23

Jump Start # 611

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 611

Luke 10:41 “But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Dear ole’ Martha, I just love her to death. I’ve known a few in life whose name was Martha. I can’t say their name without saying it the way Jesus did, “Martha, Martha.” Martha gets a lot of thumping from us, and maybe she should, but I like her. We all need to be more like Mary, but many of us find ourselves standing in line behind Martha.

Mary and Martha were sisters. They lived in Bethany with their brother, Lazarus. That’s the same Lazarus who died and Jesus resurrected. Jesus seemed to have a close connection to this family. His ascension to Heaven took place near Bethany.

Our passage finds a time when Jesus was welcomed by Martha into her home. Jesus wasn’t traveling alone. He rarely did that. The apostles were with him. That’s twelve other men. With Jesus, that’s 13 men. That’s a crowd for any home for dinner. As Martha is preparing food, the apostles and Mary are listening to Jesus teach. Verse 40 says, “Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, ’Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Tell her to help me.”

Remember, this is long before the days of microwaves, instant anything, refrigerators or Dominos Pizza. Making a meal was hard, long and busy. Martha’s around the stove getting things ready. She could sure use some help. No one is helping. As her stew cooks, so does her attitude. I expect she gave Mary a few stares. Nothing. She may have banged a pan extra loud. Still nothing. Cleared her throat a time or two. Nothing. Sighed. Nothing. By now, she’s burning on the inside. How could Mary leave her alone. The men have to eat. They were invited in, how rude not to serve them. Martha gets so worked up that she actually interrupted Jesus. Remember also, homes back then were not very large. I get the impression that she spoke to Jesus in front of others. Interrupting Jesus while He is teaching. That’s bold. That’s brave. That’s embarrassing. She makes a scene by doing this.

Martha says two things to Jesus.

  • Lord, do you not care. Folks always seem to ask that. When the disciples were in the boat and they were crossing the sea of Galilee, a strong storm caught them. They thought they were doomed. Jesus was asleep in the boat. They woke Jesus and said, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” Do you not care? That very question makes it seem that Jesus is insensitive. We have a hymn that goes, “Does Jesus care…” I expect Jesus didn’t care that much about what He ate. Martha was making a bigger fuss than what she should have.

 

  • Martha then says, “Tell my sister to help me.” Martha couldn’t get Mary to do anything, so she thought, she’ll listen to Jesus. If Jesus tells her, she’ll do it. But do you notice that Martha is telling Jesus what to do. We don’t do that. We don’t tell Jesus what to do. He tells us what to do. Jesus doesn’t work for us, we work for Him.

Martha’s plan backfired on her. Instead of rebuking Mary, Jesus rebuke Martha.

Our passage today illustrates a common issue that so many of us struggle with. Like Martha, we are bothered and worried about so many things. It’s bad enough to be worried and bothered about one thing, but with most, we are bothered by so MANY things. Work bothers and worries us. The kids bother and worry us. The church bothers and worries us. The economy. Our health. Retirement. Bills and debt. The house. The car. The dog. The weather. The election. Where to go for vacation this year. Can we even have a vacation this year. College for the kids. Braces. Daughters dating. Daughter getting married. The cost of a wedding. (That’s coming for me, so I just had to throw that in).

Does any of this sound familiar to you? It does to me. Worry and bother has a way of messing with our minds, filling our hearts and tripping us spiritually. The more we worry, the less our faith is. The greater the faith, the less we worry. These things have a way of weighing us down. As Jesus said in His great invitation, ’Come unto Me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden…” Burdened with burdens. Carrying the load of problems, guilt, failure. It’s hard to be joyful when we are worried and bothered. It’s hard to show the goodness of Christ when we are that way. It looks like our faith isn’t working much when we are all stressed out, worried to a frazzle and distracted.

