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Jump Start # 292

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 292

Philippians 2:1-2 “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

  These verses remind me of an old suitcase that is being packed before a trip. There are more clothes than space so the suitcase is stuffed full. That’s how these verses are. They are stuffed with wonderful expressions and great ideas. Paul uses the word “if” four times. “If” used here is not doubting, as we might say, if, but rather, “since.” Since these things are this way.

  Notice these great expressions: Encouragement in Christ; consolation of love; fellowship of the Spirit; affection and compassion. These words define what’s within the heart of the Christian. They are expressed about our relationship with others. A person is not in fellowship with them self, but with others. Affection is directed toward others. Each of these words involve others, which leads to Paul’s thoughts about unity.

  Unity is a vital element within a congregation. Paul reminds them to be of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, one person. Same…united…one. That’s what unity is about. Unity is oneness. It is several people who are thinking and acting as one. Same mind, same love and one purpose is hard to find in any setting. It’s hard to find it at home. I guess that’s why most of us have more than one TV. Dad’s watching a ballgame on one TV and the kids, in another room are watching a movie. It’s harder to find unity at work. It’s a dog eat dog world we are told and anymore it seems everyone’s agenda is promoting self. Unity down at the church house doesn’t just happen and it must be maintained. We are different. We look different. We act different. We have different backgrounds. Some of us are very, very conservative and others are not. Some of us are a stickler for details and others not so much. Our personalities, attitudes and opinions can make us be at odds with each other.

  Paul wanted the church at Philippi to be ONE; to be the SAME. He told the Corinthians a very similar thing. He told the Ephesians the same thing. Few things are as bad as being at odds with someone down at the church house. It just about ruins everything. It’s hard to worship when you are upset with someone. It’s hard to think good of one another when you don’t like someone.

  The funny thing about unity among brethren is that a church must keep at it. Everyone can seem to get along and even be that one mind, one spirit as Paul mentions, and then all of a sudden a new family shows up or someone is converted. Those new people can be treated as “outsiders” even though they are not. They don’t have a long and rich history with the group as everyone else does. They might be a bit unusual and even odd, even though we never think that we are. I’ve seen new people feel excluded and not accepted to the extent that they eventually leave. That’s not right and that is not the way of Christ. Pharisees had problems with Jesus being with the tax collectors. His disciples had issues with Jesus being with Samaritans. Everyone wants to keep Jesus in their own private club. That’s not unity, that’s exclusion.

  This helps us understand why Paul told the Ephesians to be diligent to maintain the unity. It has to be maintained. It doesn’t run on auto pilot. There are constant threats to our unity and the biggest is called SELF. We want things our way. We want “those” people to go someone else.

  How can different people become one mind, one purpose, the same? The answer is Jesus. We follow Jesus. It is His way not our way. We accept who Jesus accepts. We see the big picture of the kingdom of Christ and that going into all the world and preaching to every creature includes our neighborhoods and it involves our congregation.

  We must remember in all of this that God has forgiven us and accepted us and invited us into His family. It is not our family, but God’s family. Most of us think that we are normal and everyone else a bit odd. The reality is that we all have our unique and wonderful ways that make us who we are. Some of us talk too much. Some of us love to talk only about self. Some like to interrupt a conversation. Some invite themselves over to a get together when they weren’t officially invited. Some can’t sing at all. Some get real testy if the song isn’t sung exactly as it is written. Some of us dress sloppy. Some of us are show-offs when we dress. Some think services ought to over at a specific time and get a bit bothered if we go into “over time.” Some think sermons ought to be serious and no funny stuff. Others, like a bit of humor and more conversation style preaching. Some want thunder from the pulpit. Others are afraid of thunder. Some sit in the same spot on the same pew, always. If anyone is in their seat they get upset. Others move around week to week, sitting someplace different each time.

