09

Jump Start # 579

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 579

Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in Heaven.”

These words are part of our Lord’s famous sermon on the mount. This section highlights our relationship and righteousness towards God. Jesus identifies three common religious practices: giving alms; prayer; and, fasting. All of these were part of the Jewish system and things that every Jewish child would have grown up learning and witnessing from their fathers. The Pharisees had lost the essence of what was behind these acts. Instead of connecting with God and helping their fellow man, they were using these things to show-off.

Most folks don’t like show-offs, however they come. Teenage boys typically like to show-off to girls with the hopes of impressing them. What they do usually bombs and they end up looking foolish and without a date.

What Jesus was addressing was not teenage boys trying to get a date, but grown men who were trying to out shine others. Behind the spirit of showing-off is pride.

Notice carefully the language of Jesus in our verse today. It begins with a warning, BEWARE. That ought to grab our attention and make us take notice. When walking through the neighborhood, a BEWARE OF DOG sign will cause me to walk on the other side of the street. It is important to grasp just what exactly Jesus is saying.

It’s not wrong to practice your righteousness. If you don’t practice it, can you really say that you are righteous? What good is righteousness if it isn’t practiced? If you don’t use it, what value or purpose is it. Righteousness is supposed to be practiced.

It’s not wrong to practice righteousness before men. Again, if I’m not righteous before men, what other options do I have? Be unrighteous before men?  Be nothing before men? Those won’t fly, not at all. The chapter before, Jesus said we are to let our lights shine before men in such a way that they will see your good works. Jesus hasn’t changed His mind. He’s not saying, don’t practice righteousness before men. We ought to do that. This is one way we learn, by seeing others. Paul said, be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. It’s follow the leader, or, more precisely, follow the example. Our righteousness before men often causes others to ask about the Lord and His ways.

What Jesus did warn about is practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them. Now that seems a bit odd at first. If I am practicing my righteousness and if I am practicing it before men, won’t they notice? The emphasis that Jesus is drawing us to is the motive or the intention of your righteousness. Are you doing things to help others because that’s the right thing to do, or are you wanting them to praise you? Is the motive making yourself look good? That takes God out of the picture. That makes what you have done vain and selfish.

Some are like that. They want to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral. They can’t hear someone else tell a story without somehow telling their story and making what happened to them a bigger thing than the person talking to them. I don’t know if it’s a self esteem issue, a lack of attention at home, loneliness or something like that, but some have to just brag about themselves. They’ll tell you what all they have done. They’ll tell you how hard it was and how no one else was there to help. They put you in a position where you almost have to compliment them and pat them on the back. It’s all very awkward.

Jesus is telling the disciples, don’t do that. Don’t be like that. Don’t show-off. Help others, but don’t do it to make tomorrow’s headlines. Do what you do in secret. God knows. That’s all that matters. Just busy yourself helping others and don’t mention it, don’t remember it, don’t focus nor dwell upon it. First of all, in most cases, someone has done something to us. What we did is not a contest. It’s not who does the most. When you busy yourself doing what you can for as many as you can, you won’t remember.

Second, what God has done for you trumps anything you will ever do. You’ll never surpass God in the kindness, blessings or goodness department. Can’t be done. So why are we trying to get someone to brag about us, for the simple things we’ve done, when God has done so much more. The purpose of being righteous before others is God. The attention goes to God. The praise is God’s. Righteous acts are to help others, encourage others, show others. It’s not about us—this is true in worship and it is true in practicing righteousness. No one will be more righteous than Jesus.

In Titus we read that God’s people are to be zealous for good deeds. The Galatians were told that at every opportunity they had, they were to do good. The story of the good Samaritan ends with the urging, “Go and do thou likewise.” Do-gooders, that’s us. Don’t keep score. That ruins it. Don’t think I’ve done more to others than they have done to me. Be thankful that God can use you and you can be in the position of helping others. Don’t show-off.

