Jump Start # 3606

John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

NOTE: Tomorrow is a holiday. There will be no Jump Start posted.

More thoughts from a recent trip to France.

One of the fascinating places we saw on our trip was the Palace at Versailles. Throughout Europe there are many palaces. The famed Louvre Museum originally was a palace. It’s hard to beat the size and the beauty found at Versailles. It started off as a hunting lodge in the mid 1600s, built by Louis XIII. But it was the next generation, Louis XIV, that reshaped the palace into the exquisite, breathtaking golden palace. The hall of mirrors, 240 feet long, vaulted painted ceiling, golden statues, crystal chandeliers and more than 300 mirrors is the gem of the palace. It is beyond words.

Later, Louis XVI and his wife, Maria Antoinette, would be on the wrong side of the French Revolution, and be arrested and later executed by the guillotine. We walked through her bedroom and I thought, if she were alive in that palace, she would never let so many strangers parade through her house, looking at all her furnishings and paintings. Likewise, we’d do the same. We don’t just let anyone walk through our house, especially our private places like our bedrooms.

And, that takes us to our verse today. It is a triplet of promises. Jesus says, “I go.” Then, “I will come.” And, “I will take you”. Promises. Certainties. Absolutes. This you can count on. Why? Because Jesus said so. Because God can be trusted. God keeps His promises.

Here are some thoughts

First, walking through the palace of Versailles made me realize that I got to see things that most people living during the times of the reigns of Louis XVI never got to see. But life is like that, especially for our times. Through the advancement of technology, inventions and research, we can now see stars that others never saw. We can see the growth of a baby in the womb that generations before never experienced. We have seen pictures sent back from the moon and the bottom of the ocean that others only wondered and dreamed about.

But greater than all those things, we have seen prodigals returning home. We’ve seen brethren extend grace and forgiveness towards each other. We’ve seen hearts change. We’ve seen the most stingy person becoming generous, with a smile on his face. We know the Gospel works, because we have seen it. All around we have seen it but more than any other place, we have seen it in our own lives. Because of that, people who have never seen thriving marriages, now do. People who have never understood forgiveness, see it. People who have given up on kindness and peace, now see that there is still hope. All of this comes though the power of the Gospel.

Second, a day is coming when we will see the home of God, Heaven. John was given a picture of it in Revelation. Paul was caught up to the third Heaven, but he could not repeat what he heard. This won’t be a guided tour group that lasts a few hours and then we return to our homes. Heaven will be our home. And as spectacular as Versailles is, Heaven will only be better. It has to be better, because God is there. And, as each of our homes, reflect our tastes and interests, Heaven will be a reflection of God. Pure. Right. Perfect. Holy. Glorious. That’s God. That’s Heaven, His home.

The palaces of Europe define and illustrate the haves and the have-nots. The books will tell you that Louis XIV built the palace, but he really didn’t. Common laborers built it for him. They did the hard work. Many likely were injured or killed in the process. Safety regulations didn’t really exist back then. The have-nots kill themselves so the haves can be spoiled in luxury. Once the palace was completed, the have-nots, had to leave. They would not be invited to the banquets at the palace. They would not dance in the ballrooms. They would not dress as the people who lived in the palace did. They would not eat the fine foods that were served in the palace. No, once their labor was completed, the gates were closed and they were kept on the outside. The haves and the have-nots.

Heaven won’t be like that. The common guy, like the Rufus, who carried the cross for Jesus would be welcomed there. The outcasts, like Zacchaeus or the thankful Samaritan leper, would be welcomed there. You and I would have a place at God’s table. Welcomed. Accepted. Invited. Wanted.

The division of Heaven is believer and non-believer. It’s not based upon the heritage of family. It’s not about education, race, or, finances. It’s not about what we have achieved. It’s about knowing and walking with our Savior.

What a thought, the gates of Heaven opened for the likes of you and me. A place where we do not belong, we will belong. And, that place, will become our home. It will be the longest place we ever dwell. And, as for the hall of mirrors, God will have that beat. Just wait and see…

Roger

Jump Start # 3280

John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

We were at a home the other evening with several disciples. We were singing. It was so rich and rewarding. It came at a very needful time for our church family. There has been a lot going on and this was a wonderful comfort and help to us. Just hymns to our Lord, so powerful and so meaningful. In the hymn, “There is a habitation,” the song ends with a question and a wonderful idea. It says, “When shall I dwell in thee?” When shall I dwell in Zion? In other words, When shall I be in Heaven?  What a thought that is.

