.
• Get in the Word everyday.  Philippians is a great book.  Empowering!  
• Isn't it interesting that when we think of a great life, even atheists will mention Mother Theresa or Martin Luther King Jr (both followers of Christ, living a life of heart impact).  Not Marilyn Monroe or Elvis or Rockeller, as talented as they were, those are tragic endings.
• What's your legacy, working, retiring, golf or maj, consuming?  
• If you think it's too late, check the vineyard workers story.  Matt 20.  It's not too late.  
• Ending on a prayer note...when you die, will people say you were on fire for the Lord?  Will they say you shared the Lord?  Will they say you went beyond words and shared and helped like the Lord?  

What is a narcissist?

How not to be a narcissist.

This episode tackles anxiety.  You either deal with it or you know someone that does.  So we best share what works to minimize or eliminate anxiety.

https://thetrek.co/pacific-crest-trail/five-ways-hiking-reduces-anxiety/

• Yes!  You are in!  For those listeners in the United States, most of us will celebrate 4th of July (our freedom).  250 years.  Is the United States the greatest country in the world?  Let's tackle it...I'll be back...
• Thanks for tuning in.  When worthy, thank you for sharing.  Is the United States the greatest country in the world?  Let's do a survey.  Avid listener, you know we love math, science and logic in this dojo.
• Are we free?  
• Do we have freedom of speech?
• Do we have freedom to protest?
• Do we have freedom of religion?
• Have millions of migrants recently entered this country?
• Why would you encourage anyone to come to a country that is systemically racist?
• Why would they want to come here?
• For resident of the United States, you stay here.  
• Do we have the greatest GDP in the world?
• Do we have a king?
• Hint:  Dictators and Kings don't allow you to do above.  Who has dictators today?  Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba, others (far left).  Iran, Saudi Arabia, Hamas, etc, (far right).  
• Gallup.com, whom I trust and have quoted on this podcat before, say we are are at a 20 year low in morale.  Why?  Definitely the Negative News is in full effect.  Yet, thanks for brining patient with me as I bring the Word finally in...Phil 4: 6-8, NIV...
•  6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
  8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
• So ending on a grateful prayer note...
• Thank you Lord for...
• Freedom.  
• Those that have sacrificed, served and died for us and our freedoms.
• That we choose/elect all races, creeds, women and men.  Is there a more diverse government on this earth?  Your Heaven is absolutely diverse and you teach us to love all.  Matt 22: 36-40.
• Thank you for our economy and the generosity of so many that live here.
• Thank you that the opportuities are so many here that migrants from all over the world are here and striivng to get here for these freedoms.
• Thank you for our Democrats, Republicans, Inddependents and others that get this and support our freedoms.
• Thank you that we can elect our leaders and they will come and they go.  That we don't have a dictator or a king.  And that we still have checks and balances for that....designed so long ago.
• Thank you for freedom of religion.  That you give us a choice of what to believe so why should we do the same.  Human tendency is to want to force feed what we believe.  Your design is better.  Our founding fathers understood that and why freedom of religion is in the constituion.  
• Thank you that we abolished slavery so long ago.  One of the first countries to do that.  If we truly follow Matt 22: 36-40, there is no slavery.  There is no racism.  For Love is greatest of all.  
• In this world, there are Negative Ned's and Nancy's and Positive Paul's and Paisley's.  Speaking of Paul.  He once was Saul.  You transformed his heart to Paul.  Who is next?  Who is that Saul in our life that needs encouragement?  As for Paul, he gives us a great formula in Phil 4: 6-8.  So we give thanks to you dear Lord for what is worthy and I ask for your wisdom over this land and both are Democrats and Republicans, Independents.  For we are certainly flawed.  We need you.  I love you and thank you Lord.  Amen.