11

Jump Start # 4010

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4010

 

Psalms 119:18 “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.”

 

Our verse today is a beautiful request and prayer from the Psalmist. It was more than just stop and smell the roses. It was more than just look around you. This prayer is pinpointed. It is specific. It wasn’t rainbows and sunsets that he wanted to see. He prayed that he would see wonderful things in God’s law. He was praying that his eyes would be open to the word of God. Let me see the Bible.

 

I believe that this could well be something that is said before every Bible class. It is something that we could quietly say before we engage in our daily Bible readings. Open my eyes, Lord.

 

So many wonderful thoughts come from this simple sentence. A dozen words, but oh, the things that they ask.

 

First, there are wonderful things in God’s law. There is truth. In the fog of our culture today, God declares and defines what is right. How great it is to know how to please the Lord. There are precious promises found in God’s word. Promises that give us hope. Promises that we know ring true, because they come from the Lord. There are powerful examples in our Bibles. The leadership of Moses. The courage of David. The boldness of Peter. And, even within these characters, we see lessons from their sins and mistakes. Moses dishonored the Lord. David broke God’s law. Peter denied. We can sure learn so much from these lessons.

 

Second, there are some who never see. They have eyesight but no insight and no vision. Some cannot see beyond themselves and that is why their heart and character is defined by selfishness. Others cannot see beyond the moment and that is why the consequences of their choices trip them and trap them. Others cannot see beyond this world. They are doomed eternally because this is all they seek and all that they see.

 

Jesus told the disciples, “blessed are your eyes because they see.”

 

Third, when we beyond the wonderful things in God’s law it enriches our lives and makes us a better people. Our hearts grow stronger in faith and our walk more determined. Gems of truths found in the parables, seen in the questions, illustrated in the compassion of our Lord.

 

As one reads the word of God, try to put yourself in the story. Be old Daniel in the lions den. Be Job staring at the graves of your children. Be Jonah sleeping in the bottom of a boat. What would you have done? What lessons do you see? How do these things help you?

 

Sometimes we read too fast. In high school, I took a class in speed reading. A book was placed on a machine with a light that would scroll down the page. You were to keep up with the light. At the end of the class you were tested to see what you remembered from what you had read. I got pretty good at that. I still can read quickly. I’ve learned to scan and find the important details while not getting bogged down in things that do not matter. But, this is no way to read the Bible. Slow down. Notice the words. Find repeated words. Notice the order of the words. Think, chew a while and mediate on what you are reading. There are wonderful things if you notice them.

 

Open my eyes is helped by having a clear mind and a calm heart. When hurried, we won’t see things. When bothered and stressed we won’t see things.

 

In the opening of the Revelation, we find a double blessing. Blessed is he who reads and blessed are those who hear. Reading and hearing—both are important. Both are necessary.

 

A prayer before we read… Open my eyes, Lord. I want to see the wonderful things in your word.

 

Roger

 

10

Jump Start # 4009

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4009

 

Matthew 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

 

My wonderful and dear friend Don Truex made a great observation in a recent lesson that really stuck with me. He said, “Where do wolves get sheep clothing?” The answer is so obvious, that we don’t give it much thought. But, maybe we should. There isn’t a Jerusalem store that sells the latest in sheep clothing. A wolf gets sheep clothing from a sheep he has just destroyed. Sheep don’t eat sheep. Wolves eat sheep. Now, in the natural world, a wolf wouldn’t or couldn’t put on the skin of a dead sheep. This is word picture, a metaphor that Jesus wants us to see.

 

The false prophets are among us. They look like us. They dress like us. We’d think that they are one of us. But, the Lord tells us otherwise. They are inwardly, underneath all the sheep clothing, a wolf. One can dress up a wolf. One can put ribbons in its hair. One can paint his nails or claws. One can put a bow on his tail. One can give it a cute name. But, it remains a wolf. His instincts are that of a wolf. His nature is that of a wolf. As the sheep are grazing on the grass of a meadow, you won’t find a wolf eating grass. As a fat sheep moves slowly down a path, you won’t find a wolf walking like that. The wolf is taller than the sheep. The wolf is more slender than the sheep. The ears, nose, eyes of a wolf are all different than a sheep. He is not  sheep, he is a wolf.