  How I hit you yet? We are all different. There are things about us that if others really focused upon they would become upset. We could think, “why don’t they sing quieter,” or, “why don’t they talk less,” but we don’t. And the reason is God has accepted us. He could probably say a whole bunch about us. For instance, there is me. Always sitting on the front row. Why does he do that? Always has a big Bible and a little New Testament? How come? Isn’t one good enough? And those ties? Oh, my. And every week he has to stand at the door and shake everyone’s hand. You see, we could say something about all of us. And there are things that each of us do that probably invites questions or even bugs the rest of us. What are we to do? They are not wrong, it’s just the way we are. Lecture each other about being more “normal?” Exclude. Avoid. Go to another church? Or, realize, God has accepted me, even me. And if He can accept me, it ought to be pretty easy to accept each other. Unity is realizing that we need each other. The quarterback needs the coach who needs the linemen who needs the defense who needs the owners who needs the equipment men who needs the fans who needs the hotdog man. Now the hotdog man may not have a big role in the football game, but he does what he does. Is it any different among brethren? The preacher needs the deacons who need the shepherds who need the members who need a song leader who needs the people who clean the building who needs the guy who unlocks the door who needs the people that get the communion ready who needs the people that print the bulletin and on and on. We need each other.

  That’s unity. And we walk under the banner of Jesus Christ. He gets the glory, He gets the attention. One in name…one in aim…one in destination. We have to work at it…all the time.

Roger

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Jump Start # 291

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 291

James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.”

  In the fourth chapter of James, we find a series of action words concerning our relationship with God. James tells us to: “submit to God” (7); “draw near to God” (8); “humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord” (10). These are not presented as choices. Which one do you want? We are to manifest all of these. These involve our attitudes as well as our actions.

  • Submission is the bending of the will. Jesus said we are to “deny our self, take up our cross daily and follow Him.” The citizen is to submit to the government. The church member is to submit to the eldership. Wives are to submit to husbands. And all of us are to submit to God. Submission is an act of the will. It is something that a person decides to do on their own.

 

  • Drawing near to God is not about location but spiritually. One draws near as they follow the Lord, prays to God and “submits themselves” to God. Our verse further adds, ‘cleansing your hands’ and ‘purifying your hearts.’ This is how drawing near is accomplished. It is an “inside” thing. Sitting in a church building doesn’t make you close to God if your heart is miles away from Him. The closer one gets to God, the clearer they see God. From a distance we see God’s power. Up close we see God’s love and mercy. There are several hymns that reflect this concept: “Near to the heart of God;” “Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord;” “Just a closer walk with Thee.” God wants you to be near to Him. God wants you to see Him. God wants you to know Him. God wants you to walk in His ways and to reflect Him in your life. Being close to God gives us confidence and assurance. David said in the shepherd Psalm, that he feared “no evil for Thou art with me…” He was near God. You see that with a child as they walk down the road with the grandparents. At first, one of the kids will lead the pack. Out front, brave and bold. But before long they don’t know which direction or a dog barks loudly, and that child falls back and takes hold of grandpa’s hand. Assurance, confidence, presence. I wish we just didn’t walk ahead of God but stayed right beside Him. It should take fear to make us drop back and take hold of His hand, but often it does. Near God. Near God are the answers. Near God is mercy. Near God is hope. Our place is near God. Near in our hearts. Near in our plans. Near in our dreams.

 

  • Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord. To be humble is to see ourselves rightly. We think we are big shots, we’re not. We think we can take care of things our selves, we can’t. We think everything will just turn out fine, it won’t. We need God. We need His word. We need Him now. Our marriages need God. Our churches need God. Our country needs God. But mostly, our hearts need God. Humble means to hush up and listen. The Psalmist said, “Be still and know that I am God.” Quit talking and start listening, listening to God through His word. Humble means you admit you’re not superman. You’re not the super parent. You’re not the greatest thing to walk through the doors of the church building. You’re not. God is. Humble admits, pride defends. Humble apologizes, pride finds excuses. Humble cooperates, pride must have it his way. Humble grows, pride kills. Humble pleases God, pride sickens God.

  Three great expressions—submit, draw near, humble self. These are the characteristics of a disciple of Christ. This is what God wants from your heart. These things aren’t easy. Some of us have to really work and work at this. We learn from Jesus. We adjust. We make improvements. We pray. We study God’s word. All of these things help. It all begins with our will to become this way. You have to want to.

  You’ll notice and learn that all three of these expressions are connected. To submit, you have to be humble. When you are humble, you draw near. Take away one of these and the rest just fall apart.