Here are some things to consider:

First, as one ages, the appeal of this world wanes quickly. Ballgames, amusement parks, parties, start to lose their glimmer in the heart of a disciple. The wrong of this world becomes wearisome and heavy. The obsession with the here and now, and the glitter of the superficial and things that do not matter gets old for the disciple of Christ. When shall I dwell in you? More and more, “this world is not my home,” becomes our anthem. We don’t belong here. We don’t fit in here. The movies, the music, the attitudes, makes us feel like we are indeed aliens and strangers as Peter put it. There comes a tug on our hearts to be with the Lord. When shall I dwell in thee?

Second, although we have this strong desire to be with the Lord, there are things the Lord needs us to be doing while we are here. We are just not sitting on a bench waiting for the bus to come and take us to Heaven. No, not at all. We are busy in the kingdom. There is much to do. We are on the battlefield, the front lines of war with our Savior. The battle for what is right. The battle for our families. The battle for our congregations. We must leave this place better than we found it. The Lord needs us to be the light in this dark world. The Lord needs us to raise another generation that will have hearts that follow Him. There are people to be taken care of. There are things that we need to teach others. When shall I dwell in thee? Until the Lord calls us, the work carries on. The Lord needs us to be His hands and feet. We’ll work, till Jesus comes, is another stirring hymn that helps us with, “When shall I dwell in thee?”

Waiting patiently is hard. I remember talking to a Christian who was well into her nineties. She often wondered, “Why am I still here?” She was ready to go, but the Lord wasn’t calling her, not yet. “When shall I dwell in thee?” was constantly on her mind. The answer I told her is that maybe it’s not about you, but me. Maybe the reason you are still here is that the Lord wants me to take care of you. He wants me to be a servant.

Third, once we are there, all the storms, all the battles, all the trials and troubles that we have gone through won’t matter. We will be with our Savior forever. While we are down here, lots of things bothers us. The weather, the traffic, people, things that break, promises not kept, sin. The list is long of the things that irritate us, disturb us, wreck our days and puts us in a foul mood. But those things won’t be on the other side. A perspective that helps us is to remember that these things are only for now. It’s like sitting in a dentist chair. You may not want to be there. You may be nervous. But it doesn’t last long and just like that you forget about it and move on to other things. Once we are in Beautiful Zion, God’s home, none of these unpleasant things will impact us any longer.

Down here we are governed by time, seasons, weeks, months and years. Over in the other place, Heaven, time doesn’t mean anything. What seems like a long, long time for us, is nothing to the Lord. If a thousand years is like one day, as Peter tells us, then in God’s perspective, Jesus died just a couple of days ago. And, the flood, well, that was a week and a half ago. Daniel, that was just the end of last week. Perspective. Time. When shall I dwell in thee, in just a little while.

The song speaks of a longing that fits into our verse today. The two promises of Jesus. First, that we shall be with Him and secondly, that He is coming. God taking us home. God taking us to His home. What a pleasant thought that is.

I remember seeing this cartoon years ago of two old people sitting in rocking chairs. One said to the other, “I’m getting so old, all my friends in Heaven are going to think I didn’t make.” It may seem that way to us, but not from the other side.

When shall I dwell in thee? Keep walking. Keep working. Keep serving. The Lord will stop you when it’s time.

Roger

Jump Start # 2738

John 14:3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

  Recently in our weekly podcast (“Heaven Bound”) Jason and I took a look at three hymns that are connected to thankfulness. In that series, we talked about the history of that particular hymn and at the end of the broadcast, we played that song. We both enjoyed doing that and the reception was well received.

Coming off of that, I thought I would write a short series about hymns that have been important to me. Unlike our podcasts, I cannot play the hymn for you. And, the only connection this little series will have is that I like these hymns. There are so many wonderful songs and singing is a valuable part of our worship to God. Singing is something we all can do. You may not sing well, but you can sing. Singing is something we can do alone as well as surrounded in an auditorium full of people. Singing can change our moods and remind us of great eternal truths. What a joy it is to sing hymns!