 

Some thoughts from our verse today about the wolf dressed as sheep:

 

First, the wolf isn’t content with devouring just one sheep. He has done that. This is where he would have gotten the sheep clothing. He has killed a sheep. With the thirst of blood, he wants more. Never content. Never satisfied. He is always on the look for more. Such is the devil, as Peter defines him as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Such is the state of false teachers. This is why the Lord tied the false teachers to the nature of a wolf. They have deceived, corrupted and destroyed one. BEWARE, Jesus says. They are not done. They are looking for more.

 

Second, woe to the congregation that is being watched over by hirelings. When the wolf comes, John tells us, that he flees because he is not concerned about the sheep. To him it’s just a job. Why go out of my way? Why risk things? Why put self in danger? Wolves come and those that are supposed to watch, don’t. Comments made in a Bible class. Speculations and opinions pushed from the pulpit. Agendas set. Error spread through social media. And, one by one, the sheep are wounded, injured and destroyed. A wolf is among the flock and no one notices. No one wants to be the bad guy and warn others. No one believes that a fellow Christian would ever do teach anything wrong. And, as long as silence prevails, the wolf has his way.  Wiggly ideas become the norm. Instead of faith built upon the truth of God’s word, the wolf has been allowed to sow trouble among the flock. Passages are questioned. Truth is discounted as tradition. The struggles of past generations are looked upon as foolish and unnecessary. The wisdom of older Christians is ignored because they are seen as out of touch and wanting to slow progress.

 

And, through all of this, the wolf fills his belly of naïve sheep who would rather dance with the devil than stand with the Lord. The false prophets do not assembly with horns on their heads and a name tag that reads, “Hi. My name is error.” No, they look like us. They are among us. That’s the warning of Jesus.

 

Third, much too often, by the time the wolf has been discovered, the hillside is full of dead sheep. The damage has been done. People have left the congregation. Another congregation has been formed that looks more like the world than it does the Lord. There is a very, very thin line between patience and tolerance. The wolf knows the difference. He can work through a congregation, spreading doubt, creating suspicion, dividing people, working day and night, while the leaders can’t get their schedule together to even meet to talk about these things. By the time the leaders meet, there is a hole in the boat and it’s beginning to sink. The devil doesn’t work on our time table. He’ll use tools that we are afraid to pick up, like TikTok, X, and Facebook. While shepherds boast, “I’m not on Facebook and don’t want anything to do with it,” the false teachers are hard at work using that platform. They are filling the heads and hearts of the unsuspecting sheep with all kinds of twisted ideas.

 

There comes a time for swift action by those who care about the sheep. There comes a time to deal directly with error that is filling the air. There comes a time that to be cautious, and patient, only helps the wolf. Young David snatched a lamb from the mouth of a devouring predator. There wasn’t time to wait. There wasn’t time to discuss a plan. In a flash, he risked his safety to save a lamb.

 

Wolves in sheep clothing. How would you recognize one? What would you do if you saw one?

 

Roger

 

09

Jump Start # 4008

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4008

 

2 Samuel 12:10 “Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”

 

Our verse today are the words of the Lord towards King David. The king had fallen deeply into lust and lost his footing and focus with the Lord. In the end, a good man, one of David’s mighty men, a neighbor, was allowed to die to cover up the sins that David had committed. God saw. God knew. And, after several months, David’s little secret is revealed. His house of cards comes tumbling down around him. And, he is left with the misery of wrong choices and ungodly actions. And, the door swings openly widely to trouble that follows. There would be a rape in his palace. One son would murder another son. One son would later try to kill David and steal the throne. The tears that flowed because of that sin with Bathsheba would never seem to end.

 

My, we need to be reminded of this today. We are not immune to the lust that destroys trust and ends a marriage. Many a godly leader no longer leads because of losing focus with the Lord and allowing the world to fill his mind and heart.

