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Jump Start # 440

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

Jump start # 440 

Mark 5:35 “While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official saying, ‘Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?”

  Jesus was on the way to the home of this synagogue official. He had been summoned. A twelve year old girl was gravely ill. In the process of getting there, the woman with the issue of blood touches Jesus and is healed. Jesus stops and talks with her. Now word comes that the little girl has died. These are the worst words any parent could hear, ‘Your daughter has died.’ Too late.

  A similar situation is found in John 11. There Jesus’ friend Lazarus is dying. He delays, on purpose. Lazarus dies and is buried. When Jesus shows up, Martha, Mary and many who have assembled proclaimed had Jesus been there, Lazarus would have been healed. Again, too late.

  In both stories, Jesus brings the dead back to life. But there is a lesson to be learned about being too late. Now, I’m not talking about how some are late to everything. Their kids are late to school, they are always late to church—that just seems to be how some families operate—late. Being diligent fixes that.

  There is a much more serious lesson here—being too late to apologize, to say you love someone, to simply be there. Some don’t get it until it’s too late. A mate walks out of the marriage and the other now, too late, wants to begin working on things. This has been wanted for a long time. The other simply gave up. It’s too late.

  I’ve seen the bitter sorry at the funeral home—it was more than feeling the loss of a loved one, it’s the regrets that come from being too late to say what needed and ought to have been said for a long time. Pride, fear, and other things kept the relationship distant and shallow. Now a death has ended the opportunity and it’s too late.

  How does a person deal with such regrets? Death often causes a person to blame themselves. “If only I had not let them go to the party…” or, “If only I had been there…” and the misery of death is magnified with the regret and guilt that one feels. This is natural. This is common. Many go there. It doesn’t change things. It doesn’t bring the person back. It is our “sack cloth and ashes.” In the OT, with the announcement of bad news, men would put on sackcloth, which was like burlap and pour ashes upon their heads. This was about as bad as it sounds. They felt terrible on the inside and so they were making themselves feel terrible on the outside and everyone around them could see that they were in extreme mourning. Guilt and regret are the modern sackcloth and ashes. We tend to heap it upon us. It doesn’t change things and it only makes us feel worse.

  What do we do? We pray to the Lord of Heaven and Earth who forgives. We apologize if we have done wrong but more than anything else we understand death happens and separations and loss are a part of life. We don’t like it and we want to avoid it, delay it, and put it off, but we can’t. We need to live each day as if it were our last. Things, especially relationships, do not just fix themselves. Get rid of the pride, God doesn’t like it anyway. Make each day the best that you can.

  Too late. Sad words and sad thoughts. It will eat you up. Don’t live that way. Don’t live as if there will always be another day. Some day there won’t. Pick up the phone, write the email, make the trip, but patch things up to the best of your ability. It takes two with relationships. The other side may not budge. You’ve tried. You can live with that.

  I hope these thoughts help. 

Roger

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Jump Start # 439

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

Jump Start # 439 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we are comforted by God.”

  Comfort—Paul sure liked that word in these verses, it is found five times in one sentence. There is a series of principles here. God comforted Paul so that Paul could others. The comfort Paul provided would be the same comfort he received from the Lord.

  Comfort—we like that word. We like that feeling. Comfortable beds– have you ever traveled and slept on an uncomfortable bed? There’s no greater feeling than getting home and into your own bed. Comfortable clothes—I love seeing little boys at weddings who are not used to wearing ties. You can tell they are miserable. They tug and pull and try every which way to get comfortable. Comfortable relationships—we call those friendships. The opposite is hostile and aggressive relationships that are tense. Comfort.

  Paul is addressing those who were afflicted. First, Paul had been afflicted. Later in this book he tells of a “thorn in the flesh.” He was the attack of many verbal assaults against his apostleship. It was brutal and nasty as most church fights can be. God comforted Paul. Now Paul was comforting others who were afflicted. He is comforting those who are hurting.

  Suffering, unfortunately comes in many flavors. You can often tell when someone is not feeling well physically—it shows in their eyes and in their face. They just want to lay down. Suffering also comes emotionally and spiritually. Those are often harder to detect in others. The pain can be as intense and destructive. We look at others and they seem fine, but they are not. They are hurting. There are things going on in the family, in the marriage, at work, in the finances that are not right. They are scared, worried, and fearful. They hurt.

  What they need is hope. They need answers. They need COMFORT. This is often the role that God causes upon us to fill. As Paul comforted others, we must do the same. God is counting on us to be His tool to help others. How do we do that? “I don’t know what to say?” is a common reaction.

  First, be there. There is nothing like presence. This is why we go to the funeral home. It’s to show that we care and that we are there for someone who needs comfort. Flowers are nice. Cards are good. But your presence is the best.

  Demonstrate your care. Do this by hugs, bringing food, giving an envelop with some money in it. You are putting your heart in action when you do this. I hate the expression, “If you need anything, just call me.” Let’s be honest, no one ever calls. They’d rather sit alone in a dark house crying than to bother you. That’s the way it is. Knowing this, we must take action and be there.