An odd thing happened to me just the other day. Most that know me, know that I love bright, colorful and loud, I mean LOUD ties. I have a bunch. The other day, one of our members came to services with a great looking tie on. I was making a big deal about it and he was being very kind and humble about it. Later on, it dawned to me that I had given him that tie. I had forgotten. There I was bragging about a gift that I had given. Very awkward. He must have thought, ‘I’ve already thanked him once for this tie, I guess he wants me to thank him again.’ That’s a perfect example of what not to do. I feel rather embarrassed about it now.

Seeking praise, wanting compliments, showing-off ruins the good that is often done. This tells us that the good that we do, can be destroyed by the spirit of the giver. There is more than the gift that is involved. The motive and the reason behind it has everything to do with it.

BEWARE—Jesus tells us. It is possible to mess up a good thing by having the wrong attitude about it. The Pharisees were masters of this. We can be the same, if we are not careful. The humble Jesus is the example.

Roger

 

06

Jump Start # 578

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 578

Isaiah 53:5 “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our wellbeing fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.”

Isaiah 53 is a prophecy about the suffering Christ. Centuries before the event took place, Isaiah introduced us to the suffering Savior. The language is vivid. What Isaiah describes is not pleasant. Notice a few of the words taken from this chapter: He was despised and forsaken; smitten of God and afflicted; pierced through; crushed; oppressed; afflicted; putting Him to grief; the anguish of His soul.  It’s one thing to be hurt by humans, but “smitten of God” and “the Lord was pleased to crush Him” shows the magnitude of His suffering.

Isaiah 53 is often read before the Lord’s Supper on Sundays. Good choice. Good reminder for us. It was our problems, our sins that put Christ on the cross. He died for us.

Our verse today ends with this thought: “by His scourging we are healed.” What a contrast and paradox. He suffered, we are healed. He was made worse and we were made better. By the same act.

This statement reminds us that there are some things that only God can fix, no one else can. The sin of man is not made better by simply doing nice things. Sin doesn’t disappear after time. Moving to a new location doesn’t change what has happened in the past. This is not an accounting ledger in which if there is more things in the good column than the bad column we will be ok. There is a penalty that comes with sin. It follows you all of your life. There is no escaping it. Long after the sin is forgotten, the penalty remains.

The only hope is Jesus Christ. He paid the price. He carried the sin. He died so we could live. By His scourging we are healed.

Healing is an interesting thought. It brings to mind a wound. After surgery, there is a healing period, where the incision heals. We are healed from surgery. Cuts heal. Wounded relationships must heal. A husband and wife snap at each other. They are mad. One doesn’t understand. They leave for work. They reflect upon the conflict and the battle. Later that day, they apologize and forgive each other. Wounds have been healed.

The wounds Isaiah has in mind are caused by sin. Those sins have wounded and fractured our relationship with God. Those sins have ruined things. Disobedience has led to departure. We become prodigals, living away from our Father in a distant county. The suffering Jesus, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, paves the way for us to return home. Forgiveness is the banner that flies above the Father’s house. By His scourging we are healed.

Healed with God—the relationship is bridged. Biblically the words are: redeemed, justified, reconciled, saved. Saved by the blood of Jesus. Our past is rewritten. Sins are removed. Our present course is readjusted. We now follow Jesus. The way of the cross leads home. Our future is bright. The best days are not behind us, they are ahead of us. We are marching to Zion, Heaven bound, going home to God’s home. That’s what salvation does. Only God can save us. We can’t save ourselves. The church can’t save us. Only God.

Once a person gets this in their mind, following Jesus becomes a premium. Nothing will get in the way of following Jesus. The Bible becomes the choice of direction. It must be by the book or else it won’t be allowed. Jesus becomes the example. We learn. We see. We become. Be holy as He is holy, were the words of Peter. Be holy is much more than just doing holy stuff now and then. It is becoming…it is being. All of this is possible through Jesus Christ.

By His scourging we are healed. How do we respond to that? What should our reaction be? What do we say for  such a wonderful gift of love? Thank you? Certainly. Obedience? Yes. Commitment? Of, course. Devotion? Yes.