 

Notice some powerful conclusions from this:

 

First, the consequences of sin lasts a lot longer than the pleasures of the sin. A few moments of wild lust may seem captivating but for David, a baby was born. A baby died. Trouble. Shame. Death. These all plagued the palace and were all directly related to the sinful choices of David.

 

The shame of your sin being discovered. The lies you tell to try to cover it up and keep your secret secret. Rebuke and reproach by the people of God. Having to pay for attorneys, selling the house, dividing up things and then only being able to see your own children once in a while, because of a divorce. A little bit of sinful fun can ruin the rest of your life.

 

Second, when the sin is discovered, many innocent people are hurt. Some are hurt emotionally and mentally. Some are hurt socially. Some are hurt financially. Families are often torn apart. Some will never speak to one another again. Grandparents are hurt. Friends are hurt. People that you never wanted to hurt are hurt. People you never thought about are hurt. And, the damage and pain doesn’t go away just because you say that you are sorry. The damage caused and the trust broken may never be able to be repaired again.

 

Third, the longer and more involved that we become with wrong, the harder and messier it is to get out of that sin. This is true of most addictions. This is true of alcohol. This is true of drugs. This is true of porn. This is true of gambling. The longer you remain in the in the land of wrong the more difficult it is to get out and the more painful it is to get out. Sin can not only be so inviting and exciting, but it can be so easy to stumble into. It doesn’t take a lot of forethought and planning to do wrong. One doesn’t put on paper a plan to fail spiritually. It happens, like a bird caught in a snare, as Proverbs paints it.

 

And, the longer we stand in the wilderness of wrong, our minds become numb, twisted and affected. We don’t see straight because we don’t think straight. We surround ourselves with those who also are doing wrong. Our encouragement shifts. No longer is it to follow the Lord, but now it is to dive deeper into wrong.

 

Then, with some addictions, our health becomes ruined. What quickly follows is a ruination of our finances. We become a total mess. The bottom drops out. And, there is no one to point the finger to. It was our choices. Our dumb decisions. Our listening to the wrong people. Our sin that got us there.

 

There are a lot of ways into sin, but there is only one way out. The way of the Cross leads home. It is only through Christ that we can begin to be honest with God and then ourselves and others. It is through the Lord that joy can once again return. But, it’s a long and lonely road back home. The prodigal knew it.

 

Had someone shown David a picture of all the pain, tears and troubles that would follow him as he watched Bathsheba bathing, he’d likely turn around and gone inside his house. Oh, to see the consequences, pain and sorrow that follows sin. Wrong just doesn’t look so pretty when you take a look at the consequences.

 

How true the saying: Sin will take you farther than you want to go, it will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay. The wages of sin is death. Speak clearly, plainly and openly about this.

 

Roger

 

06

Jump Start # 4007

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4007

 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

 

An aspect of communication and essential in studying your Bible is to look at the words in the order that they are given. Change the order of the words and the message changes. Adding a word, as the Devil did in the temptation with Eve, and the message changes.

 

Our verse today, likely the most universally known verse has a specific word order. We find the word “ONLY” in this passage. Where that word is supposed to be is important. Move the ONLY around and it changes the meaning of this verse and of what the Bible teaches.

 

Let’s run through some examples:

 

God only LOVES. This is where modern theology has shifted to. There is no place for wrath, judgment and especially hell in their mindset. God loves. It doesn’t matter what you do. It doesn’t matter what you believe.  God loves. Build an idol, and God is ok with that. Chase the devil, and God is good with that. The love that modern culture has built is feeling based and Biblically taught. For most, to have love means there is no place, no room, never a time for anger, wrath or judgment. To stay in that lane is difficult when you think about Cain’s sacrifice, the strange fire of Nadab, Jezebel’s false prophets, the earth swallowing up the sons of Korah, the displeasing Israel in the wilderness. God loves, yet that does not dismiss or remove God having anger and wrath. To insist that God ONLY loves, concludes that God overlooks sin, accepts error, and is not righteous or holy. If God ONLY loves, why do we need grace? Why is obedience stressed throughout the teachings of our Lord? If God ONLY loves, the Lord becomes weak and faith becomes useless. God loves but He wants us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him daily. And, when we don’t? God still loves, yet consequences and punishment follow.