Near the top of the list of my favorite hymns is: “In the sweet by and by.” It’s a hymn that looks forward to Heaven. In time, or as the hymn states, “in the sweet by and by” we shall meet on that beautiful shore. It’s a hymn that encourages us onward. By and by we shall be there.

The history of this hymn is a great story. The music was written by Joseph Webster. He was known to have great bouts with depression and darkness. The lyrics were written by Fillmore Bennett. The story takes place in Wisconsin, where Bennett was working as a pharmacist. Bennett and Webster knew each other and had worked on other projects together. As the story goes, Webster came into Bennett’s store one day. He was gloomy. Bennett asked Webster what his troubles were this time. Webster replied, “It’s no matter. It will all be right by and by.” Bennett hearing those words said, “that would make a great hymn.” He took out a piece of paper and immediately scribbled down the words and handed them to Webster. Reading the words, Webster started writing down musical notes and within thirty minutes the hymn was completed. It was published and well received. It became one of the greatest pieces that the two worked on together. The hymn was written in 1868.

There are several lessons we see here:

First, we can see Heaven. The hymn states, “And by faith we see it afar.” Jesus said, “blessed are they who have not seen yet believed.” He was talking about Himself. But that idea stretches to all things spiritual. Through the pages of Scriptures we can see Moses parting the Red Sea. By faith, we see Daniel in the lion’s den and Paul singing hymns in the Philippian jail. And, by faith, we see Heaven. More than that, we ought to see ourselves in Heaven. That anticipation and joy ought to motivate us to walk closer to the Lord. It ought lead us to make wise choices and to put God at the top of all things that we do. Talking about Heaven should be one of our favorite topics. A dear friend years ago told me, “Whenever you preach about Heaven, it’s like you just see it.” And, I told her, “I do.”

Second, by and by we shall be there. Don’t let the troubles of this life weigh you down. Don’t get distracted by all the things that do not matter. By and by we will be there. By and by, everything will be ok. Getting to Heaven is like any trip or journey. It takes a while to get there, but once you do, it will be so worth it. By and by we will be there. By and by everything will be ok. This tells us that things are not still up in the air. It’s not like watching a football game and no one knows what the outcome will be. By and by we will be there. By and by is confidence, assurance and motivation. God promises. We must continue walking with Him.

Third, what a wonderful lesson about helping someone. Bennett knew Webster. He knew that he could be depressed. He put before him an opportunity to not only do something worthwhile, but it would get him out of the darkness of his mind. Rather than complaining about his friend. Rather than waiting for him to come around, he helped him. He helped him in a positive way that benefited others. Surrounding us are others just like Webster. They lean toward the negative side of life. Their moods can be dark and depressing. They can pull us down with them or we can find ways to encourage, lift and remind them, as Bennett did with Webster.  This example would work well in our families. It would work well among brethren. Imagine this at work.

Fourth, it is amazing what good can be done in such a short period of time. The hymn was completed within thirty minutes. Many great pop song writers have written hits in a similarly fast period of time. Put your mind to it and use your talents and one can be amazed at all the good that can be accomplished in a short time. Another lesson here is the pulling of talents. Bennett came up with the words. Webster wrote the tune. Each on their own, likely could not have accomplished this. But together, combined, look what they did. Too many want to be a one man show. Refusing to share talent and ideas keeps more good from ever being done. If everyone was the quarterback, who would block for and who would catch the passes? The church is made up of all kinds of talent. Instead of thinking who has the most or who is the most valuable, work together as a team. Bennett’s words and Webster’s musical score produced a favorite hymn for generations.

In the Sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. Won’t that be wonderful!

Roger

Jump Start # 1977

John 14:3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

Counting trees in our garden—that’s what we are doing this week. Satan got Eve to focus upon one tree in the garden of Eden, the forbidden tree. That’s all they talked about, that one tree. Had Eve remembered all the other trees that God had provided for her, had she counted her blessings, she would have realized that God was very good to her. Instead, she felt cheated. She felt that God was holding out on her. She felt that she ought to be able to eat from all of the trees. Rather than being thankful, she became rebellious and sinned.

We do the same. Instead of looking at what we have, we look at what we don’t have. We want what is off limits. We convince ourselves that we will never be happy until we have what we currently do not have. Looking at forbidden trees makes us feel that we are missing out. We are not very thankful when we are focused upon what we do not have. To overcome this, our Jump Starts, this week are taking a stroll through our garden. We are looking at the trees that God has provided.