  God wants you close, but not on your terms, but His. He is God. He wants you to follow Him. He doesn’t need help from us. He doesn’t need our suggestions on how to run things. We can’t even run our lives without Him, let alone run this world. Submit…draw near…humble yourselves. That’s the makeup of a disciple.

  How are you doing at it? Keep at it. It’s worth it. You’ll find when you do it makes everything else in life better. You relationships, your outlook, your attitudes improve when you submit, draw near and humble your self. Interesting how that works! God knows what He is doing.

Roger

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Jump Start # 290

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 290

Luke 13:10-13 “And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, ‘Woman, you are freed from your sickness.’”

  This is a fascinating story that shows both the love of God and the power of God. Luke, who happened to be a doctor, gives us some details about this woman. She had been sick for a long time, 18 years. That alone makes one weary. Eighteen years, can you imagine. Then, Luke tells us that she was bent double and could not straighten up at all. Can you imagine how difficult it is to walk that way? She couldn’t reach up very well. It would be hard to get dressed. Shopping would be difficult. When a person is bent double, it’s hard to look up. People have told me that they knew folks who had a similar problem. I’ve never seen one like this. I expect she walked slow.

  There she is in the synagogue on a Saturday. Jesus was there. I don’t see anything in the text that makes us think that she knew Jesus was going to be there or for that matter, if she even knew who Jesus was. He calls her to come to Him. That took time. All eyes watching. He heals her and the official throws a fit because it was the Sabbath day. Jesus used the occasion to teach.

  Have you ever wondered why her? Did Jesus just randomly pick her? Was there something about her that caught the eye of Jesus? I think there was. She had not given up on God. For 18 years she suffered. For 18 years her world was limited. Yet, there she is on a Sabbath day, worshipping God. You can imagine how many prayers she had prayed in those 18 years asking God for help and recovery. And nothing. Eighteen years of people staring at her. Eighteens years of whispers—some thinking that God was punishing her for some sin. That was a common thought then and still is today. Eighteen years and she still returns to the synagogue. That’s impressive! I think in our culture after about a week or two many of us would have thrown in the towel on God and walked away. Some may have blamed God. She doesn’t seem to. There she is on a typical Sabbath worshipping.

  Everyone in the audience would have seen this bent over woman who is slow and rather odd looking. Jesus saw this “daughter of Abraham,” as He called her, who loved and worshipped her God. That impressed Jesus. We look to Jesus as the teacher, which He is, but we learn from this marvelous, unnamed woman.

  Don’t quit on God just because things are turning out as you think they should. Don’t stop worshipping with God’s people just because life is now difficult for you. Don’t allow your faith to become crippled just because your body is crippled. Actually, in this story there were two crippled people—the bent over woman and the synagogue official. The woman was crippled on the outside and the official on the inside. The woman knew she was crippled, the official didn’t know he was. The official threw a real fit at Jesus for healing her. Jesus responded by reminding the official that he unties his donkey and leads it to water, even on the Sabbath. The conclusion being, that Jesus did the same thing. This woman had been tied by Satan and all Jesus did was untie her. How simple Jesus makes his powerful miracles. The woman left that day healed. The official remained bent over on the inside.

  Makes you wonder doesn’t it? Are you bent on the outside? If so, are you still following the Lord and worshipping Him? Are you bent on the inside? Attitudes, feelings, thoughts about God just not what they ought to be. You think God ought to do this, but He doesn’t. You think God ought to answer to you, but He won’t.

  Bent on the inside and bent on the outside. Jesus healed one. The other, He didn’t because the official didn’t have the heart.

  Today, you’ll see those who are bent on the outside. They have physical disabilities and problems. When you see them, say a prayer for them. You’ll see others who look fine, but they are bent over on the inside. It comes out when they talk. Prejudice, hatred, meanness, selfishness are the common things you’ll notice. Say a prayer for them as well. They need Jesus, as we all do.

  Bent, inside and outside. Both are uncomfortable. Both are difficult. Both need Jesus. Sadly only one realized it.

Roger

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Jump Start # 289

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 289

1 Timothy 4:16 “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

  Our passage today is one of those “preacher’s verses.” It was written by the apostle Paul to the younger Timothy, who was preaching. The book of 1 & 2 Timothy are stuffed with things preachers ought to know and follow. One of the common threads throughout these thoughts is staying close to the word of God. Timothy was to remind the brethren. He was to instruct the brethren. He was to preach the word of God.