 

God only GAVE His Son. God gave His Son, but that wasn’t the only thing God gave. Before Jesus came to earth, God was sending blessings from Heaven. God sent prophets declaring His word. God sent promises through Abraham and his descendants. God gave answers to prayers. God gave us His divine will, the Word of God. God gave you life. God has blessed you. God has heard you. God gave Jesus, but that’s not the only thing He gave.

 

  God Only saves SOME. Our verse doesn’t say that. In fact, this very verse teaches, “whoever.” The apostles were sent into all the world to preach to every person. That includes every continent. That includes every nation. That includes every state. That includes every city. That includes every street. That includes every house. That includes every person in that house. There are those who want to believe that God has chosen in advance who is saved and who is not saved. And, since that has been determined in advance, nothing can be done to change that fact. Only some would be saved, is what they teach. Our verse stresses, whoever. A hymn, “whosoever surely meaneth me. “ The grace of God and the saving blood of Jesus is available to all.

 

  BELIEVE only and you will be saved. That is a very popular idea. It’s commonly called “faith only,” or “grace only.” Just sit back and enjoy the ride because God does it all. Nothing is required. Nothing is expected. But, again, the Bible doesn’t teach that. Unless you repent, Jesus said in Luke, you will all likewise perish. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved are the words of the great commission. Those are the words of Jesus. A faith that doesn’t do anything isn’t much of a faith. If that faith doesn’t lead us to obey Christ, change our character and follow the Lord, then one really doesn’t have faith. Throughout the great Hebrews 11 chapter, faith is coupled with action. By faith Noah prepared the ark. By faith Abraham left Ur. By faith the walls came tumbling down. Faith is action. Faith does.

 

What the passage does say, and where we need to put the word ONLY, is that God gave His ONLY begotten Son. His one and only Son. His beloved Son. The Son who would be sacrificed. The Son who came to do the will of His Father. Only Jesus could do what Jesus did. Only Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. Only Jesus fulfilled the will of God. The only begotten, that’s Jesus.

 

This little exercise is something that helps us to understand the purpose of God. Try this with Mark 16:16. Where does God put the word “saved”? Try this with Matthew 19:9. Where does God put the word “adultery”?

 

Word order…it matters. It matters when we talk with one another. It matters when we read the Bible.

 

Roger

 

05

Jump Start # 4006

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4006

 

Psalms 145:3 “Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”

 

Throwback Thursday: an article from the past

 

Great is Our God

 

Some church leaders are so eager to make everyone happy, that they have become obsessed with presenting a safe and gentle Christianity. They have defanged the tiger of Truth. They have tamed the Lion, and silenced the call for change. They make Christianity sensile, palatable, and even comfortable. They have watered down the message and blended in with the culture that there is no real difference between the world and the child of God. Our world is seeing a people whose God is tame and lifeless.

 

The world desperately needs to see a God who is big and holy and frightening and powerful and alive and gentle and tender. A God who splits the earth open. A God who divides the sea. A God who made the sun stand still. A God so powerful, yet so caring that His attention is drawn to the death of a small bird. A God whose love so mystifies us that we race to His side where He showers us with blessings of forgiveness and acceptance. A God whose voice thunders, “come unto Me…” A God who is so unlike the world around us, tha tonly in Him can we find true joy and lasting hope. A God who is so special and so unique, that He is worth changing our lives for. Our God is not a trinket. He is not confined to a box, a building or a nation. Great is our God. Great is His message. Great are His promises. Great is what He expects from us.

 

It was Jesus who told the disciples to “cast out into the deep.” Let us not keep God near the shore, where all is safe and sure and defined by us.

 

Great is our God!

 

Roger

October, 1998