We were wounded and dying. He became wounded and died, so we could live. Paul said, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

This Sunday, when you take the Lord’s Supper, remember that God healed you through the death of Jesus. We are well because of Jesus. We are have life because of Jesus. There is a personal connection to what Jesus did and you. The relationship you have with God was made possible only through Jesus.

Isaiah wrote about this long before it happened. Now long after it has happened, we must reflect it through our heart and lives.

Roger

 

 

05

Jump Start # 577

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 577

Revelation 20:10 “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

This weekend is the time when the world tips it’s hat to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Folks tend to “get religious” at Easter, some going to church services, maybe for the first time this year. Kids will hunt for Easter eggs, ham will be the main course at dinner and many will have a day off of work, especially on Friday.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the hallmark of the Bible. It is so important that the early Christians remembered it, along with the death and burial of Jesus on a weekly observance. The Lord’s Supper was taken every Sunday in the early church. Scriptures point to that and history supports that. If I want to be like the early Christians, I need to find a church that honors that. This is not a tradition, this is following the example of the Bible.

The resurrection is one event that happened such a long, long time ago that still impacts our lives today. I’m not talking about going to church services on Easter Sunday, I’m thinking about the implications that the resurrection has on us.

  • Every funeral that we attend ends with the body being lowered in the grave. The resurrection of Jesus reminds us that Jesus was just the first to be raised to never die again. All that are in the grave will be raised (Jn 5:28-29). Death is not the end of the road. The last page written, isn’t the funeral. The resurrection is our proof.

 

  • The resurrection of Jesus is but another proof that the Bible is right. It is the fulfillment of many prophecies. God’s word is just that, God’s word. If it is right about Jesus, and it is, it is right about Heaven, creation and salvation. Our faith is not a blind faith, but a proven faith. God’s word stands. Bring the critics, line up the skeptics—they’ve been busy for centuries and the Bible remains. Denying the Bible, critics must come up with a reasonable theory for life without God. Their best solution is that we happened by chance and somehow are related to the ape, the mole and common dirt. No design. No plan. Came from no where and going no where and are completely on our own—and that’s their best solution? No thanks. I’ll take the Bible. The resurrection explains suffering, hope and love.
  • The resurrection is our salvation. Up from the grave He arose, we sing. The penalty of sin is death. Jesus paid that awful cost, bearing our sins, not His, so that we could be saved. He took our place on the cross. The death and resurrection of Jesus is our hope for Heaven. The resurrection changed our eternal destiny. It changed family histories. Righteousness, holiness and godliness are possible through Jesus Christ. He can walk in His steps and be conformed to His image.

 

  • One other thing that the resurrection brings is the death blow to Satan. Our verse today shows what is awaiting Satan. He will be tormented forever in Hell. Satan is not in charge of Hell, God is. Those that deny Hell, or believe it’s a metaphor for some historical event, miss this. Satan has been harassing mankind since the garden of Eden. Now it finally comes to an end. The seed of woman, Jesus, crushes the head of the serpent. This was accomplished by the resurrection. Death is Satan’s greatest tool. In tormenting Job, God allowed Satan to do anything he wanted, except take Job’s life. That is Satan’s strongest tool. Jesus died. For a short time it seemed like Satan won. Then the stone moved, and the Savior came forth and that destroyed the greatest thing Satan has. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, death is not to be feared for the righteous. It’s not the end. It’s just a door, similar to birth, that takes us from one world to another, or one room to another. The faithful of God do not get fixated upon the door of death. They know what is behind that door. They want to get into that other room. It is so different, and so beautiful. They must go through the door to get there. Death isn’t so bad when you walk with Jesus. In fact, there comes a time in your faith, that you welcome it. You are ready to be with the Lord. You grow tired of Satan’s corrupt ways, temptation, trouble, and the things that plague us here. On the other side of the door, death, is God. Never again to lock a door, turn on a light, take a pill, fear the night, worry about things, or have doubts. God is so good and He’s so good to me! Home, finally home, never to leave again. No other place to go. Destination arrived—that’s Heaven for the faithful of God.

Up from the grave He came…thank you, Lord for doing what you did. It changed everything. It changed me!

Roger

04

Jump Start # 576

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start  # 576

Nehemiah 6:2 “then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me.”