Yesterday, we looked at godly friends and fellowship. What a help they are. How needful they are.

Another tree in our garden is the love and fellowship we have with God. This should never be assumed nor taken for granted. It is an amazing thing that God loves us and has done so much for us. Our verse is one of many in the Bible that illustrates this. “Where I am, there you may be also.” This is not so much about Heaven, as it is being in the presence of Christ. He wants us around Him. He wants us to be where He is.

The scenes of Heaven from Revelation shows the righteous surrounding the throne of God. Together. Close. Fellowship. Unlike some homes, God is not sending us off to play in our rooms. God is not telling us to go outside as He remains inside. Where I am, there you may be also.

Several things stream from that expression.

First, God chooses to love us. When God chose Israel to be His people, He didn’t pick a powerful nation that was making a name for themselves. They began as captives in Egypt. They needed God’s help to break free. Then they needed God’s help to sustain themselves in the wilderness. Then they needed God’s help to win battles. God had made promises and God loved them and God knew what was coming in the future. It’s easy to jump on the band wagon of a winning team. The true fan stays with that team when they are struggling and in last place.

God’s story with Israel isn’t much different than our own story. God has loved us before we loved Him. God has loved us when we were smart mouthed, rebellious teenagers. God has loved us while we doing the very things that breaks His law. When we finally came to our senses, it was God who forgave us through the blood of Jesus. It was God who adopted us as His children. It was God who opened the door of fellowship with His people. It was God who hears our prayers and continues to bless us. Sure we worship God and we try to walk in righteousness, but it doesn’t take too much to see that God has poured a lot more into this relationship than we have. And when things do not work out very well, we often blame God, turn our backs on God, or wonder why He doesn’t do something.

The largest and most massive tree in our garden is the love of God. I wish Adam and Eve had seen that. It was God who created them. It was God who provided the garden for them. It was God who walked with them in the cool of the garden. Satan hadn’t done a thing for them. He didn’t have a history with them. He hadn’t blessed them. He hadn’t helped them. There was no reason for Adam and Eve to pay any attention to what Satan said, but they did. And so do we. Satan has done nothing for us. He doesn’t even love us. He uses us. He abuses us. He covers our eyes so we don’t see the true picture of sin. And he smiles when we slide into eternity with a heart that no longer believes.

Second, God has demonstrated and proven His love for us. “Do you love me?” A young couple may ask that. They are looking for some proof. Love is more than a feeling, it’s an action and a choice. It is demonstrated by good deeds. When someone looks at their life, they may wonder, does God love me? The choices that they have made in life may have made their life messy and riddled with problems. That wasn’t God’s doing. How do I know God loves me? Jesus. That’s the best proof. God sent Jesus. God sent the best of Heaven for us. God sent Jesus to be like us, only better. Jesus, wasn’t like the “Undercover boss,” who hides his identity for a weekend to spy on his workers. Rather, Jesus told and showed all who He was. Jesus didn’t stay for a weekend. He was here for decades. He was a child. He was a teenager. He was a young man. He was a man. He walked through our world and showed us how we ought to have been. We failed. When tempted, we caved in. Jesus didn’t. When accused, we fought back. Jesus didn’t. When rejected, we got upset and depressed. Jesus didn’t. We lost focus. Jesus never did. We got side tracked. Jesus never did. We forgot. Jesus never did. We got confused. Jesus never did. And, not only did Jesus show us what we ought to have been doing, Jesus went to the cross for our wrongs. He was perfect. He didn’t deserve the cross. It was our cross. Jesus rose and we have our verse as a promise, that where I am, there you may be.

Folks sometimes feel that unless every whim and dream comes true, then God doesn’t love them. Like a spoiled child, they expect God to lift them out of every jam, and solve every problem that comes their way. Failing to realize that trials and testing build character, they doubt that God really loves them. How wrong they are.