  It is easy to dismiss these verses if you are not a preacher and think, “Doesn’t apply to me,” but we remember that all Scripture is profitable. There are things all of us can learn.

  I want to focus on the first part of our verse, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching.” Watch yourself. Be careful. It seems that we are so quick to pay attention to other people. We seem to notice their faults more than our own faults. We are critical when they mess up and seem to know exactly what they ought to be doing, which is usually what they are not doing. I guess that’s human nature, but it’s just not the way God wants things done. Pay close attention to yourself. Watch your words. Check your attitude. Are you where you ought to be? Is your heart right?

  The expression, “close attention,” implies details, the small stuff, careful examination. Things bug us and irritate us. Should they? We can get mad fast and easily. Ought we to allow that? Close attention. I imagine a surgeon looking carefully inside the body. He’s not in a hurry. He’s looking carefully. I can see the drill sergeant looking over a line of soldiers. Examining each one in detail. Making sure every thing is proper and right. It’s like a young man going out on his first date with a girl. He stares in the mirror for a long time, making sure everything looks as good as it can. Close attention.

  James describes the disciple who not only hears but does the word of God as one who, “looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25). There it is, “looks intently.” That’s like our “pay close attention to yourself.”

   I wonder why folks don’t do that much. I hear parents just screaming at their kids, saying the most horrible things. I wonder if they are listening to what they are saying? Why don’t we pay close attention to our self?

   Could it be we know? We know what the outcome will be and we just don’t want to go there, so we don’t. We know there is much improvement needed. We know that our attitudes stink and our behavior is sloppy before God, so we live in the land of denial and simply not “pay close attention to our self.”

  Could it be we have never been trained to do this or we never thought about this? Maybe we grew up in a home that constantly chewed up other people, including brethren and we thought that’s what is normal. Many TV shows seem to thrive on that concept.

  Whatever the reason, we need to do as Paul and James tells us. We need to pay close attention, to our self and to God’s word. If you don’t you will be in a mess. You can become weak without realizing it. Your marriage can start to crumble without you noticing it and most importantly, your life will not look anything like Jesus Christ. Your influence will not be for good and you can even lose your soul eternally. This is serious stuff. Some are quick to point fingers. It’s the church’s fault. It’s the kind of preaching we had. It’s this or that. But you wonder, did they pay close attention to their soul? Did they recognize what was going on? Did they notice what they were feeding their heart every day?

  Paying attention to anything takes time and effort. Some don’t want to do it. They’d rather just sit in front of the TV until they fall asleep, every night. Paying attention means thinking about where you are going spiritually. What’s going on in your heart. Years ago I sat down with a disciple that was discouraged. He was thinking about quitting. Many had talked to him. It was my turn. I asked him one question. I asked, “Where are you and Jesus at?”  He didn’t say anything. I thought maybe he didn’t hear me. I looked at him, his head was down and a tear was coming down his cheek. He said, “No one has ever asked  me that? All they care about is me coming back to church.” We went on to talk about Jesus and how that is the most important relationship. He returned. The smile came back to his heart. He learned how to pay close attention to himself.

  Pay close attention to yourself. Are you getting stronger spiritually? You can tell. Are you praying more diligently? You know. Are you walking with the Lord daily? Are you letting your light shine? Are you making a difference in the lives of others?

  This is what paying close attention is about. It’s that look within. It can be painful, but more so, it comes with adjustments. We think. We see. We adjust. We become closer to Jesus. Do you like how you are turning out?

  Stuff to think about. Good things to roll through your mind as you drive. Turn the radio off and pay attention—first to the road, then to yourself. It’ll do you good.

Roger

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Jump Start # 288

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 288

Luke 15:8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?”

  Our passage today is taken from the famous Luke 15 chapter—the chapter about lost things being found. Jesus tells three parables in a row that describe things being lost—sheep, coin, prodigal son. These were illustrations and answers to the charge that the Pharisees had made at the beginning of the chapter. They accused Jesus of receiving and eating with sinners. In their way of thinking, if Jesus was the Messiah, he’d know better and distance himself for “those kind of people.” Just the opposite was true. Jesus was the Messiah and it was for “those kind of people” that he came to save.