  Speak words of love and hope. Often a hurting person just wants some ears to hear their story. Don’t be quick to find solutions and fix things, let them talk. Sometimes they must vent. They may be critical of brethren who haven’t been much comfort. Sometimes they don’t understand why they are suffering. Let them talk. Others are just the opposite. They don’t want to talk about it at all. Don’t pressure them to talk about something they don’t want to talk about. Let them lead the conversation. You listen. You support. You guide.

  Don’t try to match their suffering with your story of your own suffering. They really don’t want to talk about you. They are hurting. It’s their pain that is the issue.

  Think of a passage to share with them. The Psalms are a treasure house  of verses to help the hurting.

  Always remember to pray with them. Make your prayer specific, short and filled with hope.

 The comforted Paul comforted others. You can do that too. God needs you to. Paul would say in the seventh chapter that God comforted him by the sending of Titus. Often people are looking for God to help them and the help is right there in us. There are folks needing you, even today. Think about what you can do for them. Be God’s tool and extend comfort!

Roger

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Jump Start # 438

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 438 

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

  Death. That word seems so final and so scary. Most folks don’t like to talk about dying. The thought is depressing, and so we find ways to avoid it, ignore it, and live as if we get a “free pass” from it. Reality and the mirror reminds us that we are marching toward that appointment with God.

  This passage gives us two insights into death. First, death is the power of Satan. Death is not God’s gift to the world, it’s Satan’s curse. The Corinthians were told that Christ will reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy is death (1 Cor 15). Death is God’s enemy. He allowed it and introduced it because of man’s rebellion and sin. Death was not a part of God’s plan. We must stop blaming God for death and put the blame where it belongs, on Satan.

  Secondly, there is a fear of death. I think there are several reasons for this. Nothing else is like death. Divorce is hard, but it’s not like death. Getting fired is tough, but it’s not like death. Rejection, embarrassment, failure are all bad, but not like death. We fear death for a number of reasons.

  • Death is final—it’s a permanent condition. Everyone that you have met personally that has died, has remained dead. No one comes to work on Monday proclaiming that he had a terrible weekend. He died, but now he’s back. Doesn’t work that way. When you die, there’s no coming back here.

 

  • Death generally involves pain. The body shuts down and quits. The thought of dying is scary.

 

  • Death leads us to God and the judgment. That’s the way Hebrews 9 presents it—it is appointed unto man to die once and then comes the judgment. It’s the “then comes” that is troubling. We all look in our lives and see stuff that isn’t right. There were times we said things that we shouldn’t have, been places that we had no business being there, had bad thoughts, bad behavior. We all have sinned. It’s not only the bad stuff, we know there were times we slept during church services, complained about brethren, didn’t feel like reading God’s word when we should have, not talked to God in prayer and generally lived apart from God. The Bible doesn’t apply only to those who believe it—it’s the universal law of God—whether I acknowledge Him or not. Someday we all, someday I shall, stand before God. That’s scary.

  The point of this Hebrew passage is that because of Christ the fear of death has been removed. How? First, we will be raised. We will live on. Death is not the end of the story, not for any of us. Secondly, and most importantly, because of Christ we have forgiveness. We can stand before God because of the grace of God and the blood of Jesus.

  Our hope is not finding a cure for cancer. Even if doctors did, we’d die from something else. The one cure they cannot find in their research is a cure for death. There is none. But Christ takes the fear out. We look beyond the doorway of death and see the smiling Savior who is awaiting us and ready to greet us into His home. The focus of the New Testament writers is not upon death, but upon the glorious Savior that awaits us beyond death.

  We can become fixated upon death and fear it so much that it cripples our life. We need to live, live in Christ. Our hope is in the Lord. The death of a Christian, although sad because we miss them, is a glorious event. They made it. They finished. They are through with temptation, sorrow, pain, pills and suffering. No more heartache. No more bad news. No more sin. No more having to pray for forgiveness. I often feel, when I attend the funeral of a Christian, that they are the blessed ones. In many ways they are the lucky ones—they are through with this old world.

  In many ways, the Hebrew writer is telling brethren that it is going to be ok. Don’t be afraid. Jesus will make it right—He always does!

Roger

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Jump Start # 437

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 437

Mark 5:25-26  “A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse”

  Mark five contains a miracle within a miracle. Jesus was on the way to the home of a synagogue official. His twelve year old daughter was dying. A large crowd had gathered in the streets. As Jesus is making His way through, this unknown woman with the issue of blood touches Jesus. She is cured. The little girl dies. Jesus goes and raises her from the dead. Great section that shows the power of Jesus.

  Our thoughts from our verse shows the pitiful and hopeless situation that this woman was in. Mark describes several things: (1) she’s had this condition for a long time—12 years; (2) she had seen many doctors; (3) she was broke because of the medical bills; (4) she was not any better, in fact, she was getting worse. She was out of options. Jesus was her last hope.

  The condition of this woman describes many of us or our friends. The dreaded “C” word, cancer. Chemo, radiation, other treatments. Many visits to the doctors. Medical bills piling up. The person doesn’t feel well. The experts sadly say, the cancer is taking over. I have seen this more than once. I watched my mother go through this. The saddest words are, “had grown worse.”

