08

Jump Start # 472

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 472 

Romans  3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” 

  Romans is Paul’s thesis on salvation. It’s complicated, powerful, and revealing. It’s a must read for all who are interested in God.

  Our verse today, is one of several that identifies our condition and state before God. It’s a short statement that tells us several things.

  First, God has a plan and purpose for you. He made you, wired you and blessed you. You are a special package from Heaven. Sin changes that. The definition of the Greek word for sin means to “miss the mark.” It’s like shooting arrows at a target. God intends for you to fly straight into the bulls eye. Sin messes with the aim. It causes us to miss the target. We end up not as God intended nor planned. This is not how God made you. This is not what He had planned for you. Sin causes you to “fall short of the glory of God.”

  Second, all have sinned. Sin is something you choose. It’s not like red hair and blue eyes that you are born with. Not only did I have that but my hair was very wavy with a cow lick or two in it. I would have never chosen that. It’s just the way I came. Sin is not like that. You may inherit your mamma’s nose, or your dad’s ears, but you don’t inherit sin. This is a major theological divide in the religious community. It’s a huge point, both with us and with God. Am I a sinner because of someone of am I a sinner because of me? You made me a sinner? Birth or my choices? Ezekiel 18, James 1 and other places show that sin is a choice not a gene that is inherited. Why then do we sin? It’s easy, we tend to take the easy way. It’s definitely popular. Sin has always been “in.” It’s what we sin all around us. When you stand in a mud puddle it’s hard to be clean.

  We are responsible for what we have done. That’s Romans. That’s the Gospels. That’s why we need to do something for our salvation.

  This passage also shows us that all have sinned, except Jesus. That unites us with every human that is capable of understanding and making choices. That means the rich Wall Street guy and I have something in common. Our lifestyles may be very different, but we are both sinners. The well known star athlete and I have something in common, we are both sinners. His diet, exercise routine and strength is totally different than mine, but we are connected. The Hollywood starlet…the bum on the street corner…the Mexican drug lord…the President…the high school teacher…the neighbor…the cousin…the guy at church…you see, we may seem so different in so many ways, but there is one that connects us all and that is we all have sinned.

  We all need the same thing– salvation in Jesus Christ. There is not one of us that does not need Jesus. Some won’t admit it, some don’t realize it, but we all have the same need—we need Jesus. We need His love. We need His grace. We need His lordship to guide us. We need His law to lead us. We need His help. We need Him to define our lives. We need Jesus. Every reader of this Jump Start is connected in this way. You need Jesus, as well as I do. None of us can say Biblically, “well, I certainly don’t need Jesus.”

  Grasping this connection helps us. Everyone needs the gospel. Everyone needs to know about Jesus. Everyone needs to grow in Jesus. Everyone needs to develop a heart like Jesus. We are all in the same boat. There is no “class warfare” when it comes to salvation.

  Imagine, every car you pass today is driven by someone who needs Jesus. Every adult you see today, is someone who needs Jesus. Some have Jesus. It shows. Some are so sweet that you might think, they don’t need Jesus, but they do. Some are so mean, it’s easy to assume that even Jesus wouldn’t want them, but He does. Everyone on TV that you see today, needs Jesus. Everyone you read about in the newspaper today needs Jesus.

  This is the message of Romans—we need Jesus. There is only one way to help everyone else, and it begins by helping ourselves. We must walk with Jesus, obey Jesus, love Jesus and be filled with His word. It starts with us. From that, share the message to all who will listen.

  God only sees us in one of two ways, those in Jesus and those not. He doesn’t focus upon the school we graduated from, the degree we have, the salary level we are at, the neighborhood we live in, the type of car we drive, the width of our TV screen…those things mean a lot to us, but not to God. Only, are you in Jesus or not?

  That answer will be the basis of the choices you make today, the places you go, the attitudes you carry and where you spend eternity. In Jesus or not…

  Remember, today we are one day closer to Heaven.

Roger

07

Jump Start # 471

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 471 

Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

  The beginning point. Just about everything we do has a starting point. It is said that a journey of a 1,000 miles begins with the first step. There is the beginning point of a college career. There is a beginning point of personal finances. There is a beginning point of romance, when two catch each other’s eyes. Here, we learn of the beginning point of our relationship with God and the beginning point of faith.

  This verse tells us that without faith we cannot please Him. Obedience without faith doesn’t make sense. Service without faith doesn’t happen. Dedication and devotion without faith is shallow and empty. To please God, you must believe.

  The Hebrew writer tells us two things about this faith or belief.