Nehemiah was given permission by the Persian king to go to Jerusalem and lead the people of Israel in rebuilding the wall around the city. It was a major task and Nehemiah illustrates huge leadership skills in how he rallied the people. He allowed the people to rebuild the walls next to their homes. That was brilliant. First, it allowed them to be near home. Second, they would make sure the wall was strong, solid and sturdy because their homes were right there. They were not just building a wall, they were protecting their families. With all projects, there comes opposition. The people became discouraged. Nehemiah had to build their confidence. Enemies threatened them. They built with a tool in one hand and a sword in the other. Our verse today, identifies another threat that came directly to Nehemiah, the threat of compromise.

Sanballat and Geshem were jealous. They didn’t want to see the walls built. They tried a series of attempts to get Nehemiah to stop. Nehemiah was committed to the job. Finally, they sent word, “Meet us in the plain of Ono.” Ono is pronounced, “Oh-No” and that’s exactly what that meant to Nehemiah—Oh-No. The fake message of compromise was a disguise to hurt Nehemiah and stop the building project.

Compromise is one of Satan’s greatest weapons. He has trouble getting us to quit our walk all together, but if he can get us to meet in the plains of Ono, and sit down at the table of compromise, he’ll get us. Compromise comes in many flavors.

First, there is the compromise to accept error. It is never presented that way. That is too obvious. Instead, the Sanballat’s of today will remind us that we may be too critical, too judging of things that are wrong. We are told, as if we didn’t know, that Jesus loves. Jesus wouldn’t say the things we are saying about error. He gave people a chance. He allowed them to think through things. Compromise has just enough truth to it that it sounds possible. Tolerance is actually the message here. Just tolerate everyone, even those who teach things that are wrong. Oh-No, ought to come to our minds here. Do we sit back and allow some to poison the hearts of others? Is that what Paul did? He didn’t meet the compromisers at Ono, instead he told the faithful to reprove, rebuke and exhort. Wrong can never be right, no matter how patient you are. The loving thing to do is to teach someone what is right. I believe in being patient when people are learning and trying to figure things out. It’s the teachers of this poison that ought to know better. If they don’t, then they shouldn’t be teaching. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it. That’s not hard to get.

Second, there is the compromise to accept sin, often in our lives. Instead of being pure as God wants us to be, we find ways to work ourselves to the Plains of Ono where we are convinced that what is being done is not so bad and there are others who are doing worse. Instead of coming out and being separate, we find ways to run to and embrace that which is wrong. Moral choices, modesty issues, shady friends, questionable language, sour attitudes, sticking one foot in the world of sin while trying to keep the other foot in Christ—all of these things come from the land of Ono, not the Bible. The song we sing, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus” is not about posture, it’s about faith. It’s about drawing a line in the sand and standing for what is right. It’s realizing that I can’t straddle the fence of the world and Christ. I am to live as if I have one foot in Heaven right now. I am to leave the world of sin. Paul died to sin. He said, “I no longer live…” You don’t get that message from the Plains of Ono.

Compromise is a must when selling a house or negotiating peace treaties with Russians, but it doesn’t work with our faith. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me, is against Me.” No Plains of Ono here. I am with Jesus. I am with Jesus in what He teaches. I am with Jesus in what He wants from me. I am with Jesus in what He hates. Yes, there are things Jesus hates. He hates fake people. He hates false things. He hates little faith. He hates those who hurt others. I am with Jesus in His work in the Kingdom. I am with Jesus.

Nehemiah refused to meet Sanballat. There was no unity meeting on the Plains of Ono. Divided people cannot remain as they are and be united. It doesn’t work. Someone has to move. Marriages that are divided must work things out or a divorce will happen. A nation that is divided, will have major problems. Unity must have a platform or it will not last. Pretending everything is ok is not the answer. Denying the reality is not the solution. United we stand only happens when each party has agreed to stand on a platform that will generate peace and harmony.