A couple of thoughts. First, Martha was bummed out about cooking alone. It wasn’t so much the cooking that steamed her, but rather, that she was doing it alone while her sister did nothing. Martha was bothered about someone else. That’s huge! That gets us. We are bothered by the way some look, the way some dress, the way some park their cars, the way some cut their yards, the way some arrive to work, the way some go about their work, the way some eat their food…we let others bother us. Stop. Maybe we are looking too much at others and not enough at self. Get about your business and do it the way you see fit, especially being governed by God, and don’t let others bother you. Boundaries, by Dr. Henry Cloud, would be an incredible book to read if we are describing you here. Martha wasn’t bothered about cooking. Later on in the gospels we find her doing it again. She was bothered because her sister wouldn’t help. Don’t let others ruin your worship. That can happen when we expect some to be there and they don’t show up. We can sit and fume and fuss and steam like ole’ Martha, and our worship becomes ruined because we were bothered by others. Don’t let that happen.

Secondly, we often make a bigger deal about things than is necessary. I’m going to get our female readers mad at me here, but I see this often as a preacher. I go to people’s home when I’m out preaching. The women will make a huge meal, which I don’t need to eat and they want the house to be perfect. We sit to eat and they look tired, run out and bothered. Often they are not in a good mood. They are bothered. It makes conversations short and uneasy. Now we do the same in our house when we have company. We want things nice. But sometimes we make a bigger deal out of things that really do not matter. I expect five years after the Mary and Martha event, most in that house could not remember what they ate that night. They would remember the words of the Savior. Five years past that event He was back in Heaven. Teaching, not food was what was important. So let’s not get stressed about trying to impress each other or making things perfect, especially when in short time, most will have been forgotten.

Prayer helps with the things that bother you. Faith takes care of most worry. Trust God. He’s still on the throne. Always has been. Always will be.

I sure like ole’ Martha. When I read that passage, I hear, “Roger, Roger, you’re worried about your yard, the bills, this and that.” Most of those things will be of no concern when we get to Heaven. I wonder why they concern us so much now? Interesting.

I need to be more like Mary. I’m thankful the Lord is patient with me when I’m having my Martha moments.  Hopefully she got it. Prayerfully, maybe I’ll get it, too.

Roger

 

22

Jump Start # 610

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 610

Matthew 1:9 “and to Uzziah was born Jotham; and to Jotham, Ahaz; and to Ahaz, Hezekiah.”

Our passage today is taken from the opening sentences to Matthew’s gospel. He introduces us to Jesus’ family. And what a family it is! There are kings, such as David and Solomon.  There are common everyday people like Joseph. And there are some with a real past, such as Rahab, who was a harlot and Ahaz, who was a wicked king. The family from which Jesus descended wasn’t squeaky clean, nor the cream of the crop. In many ways, in most ways, the family history of Jesus’ reads like our family histories. Most of us have some that have achieved some status in the family. There are many, many, plain and common people in our families. And most of us have a few nuts in the family tree. We are not proud of that and their poor choices have embarrassed the family.

In many of the parables that Jesus used, he described people that had toxic attitudes. There was the unrighteous judge who did not fear man or God. What a joy it would have been to stand in his court! There was the Pharisee who bragged and bragged about all he had accomplished in his prayer to God. Then there was the prodigal. Don’t forget his older brother, either.

There are those in the family that have chosen to do wrong. Ahaz was one in Jesus’ family. He practiced idolatry to such an extent that he sacrificed children. He was pitiful. He took treasure from the house of God to buy allegiance with Assyria. Instead of praying to God, he looked for his own solutions. The Assyrians rescued Judah. Ahaz went to Assyria and was so impressed with an idol that he saw there, he had the plans drawn to build one back in Judah.

Ahaz had a son, Hezekiah. Hezekiah was not like his father. He loved the Lord and restored things back to God. Many times, Hezekiah is referred to as the son of David, even though generations separated them. He was more like David than the rest of his immediate family. He tore down the idols and restored the rightful sacrifices to God. Hezekiah was a great king.