  Of the three parables, lost sheep, lost coin and lost boys, the middle one, the lost coin, is the shortest. This is where our thoughts are today.

  A woman had ten silver coins. Luke tells us that they were silver. They were not the value of our common penny. One penny today doesn’t get you very far. No, these were special. They were silver, possibly an inheritance or something saved up for a wedding. They were of great value. To lose one was to lose much value.

  She lost one. Horror fills the day. She knows she didn’t spend it. The other nine are accounted for, so it must be in the house. She looks and looks and looks until she finds it. She doesn’t give up easy. The passage says that she lights a lamp and sweeps the floor. She is diligent.

  What’s the point? This illustrates the saving work of Jesus Christ. The sinners that Jesus was accused of eating with are the lost coins. They are of value, great value. God is not going to give up looking for them. He wants them found.

  The parable ends with the angels in Heaven rejoicing over the penitent sinner.

  Many lessons here to think about.

  First, each coin was wanted, needed and of value. Each coin was silver. She didn’t have nine silver and one copper. They were all the same, and they were all valuable. And that’s how we are in the eyes of God. All of us. Each of us. Mom, dad and the kids down the street—that’s easy to see. What about the group of teens that have dropped out of school and hang around the street corner? Copper or silver? Silver. What about the old lady in the nursing home who doesn’t know her name, nor anyone else. Her day is spent sitting in a wheel chair staring off in space. Copper or silver? Silver. We tend to value people based upon productivity, or goodness. God values us because we are created in His image and He loves us.

  Second, we are not told why the coin was lost. Doesn’t really matter, it’s gone and she doesn’t know where it is. Every lose your car keys? Boy, I have. When are they noticed missing? Usually, when I’m walking out the door and in a hurry. They are not where I thought they were. Everything stops. A search begins. You look in the usual places and the unusual places. You search pant pockets and coat pockets and tops of dressers and get on your knees and look underneath things and in the cracks of couches and chairs. You search and search and that becomes your top priority. Why? Because you need them. You can’t get where you want to be without them. Now you understand what this woman went through. Now, you begin to understand how God feels about us when we are lost. He doesn’t cut His loses and just go for the majority—each one of us is important.

  Thirdly, the coin was somewhere, just not where the woman thought it was. It didn’t vanish and it didn’t disappear. She eventually found it. All of us are somewhere, but we may not be where we ought to be. We need to be with God. We need to be under His love and care. We need to follow His will. And when we are not, we are lost. In the great song, Amazing Grace, there is a line, “I once was lost, but now am found…” With the wonderful world of GPS, many of us never are lost. We don’t know what it is to be lost. The coin was lost. The sheep was lost. And the prodigal was lost. Without Christ in our lives we are lost.

  Fourthly, God wants to find you and save you. You belong with the other nine coins. Your place is not on the floor under a dresser. That’s not where you are supposed to be. For some, that is their life. God is looking for you. He is sweeping the house to find you? How? First, He sent Jesus. Then He sent His word. Today, His people, are looking for you by teaching His word. Jesus said in John 6 that God would draw people to Him. This is done through the teaching of His word. It is through His word that we come to know God, love God and can obey God. Our faith is based upon His word. His word goes forth trying to reach you.

  Maybe someone sent you this Jump Start. It may have come from a friend or co-worker. We see it simply as some simple thoughts about a verse. Could it be one of God’s brooms, trying to find you and sweep you back to where you belong? God can use people and events and Jump Starts and CD’s to reach us and find us and bring us home. 

  One thing about parables—they have limits. They are not complete illustrations. In some ways we are that lost silver coin. But unlike that lost coin, we have a conscience, a heart and a will. We can move on our own, a coin can’t. We can repent and return, a coin can’t. A coin can’t express thankfulness when it is found, we can. A coin can’t show love, but we can.

  This parable is short but incredible. The very thought that today, God is looking for you. God is sweeping the Heavens and has His light on, so He can find you. He sure loves you. Won’t you come home? And if you have been found, won’t you stay put where God wants you. God is so good!

Roger