1. The follower of God must believe that God is. “He is.” That sounds odd in the English language. It seems that we need a qualifying word to follow. The follower must believe that He is __________. We can fill in a ton of words. He is good. He is holy. He is righteous. He is right. He is powerful. He is the authority. He is to be obeyed. He is to be feared. We could continue with this all day. Instead, the writer says, “He is.” We must believe that He is. Present tense, not He was, nor, He will be, nor, He ought to be, or, He should be. Rather, He is. God is. The Bible gives us the evidence to come to this conclusion. Page after page shows God is.

2. The follower must also believe that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him. God recognizes and acknowledges those that seek Him. Jesus said in the sermon on the mount, “Seek and ye shall find.” God rewards those that seek Him. That’s the way God is. He loves us. He wants us to want Him.

  Now, just how does God reward us? New car in the drive way, fat 401K, healthy grandkids, vacations in the Alps—sounds good, but it also sounds extremely selfish, vain, and material. God’s not like that. If that’s what you are after, you’ll not find that in God. Those things don’t last, nor produce the inner peace. Why would a person seek God? What are they looking for? What does God offer? Forgiveness. That’s huge. Sins hanging around our necks do not make us attractive at all. Purpose. God gives us a reason to live and a meaning to get out of bed everyday, and it’s not to save the environment, self improve us, but rather, to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. God helps us in this grand spiritual work of preparing people for Heaven. We seek God to be right. We seek God to know. We seek God because we love Him.

  The rewards are connected to what we are seeking. Peace, purpose, forgiveness, a place in His kingdom, and ultimately, Heaven. God is spiritual. The rewards are connected to the way God is.

  The rewards don’t come first. They come after a person believes that God is and after a person seeks God.

  Seeking is more than just wanting…it’s diligence, it’s longing, it’s looking, it’s getting up and getting at it. Seeking means to follow. Sometimes the journey is lonely. Sometimes the path takes you through dark canyons. Sometimes the path seems long. Sometimes it’s a bit dangerous. Seeking is walking. Seeking is following. Seeking is more than Sunday in a church building. It’s a Monday morning at work. It’s a Tuesday afternoon while driving in the car. It fills the mind as you decide which TV show to watch. It’s the force that gets you up and out the door to help someone else, when you really don’t feel like it. It’s shaping, molding and becoming like Jesus. It’s being filled with His word. It’s having a heart like He has. It’s coming home after we have shamed ourselves like the Prodigal did. It’s apologizing when we said things that we shouldn’t have. It’s reading the Bible. It’s seeing what God wants from all of us.

  That’s seeking. It’s a life long journey. God recognizes those that do that. He rewards them.

  Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must first deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Lk 9:23).

  Roger

04

Jump Start # 470

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 470

1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant”

  This evening a young friend of mine is getting married. He first came to me as a kid fresh out of college. With just very little polishing here and there, he has become a very impressive and gifted preacher. He became one of my sons—eating meals together nearly every day, in my home, nearly every day, and daily sharing the work in the kingdom. This Jump Start is dedicated to Kevin and Brooke—I wish you both years of joy and opportunities as you walk together, side by side, one in name and one in a happy destiny together.

  Love is…This wonderful section of Corinthians defines the Biblical concept of love. This love is not an emotion, but a choice. It is a choice not based upon the actions of another, but by what is right. This is the word that God used to describe His relationship with us. God loves us. He chose that. His choice was not based upon our behavior, that’s a good thing! This love is action. It’s not candles, soft music, and roses, it’s how we treat others. This word is shown not  thought.

  Here in Corinthians Paul sticks these five verses about love in a three chapter discussion about spiritual gifts. Paul isn’t thinking about weddings here. The thought isn’t about a man and a woman and forever. We use at weddings and it’s good to do that, but the setting brings a greater lesson for us.

  The Corinthians misunderstood spiritual gifts. They viewed them much like a pecking order from Heaven. Certain gifts it was thought by them, meant you were superior to others. Totally NOT the purpose nor the reason that they should have. In a day when the New Testament was not completed, the need for men to be directly guided by God was apparent. Today, we can flip our Bibles from Corinthians, to Galatians, to Revelation. It’s easy. We have it all in a nice bound book. Wasn’t that way in the early days. Folks in Corinth didn’t have access to what was in Galatia. How were they to know? Those books are important. One means to supplement this was the use of spiritual gifts—prophecy, knowledge and tongues allowed brethren to know and teach God’s word across language barriers. Spiritual gifts were never intended to be a sign of salvation, superiority or greatness. As the Bible became recorded, the need for spiritual gifts dwindled. Today, we do not need them. The Bible is available—in every size, color and language.

  The Corinthians were fighting about these gifts. It was messy and getting very ugly. Paul devotes three chapters to this issue. He shows them the purpose and intentions of these gifts. He lays out practical instructions about the gifts. It’s all very clear.

  But here in the midst of all this heavy discussion about gifts, Paul talks about love. Five verses. He tells us what love is (8 positive statements) and what love is not (8 negative statements). Our verse today starts it off.