  It’s hard to know what to say. What you want and what you hope for and reality are going the opposite directions. We know that God can do all things and pray must be as regular as medicine, but doctrinally God does not perform miracles these days. He works providentially but not supernaturally. There comes a time when a person realizes that they are not getting better and they will not ever get better. I have cried the tears that come with such bad news. Some get angry. Some feel cheated. Some give up.

  Hebrews 9:27 tells us that we all have an appointment with death. We’d like that appointment to be delayed and not filled until we have done all that we want to do and the kids are raised and on their own and we are old and tired and ready to go. That’s our thinking. That appointment comes to some when they are young, and yes, that’s not fair. It comes to others when they are the parents of small children. It comes to some suddenly and without notice. It comes to others after a long, long journey of sickness and pain. The appointment comes.

  Two thoughts for us: first, all of us need to be walking with Jesus. We need that. We need Jesus. We need forgiveness. We need the hope that this world, this life, and these times cannot give to us. Death is not the worse thing that can happen to us. The end of life is viewed differently when one has Christ and when one doesn’t. The disciples of Jesus realize that all the things that have burdened us here will not carry over to Heaven. There will be no cancer in Heaven. There will be no doctor appointments to be kept, tests to be taken, pills to be swallowed, shots to be given. You won’t feel bad in Heaven—ever! You won’t age in Heaven –ever! You won’t lose your sight, hearing or teeth after a thousand years in Heaven. We will be different and Heaven will be different. For the disciple of Jesus, death is just a door. It is the opposite of birth. With birth, we were alive in our mother’s womb. Birth took us from there to here. Death takes us from here to there. It’s a doorway. The more of Heaven in you the less of earth that appeals to you. A person gets to the point where they want to pass through that door and be with the Lord on the other side.

  Second, it’s hard to know what to say to someone who is not going to recover. I’ve been there too many times to count. I’ve seen many, many people take their last breath. It’s a solemn and tearful experience, especially when that person is family. I say prayers with the family. I ask God for a quick and easy exit for them. I let the people know that I love them. It’s hard when the person doesn’t know Jesus. They have lived a full life but never journeyed with the Lord. What then? Don’t judge. Let God do that in His time and in His way. Help the family. They have questions, doubts and fears. Don’t say things that are not true. Don’t give false hope. For the unrighteous, their suffering may only really begin AFTER death. Don’t say, “At least their suffering has ended.” It may not. Only God knows for sure. I tell them that God loves them and loved their family member.

  I have found that many will want to know where are they, what happens after death. A reading of Luke 16 and the rich man and Lazarus will show what takes place. There are other passages. The end of life turns many people to thinking about the Lord. There are many weird and unbiblical ideas people have. They are trying to hold on to something and find a reason and often that’s hard to do.

  I wonder how many others in that village were getting worse. This woman found Jesus. Others didn’t. But even this woman who was healed eventually died. We all have that appointment, don’t we? We can do something while we have health and options, can’t we? We can be instruments for God to help others when they are struggling with these issues. 

Roger

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Jump Start # 436

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 436

NOTE: This is our first attempt with a new mailing serving. We hope all the bugs are fixed. If you continue to have problems let us know.

1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

We begin a new thought with this Jump Start. When we started this over a year ago the original purpose was to help folks read a passage a day and to provide some insights that would help them. Our first 30 Jump Starts were based upon the book of Proverbs. Those were printed in a neat book. We continue to use that book in many applications. We followed that with a second thirty on Psalms. That, too, was printed. Then another thirty on the life of Jesus. That was the final book that we printed. I thought for a long time that I wanted to have a fourth book on the theme of comfort. I have seen many times when I wish I had something to give someone that would help them when there has been a loss in their family, something specifically designed for comfort that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. I have not found anything like that. Starting with this Jump Start, I will write 30 short Jump Starts dealing with hope, comfort and the caring Lord. This hopefully will be printed and can be used as a means to help one another.

We live in difficult times. Actually, we always live in difficult times. There always seems to be wars, family issues, economic uneasiness and problems. Anxious times and fearful moments are not uncommon for many of us. These are the times that we must hold on to our faith and believe and trust in the Lord.

The pages of the Bible are filled with similar thoughts, such as the young mothers who witnessed the death of their babies by the hands of Pharaoh and years later, Herod. We read of storms upon the seas, and famines and wars and we find the people of God crying out to the Lord. The Lord hears. The Lord responds.

Tough times often separates the men from the boys is something many of us have heard all of our lives. More accurately, tough times will separate the people of faith from those who really do not have faith. When the storms come, some houses stand because the people took the time to build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Others didn’t. The storms destroyed whatever faith they had. They collapsed in ruin. Hopeless and helpless they blame God and become bitter because of what happened.

We see so many people today who hurt. My prayer is that you can help them through these simple writings. Knowing what to say to hurting people is hard.

Come join us on this thirty day adventure, “Starting with Hope.”

Roger