There is a lesson for us here. Sons do not have to be like their fathers. We don’t get to pick who our parents are. For some, we couldn’t have had better parents. They loved the Lord and their children. They were there. They actually “parented.” They instilled hope, faith and godliness within the hearts of the children. Going to worship was as natural and common as going to school. It made a huge difference in the lives of those children. Many problems and mistakes that are so common to many families were avoided because of this up bringing. But not all had parents like that. Some parents didn’t do well with the parenting thing. Some weren’t even there. They left. Some were abusive. Some had drinking issues. Fighting and screaming may have been an every day occurrence in your home. You may have been embarrassed to bring friends over to your home because of the way your home life was.

But here we are today. Hezekiah was the good king. Ahaz, his father the bad. We choose the life we will life. A person can overcome an incredibly dysfunctional home to be a spiritual giant in the eyes of the Lord. There are men who are preaching whose dads were not believers. Worse, their dads discouraged them. Their dads were drunks. Those problems did not stop these men from being like Hezekiah, and doing something right with their lives.

Do you realize for Hezekiah to do what he did, meant he had to undo what his dad had done. His dad built idols. Hezekiah tore them down. His dad sacrificed children. Hezekiah stopped that. His dad ignored God. Hezekiah returned to the reading of the Law and the sacrifices of the Lord. Hezekiah came to the conclusion that his dad was wrong. That’s hard for some to do. Some fight that. Some try to find a way to justify wrong. Some refuse to follow the Lord because they fear it means condemning their parents. Step in Hezekiah’s shoes. He saw that what his dad had established was off the charts with God. There is no way it could be right. He didn’t just restore the rightful ways to God, he had to stop the wrong. He had to undo what his dad did. Stand with God or stand with dad. Hezekiah chose God.

We inherit hair color, baldness, tallness and other genetic things from our families. We do not inherit a faith. We choose to follow God. We choose to follow God completely or partially, nor not at all. We choose.

You can overcome your past. You can be different than your upbringing. You can do right. You can be a great parent. You can please the Lord. You may come to some conclusions that Hezekiah did about your family. Don’t stand with wrong, stand with the Lord. Every person has to do this. Our family or our God? Remember what Jesus said about loving father or mother more than Me? Every family has someone who has issues, struggles, and are living with the poor choices that they have made. Every family.

I have a distant relative that ran with John Dillinger. He was in the bank robbing business. He was arrested and died in prison. His tombstone doesn’t even have his name on it, just his prison number. How pitiful. Bank robbers and preachers and good people and bad people and kings and harlots and common people— we are these things by choice.

Family reunions that bring the Ahaz’s and the Hezekiah’s together can be quite stressful, challenging and difficult. Your family is not unlike Jesus’ family. Your destiny is chosen by you. Aren’t you glad…

You can be the Ahaz in your family or you can be the Hezekiah. Both come with consequences. Both are a result of choices. Joshua said, “Choose you this day who you will serve…” It’s a matter of choice.

Roger

 

21

Jump Start # 609

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 609

Hebrews 3:7-9  “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS.”

This passage pleads for us to “Hear His voice.” The voice of God—what a great thought for us to consider. I’ve been thinking about voices lately. Being a preacher, taking care of my voice is pretty important. My dad had surgery recently on his vocal cords. He had something that was affecting his voice. How important our voice is.  A mother will recognize the voice of her child without even having to turn around. Most all of us have a distinct voice. Some have a regional dialogue that makes their voice unique. Some speak high pitched. I have a friend who’s voice is very deep. Some speak slowly and drawn out. Others talk very fast. I’m one of those fast talkers. Always have been. Folks have encouraged me to slow down but I just have a hard time doing that.