  Love is patient. Patience is one of God’s virtues. Most folks admit that they need help with this. Patience is hard. Patience is more than waiting. Often we have to wait—such as at stop lights, airport security lines or on the kids. Waiting and patience aren’t the same. A person can wait and still not have patience. Patience is the calm on the inside. Some wait, but they are bothered, agitated, irritated and upset. They are anything but calm on the inside. That’s not patience.

  Love is patient. Love is patient with others. Love is patient when others are not where you are spiritually. Love is patient with others who are upside down in their thinking about spiritual gifts. Love realizes that learning is a journey and it takes time. Love in a marriage is premium. Two people with different backgrounds, history, baggage, even sins come together to make a new home. His way and her way…his thinking and her thinking…Love is patient.

  Love sees the big picture—whether it’s brethren who don’t understand spiritual gifts or a young couple starting out…or even an old couple who are rounding third base and heading for home. Love is patient. I’m not sure that two people are ever at the same place spiritually in all things. My wife and I are not. She loves singing hymns more than I do. She can sing, I can’t. I ought to be where she is. Love is patient. She loves company in our home. We have it all the time—all the time. Once the work is done and everyone is there I like it, but sometimes I groan when I think about all that has to be done. Love is patient. She’s been very patient with me!

  Patience is the fragrance upon which marriages and fellowship blossom. Patience bites it’s tongue instead of saying mean things. Patience helps. Patience leads to kindness, the next word Paul gives in this definition.

  And why should we be patient? Why should the Corinthians be patient? Because God is toward us. He has put up with us for a long time. He’s been watching us struggle, stumble, and finally start marching to Zion. God hasn’t given up on us. He never does.

  Love is patient. Not easy—but certainly necessary…in the church and at home!

Roger

03

Jump Start # 469

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 469

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?’”

  Mark five is one of my favorite chapters in the Gospels. It’s a favorite of mine to read, teach and think about. It would be hard to squeeze anymore action, drama or “wow” in this chapter. It begins as Jesus and the apostles had crossed the turbulent sea of Galilee. The storm was severe. Jesus calmed the sea and the hearts that were with Him in the boat. As they reach the shore, chapter five begins. A demon possessed man, who was naked, bloodied, and known to live in the cemetery and scream at night, came rushing toward Jesus. He loudly declares who Jesus is. At the request of the demons, they are sent into a herd of swine and the pigs rush off the cliff and drown in the sea below. Over 2,000 dead pigs fill the beach below. What a horrific sight that must have been. The townspeople ask Jesus to leave. Back into the boat. Over those same waters they go. At the other side, Jairus, a synagogue official is waiting for Jesus. His twelve year old daughter is dying. It’s a 911 call. Hurry! The crowd is massive. Everyone wants to see Jesus. In the process of moving on, a sick woman, with an issue of blood, touches Jesus from behind. She is healed. Jesus, stops, talks with her. Don’t forget the 911 call, Jesus. Our verse says, “While He was still speaking…” word came that the little girl died. Too late. The battle’s over. Death wins. You took too much time, Jesus.

  The messengers from the house state what many felt, “Why trouble the teacher anymore?” They felt that even Jesus couldn’t do anything now. Even Jesus has limits. If only He had come. If only He had not stopped and talked to that woman and healed her. The woman with the issue of blood wasn’t dying. She could have waited. This was more important.

  Mary and Martha felt that way when their brother Lazarus died. They both said, “If only you had been here…” But it’s too late now. Even you can’t do anything now.

 Jesus showed that it wasn’t too late. He showed that He bows to no one, especially death. Lazarus was raised from the dead. Jairus’ daughter was raised from the dead. Jesus showed that He was Lord of all. Death stops us, but not Him. Death is a closed door to us, but not to Him. In both stories, Jesus talked to the dead and they obeyed Him. What power! What compassion! And, embarrassingly, what display of doubt by those surrounding their loved ones.

  Don’t limit Jesus. Don’t give up on Jesus. We sometimes see a person who’s life is a mess with addictions, dysfunction and turmoil. They’ve been in and out of clinics, counselors all of their life. We feel that there is no hope. They’ll just die that. Many do. Some come to Christ. Don’t limit Jesus. If He can crush death, He certainly can crush addictions, dysfunction, sorry attitudes, selfishness and broken marriages. He can do that. Now we have to listen to Him. We have to do it His way—completely. We have to turn the keys of our heart over to Him. We must trust Him. We have to jump in with both feet. Going to church now and then won’t cut it. You have to give God your all. You must find a church that is serious about God. Forget the rock concerts, the carnival atmosphere of the mega churches, find one that teaches the Bible, seriously! Get into a Bible study, seriously. Pray. Commit your heart to Jesus. Obey the Lord.