Thirdly, God has equipped us with the means to love as He loves. Through the Scriptures our hearts change. We learn to be kind and forgiving. We learn to offer grace. We learn to speak as Jesus spoke. We serve and ask nothing in return. We help. We fellowship. We become like Jesus. We look back and we see the changes. We notice how our attitudes have improved. We think better today. Our words are not so sharp and mean as they once were. We have learned to be patient. We are a better us, because of God. He has molded and shaped us as we have walked with Him through the Scriptures. We worry less. Fear doesn’t consume us. Even death, is nothing more than a door we pass through to get where Jesus is. Our outlook is better. We are not weighed down with politics, bad news and the things of this life. Our inward man is being renewed day by day. We walk in the newness of life. Christ lives in us. Those wonderful Biblical expressions define us. We are a new and improved model thanks to Jesus Christ.

Satan wants to take us to the gutter of life. God lifts our hearts heavenward. Satan has nothing but evil and wrong to put on his plate. God shows us the best way, the best life and the best us. We even feel better when we are walking with God. There is a sense of confidence and knowing that one is right, because he is walking in righteousness.

What a powerful and large tree that stands in our garden. God loves us. There is nothing that Satan has that even comes close to this. Why focus on what is forbidden when we can partake of what is good and right?

God loves you. He knows you and He knows your history and yet, He still loves you!

Amazing!

Roger

Jump Start # 1602

John 14:3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

  Our verse today reflects promise and hope. Something good was to come. These words follow the Lord’s sad prediction that Peter was going to deny Him three times. That must have been devastating to the whole group, but especially crushing to Peter. It’s one thing to think in a moment of weakness and fear a person might slip and deny the Lord, once, maybe. But three times? Unbelievable.

Following those sad words the Lord says, “Do not let your heart be troubled, believe”. Believe in God. Believe in Me.

There are three “I wills” that are built within our verse today.

I will come again. I’m leaving, but I’m coming again. This is a promise. This assures all of us that the Lord isn’t defeated at the cross, nor has He forgotten and left us on our own. He’s coming back.

I will receive you to Myself. The Lord isn’t finished with us. After a denial, one might think that Jesus was ready to toss us out and be through with us. If this was a job, we’d expect to get fired. If this were a sports team, we’d expect to be cut and released. If this were Facebook, here would come the “defriend” button. Not Jesus. I’m coming for you. I will receive you to Myself.

I will allow you to be where I am. Where’s that? Where was He going? Heaven. He’s coming back and taking us there. Jesus is allowing us to be with Him. I will. Not, I might. Not, I hope to. Not, I could, but I have to think about it. He already had. He already knew. I will. I will come.

One thing about the promises of God, He keeps them. You can count on them. Take those to the bank because they are going to happen. It’s just a matter of when.

I will—that’s God’s promise to us. Here we are, fumbling along, often not as strong as we ought to be. Sometimes we let other things get in the way of God. We forget to pray. We are too busy to read the Bible. We sometimes stay home when we ought to be at services worshipping. We’d think that God couldn’t make that promise until He did some quality inspections. You’d think that His promise would be based upon our record of goodness. But you don’t read that here. You don’t find Jesus saying, I will come and get you, if you never, ever deny Me again. I will come and get you if you can go a month without messing up. I will come and get you, only if you promise to be loyal to Me. He didn’t place those conditions. We would.

I will come. I will receive you. I will allow you to be where I am. I will.

Now, have you ever thought about what you will do for Jesus? Like a marriage, if the bride is the only one that is promising and saying “I do,” the relationship will fail. The groom must promise. The groom must “I do,” as well. That makes a relationship. That builds hope and trust.

Jesus promised. I will. What will you do?  Here is a list. It’s a start. It shows what we ought to be doing. It illustrates our love and commitment to the Lord.

• I will love you always, Lord.
• I will support your kingdom, Lord.
• I will not be embarrassed to be named one of yours, Lord.
• I will worship you with all my heart, Lord.
• I will walk with compassion and generosity, Lord.
• I will tell my friends about you, Lord.
• I will hold on to you, Lord, until you call me home.

I will. I will is more than a promise, it’s a dedication and a commitment. The Lord was committed to His people. The Lord invested in His people. The Lord loved and wanted His people. Our “I wills” are more than a promise. They, too, are dedication and a commitment. They will shape our choices and define our life. Everything will be shaped by our “I wills.” How we see things. How we respond to things. How we think. What we say. What we do. All of this is flavored and shaped by our “I wills.”

Jesus promised. Have you?

Roger