The idea of “voice” is found throughout the Bible. God told Cain that the voice of his dead brother’s blood was calling out. In Hebrews we find that the voice of Abel, though he is dead, still speaks. God praised Abraham for obeying His voice. The voice of God spoke to Moses through the burning bush. After Jesus was baptized the voice of Heaven spoke. John, in the book of Revelation, heard a voice speaking behind him. He turned and it was Jesus. In Psalms 29, the expression, “the voice of the Lord” is repeated seven times. The Romans were encouraged to speak “one voice,” which signified unity of heart, mind and purpose. Voice.

I’ve heard a recording of Thomas Edison’s voice. I’ve heard a recording of President Roosevelt telling the American public that there was nothing to fear, but fear itself. I’ve heard a recording of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I have a dream” speech. I’ve heard a recording of Lou Gherig’s famous farewell speech from Yankee Stadium. I’ve heard the voice of Neil Armstrong as he stepped upon the moon. When I traveled overseas, I heard voices speaking a different language. I didn’t know understand what was being said. I’ve heard the voice of my son as he lead singing on a Sunday morning. I’ve heard the voice of another son as he preached the word of God. Voices. Voices of excitement. Voices of sorrow. Voices trying to sell you things. Voices of tenderness. Voices of love. Voices of anger. I read that the average adult speaks nearly 20,000 words a day. Voices.

Our passage today calls upon us to hear His voice—the voice of God. The voice of God. I wonder what God sounded like when Moses heard Him in that burning bush? I wonder what Jesus sounded like when He preached the sermon on the mount? The emphasis of this passage is not upon the pitch or tone of God’s voice, but what was said. Hearing God means to listen to His word.

The page before in Hebrews reminds us that there was a time that God spoke in many ways. He spoke through a burning bush. He spoke through prophets. He spoke once through a donkey. He used dreams and visions to get His message across. But today, in these last days, He speaks through Jesus. Jesus speaks through the word of God. There are no voices from God today. There are no visions, dreams, signs, or other forms of communications. God speaks through Jesus. His voice is the Bible. This is why we call it “The Word of God.”

Those today who claim God is still speaking, at least they think He’s speaking to them, are missing the thrust of these Hebrew passages. God leads through the word of God (Jn 6:44-45). God speaks through the Word of God.

So important is this word of God that Paul said it comes before the voice of angels or anything that the apostles might say differently. God’s word comes first.

So important is this word, that once it was given, the place for signs, wonders and miracles would not be needed. The word is what people would have. The word would lead to faith in Jesus Christ.

So important is the word of God that it will be used to judge us. Jesus said to reject His word, was to reject Him. I can’t have Jesus without having His word. Many don’t seem to understand this. So close is Jesus to the word that John begins his gospel by calling Jesus “the word.” In the beginning was the word…He’s talking about Jesus.

So, what is God saying to you? It’s in the Bible. What does God say? It’s in the Bible. That’s how He speaks. We need the Bible. We need to treasure it, know it, follow it, and let it sink deeply within us. The Bible is the voice of God. It defines what is right. It is the answer. There is nothing that tops the Bible. Man can fuss about who can and cannot get married. We can argue about when life begins or when it ends. What God says is it. God has spoken.

Years ago, RCA used to have an image of a dog sitting in front of an old phonograph. The caption read, “the voice of the master.” That’s what we have with the Bible—the voice of our master.

Someday, we will hear God calling our name—calling us home to Him. What a wonderful day that will be…the voice of God.

Roger

 

18

Jump Start # 608

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 608

2 Timothy 1:12 “For this reason I also suffer these things, but  I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”

This verse seems to sum up the life of the apostle Paul. It is a very personal verse. Notice how many times he uses the word “I”, six times. He is talking about himself, but more so, he is talking about the Lord.

  • I suffer
  • I am not ashamed
  • I know
  • I am convinced
  • I have entrusted

It’s not “we”, but “I”.  This is where our faith is lived. It’s not what we are doing, it is what am I doing. It’s not what the church believes, it is what I believe. Our faith, to be real, must belong to us, to me.