  About now, most folks will drop out. They want Jesus to fix them, but not that way, not at that cost. They want a band-aid when they actually need heart surgery. So they go to a neighborhood church, not having a clue what they are about or what is going on. One Sunday. It’s not a good fit. So they don’t return. They tried, they say. Jesus doesn’t help. Jesus isn’t the answer. Back to the addictions…back to the dysfunction…back to the broken and sorry life. Even, Jesus can’t fix them is the common thought.

  Jesus is there. He’s willing to help. You must do it His way, it’s the only way. He’s done it thousands of times. Saul had killed Christians. He was changed. The Corinthians were drunks, thieves, idol worshippers, immoral and homosexual. Most would think, “there’s no changing those kind of people.” Wrong. Jesus did. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Maybe you see yourself in that list. Don’t give up. Don’t limit Jesus.

Roger

02

Jump Start # 468

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 468 

Luke 7:44 “Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wt My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.” 

NOTE: On Tuesday mornings, I am teaching a ladies class. It is wonderful, insightful and very helpful to me. I’m thankful they let me teach. Some of these thoughts came from that class. If you are in my corner of the world, drop in at 10:30 Tuesday mornings for a study. We’d love to have you!

  Luke gives us a very powerful story. There are no miracles in this story, but it is full of intrigue, emotions and attitudes. A Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to his home. Simon, as the text tells us, shows zero hospitality towards Jesus. He did not offer to wash His feet, anoint His head or do any of the customary signs of greeting. We ask, why then did he invite Jesus over? Most likely for his own benefit. Jesus’ popularity was rising. Having Jesus in your home, would be a feather in the cap, something to brag about.

  A woman, who the context tells us is a sinner and Simon knew she was a sinner, crashed the party. From all indications, she was a prostitute. How many marriages had she ruined in the process of ruining her own reputation? She would have never been invited into this home. She came. She brought perfume. She came with the idea of anointing Jesus. She had heard of Jesus. Her faith told her that He was different. He wasn’t going to wink at her, nor was He going to roll his lip and whisper something under His breath. He was different.

  She came in and created quite a scene. Crying and using those tears to wash the Lord’s feet, she then dried them with her hair. No conversation takes place. Kisses that had been given in lust are now placed upon the Lord’s feet in honor. Her past has come to a mighty crash with the Savior. He’s pure, she’s impure. He’s good. She’s been bad. He’s innocent. She’s guilty. He’s holy and well, everyone seems to know about her.

  Simon doesn’t say anything. He thinks. The Lord knows what he is thinking. The Lord asks a question, probably saving Simon from saying or doing something very stupid. The Lord teaches a lesson about love and forgiveness. Those who need a lot of forgiveness, love the most. She was demonstrating that.

  Now comes our verse. The Lord said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?” Sure he saw her. How could he not see her. Look a what she’s been doing. But he didn’t really see her. He didn’t see her as the Lord saw her. The Lord did see her past, He also saw her faith.

  Jesus acknowledges that her sins were many. He knew. He also saw where she was at and what she was doing. Her faith led her to that house. Her faith, put aside all shame and embarrassment to do what she did. Sure others whispered. Sure they wondered what “she” was doing there. As far as she was concerned, there was just she and Jesus in that room. Those kind of things impress Jesus. He notices faith.

  Jesus forgave her. Right there in Simon’s house. All those nasty sins gone. A clean page. A fresh start. A new hope. She is one of several that Jesus forgave before the cross. He could do that because of His position, He is God. Interesting, after the Cross, everyone who was forgiven was first baptized. No exceptions.

  People can change. Bad people can turn good. Jesus forgave her. I wonder if Simon did? I wonder if the others in that house did? I wonder if she forgave herself? That’s hard, especially after the messes we make. People change. Don’t give up on them.

  There is something about Jesus that is attractive. This woman with a terrible reputation, needed to be where  He was. That happened a lot. We find in Jesus what we wish we saw in others—a fair chance, forgiveness, grace. The police rarely will do that. The company you work for probably won’t. They may even have a policy number that addresses that. Often the family can’t or won’t. But there’s Jesus. He will. He always does. He’s looking for you to do what this woman did. Forget what people may think…do what is right. Who cares what they are whispering…go to Jesus. It’s ok to cry. It’s ok to be honest. There is a sweetness about her faith.

  Simon was too cool and calculated for such things. You’ll notice, if you read this section, that Jesus doesn’t say, “Simon, you are forgiven, too.” Simon wasn’t there yet. Simon’s problem was Simon. He thought he was still the center of the universe and that everything revolved around him. It is easy to stand where Simon does. I’ve been there. It’s pretty comfortable. You look at others and whisper under your lip never realizing, it’d do you a lot of good to take a look in the mirror and wonder how God sees you. This woman was better off than Simon was.

  We sure can learn many lessons from things like this. I sure love Jesus. How about you?

Roger