The Plains of Ono call you. Satan wants to meet you there. He wants to work things out. He wants you to accept those that teach error. He wants you to tolerate wrong. Just talk. Let’s see what can happen. The Plains of Ono or Oh-No! Which will it be for you? Will you continue to build what you started with God or will you stop the work to meet with the enemy? Those are choices we face, often, every day.

Ono—or “Oh-No,” which will it be?

Roger

 

03

Jump Start # 575

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 575

Nehemiah 2:4 “Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of Heaven.”

In our Jump Start yesterday, we noticed that the book of Nehemiah is a book of prayers. Nehemiah was a man of faith and courage. He was the cup bearer to the Persian king. A cup bearer is more than a butler, he tasted the food that was served the king. If it was poisoned, the cup bearer would die, not the king. The fact that Nehemiah was a foreigner is especially impressive. It shows his character, loyalty and his trustworthiness.

News reached Nehemiah about the condition of Jerusalem. The walls were in ruin. It had been this way for a long time, ever since the Babylonians had attacked the city. Jerusalem was vulnerable without a defense system of walls. This bothered Nehemiah. He was sad over these things. The king noticed. The king asked Nehemiah, “What would you request?”

That’s the background. Now the lesson. Before Nehemiah responded to the king, he prayed to God. What he would request would be important. What he was going to ask the king would involve him leaving and going to Jerusalem. He prayed. We are not told what he prayed. The text doesn’t imply that Nehemiah left the room, and came back later, but rather, right there, in the midst of a conversation, Nehemiah prayed. It’s easy to think that he prayed that God would open the king’s heart to listen and grant the request. He probably prayed for strength and wisdom in knowing what to say to the king. He may have prayed for courage.

What a great lesson found in those simple words, “He prayed to God.” Think about how that would change your day, if you could remember that and as Nehemiah did, in the midst of a conversation, say a prayer, right then and right there.

  • During a meeting at work, where some important decisions are being made, and someone asks for your input, before you answer, you “prayed to God.”
  • Before you turn the door knob to enter your teenager’s room and have a discussion about his behavior, you “prayed to God.”
  • While you are sitting in the exam room, waiting for the doctor to enter, you “prayed to God.”
  • Your spouse asks you about what you want to do this weekend. Before you answer, you pray to God.
  • Before the preacher begins his sermon, you pray to God.

Praying in these situations, as Nehemiah experienced, brings God into our lives and reminds us of what we ought to be doing. Sometimes we speak without thinking. We may say too much. We may say things in a tone that turns the conversation hostile. Pray to God.

It could be that if we prayed more and talked less, we’d not get in the problems we do. It could also be that if we prayed more, we’d find more open doors of opportunity to lead, teach and point people to Jesus.

As we found yesterday in our Jump Start, Nehemiah often prays very short and specific prayers. Necessity of standing before the king would demand such a prayer. The king carried power and often not even the king’s wife could talk to him without permission. Nehemiah had to be quick, sure and specific. Rambling on, vague generalities, saying things not thought out, would have killed any opportunity he had. Nehemiah had been thinking about this for some time. When the king asked, he knew what to say. Still, he prayed.

Try Nehemiah’s approach today. Pray before you speak. Pray before you answer someone. Pray before you text or send an email. Pray before you talk to you spouse, your boss, the kids. Short prayers. Specific prayers. Prayers to help you know what to say and the right way to say it. Prayers to open the other person’s heart. Prayers to open your heart. Prayers to listen. Prayers for strength. Prayers so all will understand. Prayers for your attitude.

You might think, that’s a lot of prayers, because I talk to a lot of people today. Yes, it is. You may find your words with a softer edge to them. You may find you thinking more before you speak. You may find yourself in fewer arguments. You may see where the other person is coming from. You may see that prayer is powerful and does things. You may see that bringing God into the discussion changes everything. You may see the need afterward to thank God.

So I prayed to the God of Heaven. Those eight words change everything. They add so much. They reveal the heart of Nehemiah. They teach and remind us. Those eight words may well be the greatest lesson in the book of Nehemiah. Everything that happened after this, was connected to those eight words. The walls were built, the king granted permission, Nehemiah led, but before all those things, Nehemiah prayed.

So I prayed…

Roger