I especially like the expression, “I know whom I believe.” His faith was more than just personal, it was in a person, Jesus Christ. His faith wasn’t in the system of Christianity, though, he believed in that and taught that, his faith was in Jesus. It was Jesus, not the system of Christianity that would save him, guard him and help him. He knew Jesus. He believed in Jesus. He trusted Jesus. He was not ashamed of Jesus. His faith was in the person of Jesus.

Now to that thought, “I know whom I believe…” Just what is it that one knows? It is easy for us to manufacture a Jesus that fits my needs and my liking. A Jesus that is all fun, or a Jesus that is totally cool. How about a Jesus that doesn’t mind me bending the rules now and then? Or, a Jesus that loves me even though church isn’t my thing? A rock ‘n roll Jesus? A biker Jesus? Many years ago a group called Brewer and Shipley had a hit song that said,  “One toke over the line sweet Jesus, one toke over the line.” I’m not sure what the song was about, but I expect it had something to do with smoking dope. A sweet Jesus that was ok with one toke over the line.

Paul said, “I know whom I believe…” The Jesus Paul knew came from God’s revelation. It was the Jesus of the Bible—that’s the  only real Jesus. Anything else is made up and not true. God reveals Jesus to us. No one was like Jesus. No one was as compassionate as Jesus. No one helped as much as Jesus. No one was as true and genuine to God as Jesus was. No one was concerned about keeping God in the picture as much as Jesus was.

So, what do we know about Jesus?

  • We know that He loves you, not just when you are good, but at all times.
  • We know that He has a plan for you
  • We know that He wants you to spend forever with Him in Heaven
  • We know that He wants you to follow His word, all of it, even the tough things.

Each week Christians gather to remember the Lord’s Death by taking the Lord’s Supper. It is a reminder. Without that reminder, we may forget. Yet, God doesn’t need reminders to remember us. He doesn’t have a photo album that He flips through or a ribbon from our hair or some memento from days gone by so that He would never forget. God is not like that. We need those things. God knows you. Do you know Him?

I am…is what Paul declared. I am not ashamed. I am convinced. I know… The gloom of doubt can make us wonder sometimes. Fear, worry, stress, and feeling alone all combine to chip away at what we know. Remember the one who wrote those words, was sitting in a Roman prison awaiting a trial that would probably lead to his death. Yet, those things did not take away what he knew. It’s that rock solid faith that will get us through. People raise questions. Satan fires his missiles. Some ridicule. Others mock. It’s not popular. You’ll not find Hollywood lining up for Jesus. Yet, he knew.

How about you? Can you say that? Can you live that way? What’s keeping you? Your prison walls of problems seem impossible to escape, but He is able. That’s how Paul saw it.

Roger

 

17

Jump Start # 607

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 607

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

Our passage today is one that preachers often used years ago. It’s a great verse that expresses three central ideas and one illustration of that idea. These words are to inspire and motivate brethren. They ought to muster a “let’s go do it” spirit within them. We can sometimes use a bit of that ourselves. It’s easy to get stuck in the same routines and even get a bit lazy with our spiritual life. Sure we still attend church services, but the personal stuff, the praying, spending time with the word, the being busy in good deeds, can be put on hold with kids, life and all the things we are doing. It’s not done on purpose, it just happens. But without noticing it much, when we get that way, we suffer. We lose our sharpness, our spiritual awareness, and our passion. Most of us have been there. I believe we are not the first, that’s why we find verses like this.

The main thought that everything in this passage is wrapped around is “presenting yourself approved to God.” Presentation. Military people understand what happens during inspections. You are presenting yourself. There are two ways this is done. First, it is done at the judgment of God. Everyone is presented before God. We stand before God. The books are opened. It sounds scary, and maybe it should to a point. Eternity rests upon what the righteous Judge says. This is why we walk by faith. The grace of God is what saves us.

The other way we present our selves before God, is everyday. Everyday God sees me, knows me, hears me, and is aware of what I am doing. The point is not presenting yourself, that happens without you having much to do with that. There is no escaping that. The thought is presenting yourself APPROVED before God. That’s what this is all about. Be approved. Be right. Be pleasing to God. This is done with a God awareness in our lives. That awareness will help shut the door to temptations. It will drive us to being spiritual people. Walk approved.

Approved, as a workman who is not ashamed. That’s the illustration. An unashamed worker. Who would that be? One who does his job well. You see both sides of this illustration all the time. You see folks who truly earn their paycheck. They work hard. They work honestly. They work, whether the boss is around or not. They have nothing to be ashamed about. Receiving their paycheck is something they can feel good about because they have worked hard. Then there are the others. They show up but they don’t work. They play around on the computer, they call people on the cell phone, they find ways to avoid work at all costs. Come payday, they’ll get a paycheck, but they ought to turn it back in. They haven’t earned it. They ought to be ashamed. Paul’s point is, present yourself approved to God like the good workman, like the person who takes it seriously.

The second principle here is how we do this: Be diligent. Get about it, right now. Diligence carries the idea of urgency and importance. This is the manner in which a person presents himself approved to God—he is diligent about it. Changes that need to be made, are made. Growth happens. This is a person who wants to please God right now—as a high school student, as a newly married couple, as a young parent…they are not waiting for something down the road. They are not waiting until a better time in their life, they are diligent. They are in the “Now.”

The third principle this passage puts before us is how we present ourselves approved before God. There are many ways this could be done: morally, by obedience to His word, by being busy helping others—all wonderful ways. Paul tells us what he has in mind. By “handling accurately the word of truth.” That’s how. That’s what we are diligent about. That’s how we present ourselves approved to God. It’s not the only way, but it’s the way that is important and that Paul has in mind. Handling accurately the Bible. Don’t misuse it. Don’t make it say what it doesn’t say. Don’t use it to get your way. Handle it carefully. Handle it accurately. Handle it rightly. God’s word brings us all to Him. God’s word molds us and shapes each of us. God’s word builds faith and strengthens our commitment. God’s word helps us to fight Satan. Misusing God’s word can lead us into error. It can corrupt hearts and distort the image of our Savior.

Paul’s words are to Timothy, a young preacher. All preachers, even the old ones, need to handle God’s word accurately. But the principle applies to each of us, preacher or not. To handle it accurately implies that we know it. We understand it. We’ve spent time with it.

What a privilege and a blessing it is that we have God’s word. It is His story, not ours. It is His will and His heart revealed. God could have easily said, you sinned. Now you try to find me. He didn’t. He could have said, you figure it out. He didn’t. He gave us His word. It is His promises. It is what He desires from us. I’ve got a bunch of Bibles. I have a couple of favorites. The covers are worn and the pages well used. I like the feel of those Bibles. Without looking, I can nearly open to any book of the Bible, just by feeling the pages. I’ve spent a lot of time in those books. They’ve become like an old friend. They have taught me. They have reminded me. They have opened my eyes. They have stepped on my toes and thumped me.

There are not short cuts to studying the Bible. It’s like a workman, there is work involved. Looking, thinking, doing research, reading, discovering are all a part of Bible study. These things pay off. First, you know what God says. You know what He wants. You walk confidently, because you know. Second, you can’t help read without changing. Spending time with Jesus pulls you to Him. It helps you become “approved” to God. You quickly recognize what’s not right, because you know so well what is right. But about all, you have a strong relationship with the Lord. Trust, faith, obedience all come from spending time with God’s word.

I’m seeing many folks being too busy for this. They are moving away from this. We are allowing what we get during church services to be our spiritual vitamin that gets us through the week. Not good. Make some adjustments. Find the time. Be diligent. Be the unashamed workman. Handle it accurately.

Great reminders from the apostle. We need those. It will make a difference. We are one day closer to Heaven, don’t forget.

Roger