31

Jump Start # 723

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 723

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

 

Today is Halloween. Kids will dress up in costumes and ring doorbells with the hopes of getting a stash of candy. Some get concerned about religious implications of dressing kids up as zombies, ghosts and so forth. It seems to be part of the pretend world of children. As a child, my brothers and I wore our toy six guns and fought pretend Indians. As an adult, I’ve never had an inner desire to go shoot real Indians. Make believe and pretending is part of the wonderful world of children.

 

Having said that, our passage today reminds us that the devil is real. He is not pretend. He is not just a bad influence in society. He is a spiritual being that is first found in the garden of Eden in Genesis and is last found in the book of Revelation where he is cast into Hell. Satan does not live in Hell, not yet. He’s not been sent there. When he is, he is not in charge of Hell, God is. Hell is Satan’s punishment. He will be tormented there forever, which he deserves.

 

The Bible never says anything nice about the devil. He is worthy of no compliments. He does nothing helpful nor worthwhile. Wherever trouble is found, Satan is near by. He is not a light weight. He knows Scripture and especially knows how to abuse and misuse Scripture. He knows us. He knows just what buttons to push to tempt us. The thought of alcohol and pills is enough to send some over the edge. Others are not fazed in the least by those things. Some refuse to forgive and they hold hatred and grudges deep in their heart. For some it’s pride. Others, it’s the thirst for stuff. Some struggle with lust. Satan knows. He knows what to dangle before your eyes.

 

Our passage tells us something interesting about Satan. It says that he was a murderer from the beginning. The thought of Satan always brings people to ask where did he come from. The most common thought is that he was an angel that went bad. Some quote a passage from Isaiah that refers to Lucifer. The context of that passage is talking about a king, not the devil.

 

Our verse says he was a murderer from the beginning. There are two other “beginning” verses that come to my mind. First, when questioned about divorce, Jesus said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female” (Mt 19:4). The “beginning” there was creation. There was nothing before the beginning other than God. At the start, at the origin, or at the beginning is what Jesus said.

Another beginning verse is found in the first statement of the Bible, “In the beginning God created…” (Genesis 1:1). At the start.

 

It is interesting that our verse uses the same word, beginning. Satan was a murderer from the beginning. It doesn’t say, he once was good and turned. It didn’t say he used to be one of God’s angels. (By the way, angels were created by God along with the rest of creation. How could Satan have been an angel if he was a murderer from the beginning?) Satan was a murderer from the beginning. If the passage read, after a short time, Satan became a murderer we could accept that he once was good and turned. The passage doesn’t say that. It says from the beginning.

 

This begs the question “Did God make Satan as he is?” Could be. That doesn’t seem to fit in with the thought that God saw everything He made as “good.” How can you call Satan good, when he is not. These thoughts are hard to figure in our heads, at least my head.

 

It seems some folks are more interested in trying to figure Satan out and how he came about than they are dealing with the reality of he is here and we must fight him. The emphasis in the Bible is not his origin but in resisting him and overcoming him through Christ.

The murderer wants to murder your soul. He wants to kill you spiritually. He wants to trap you, enslave you and destroy you. He doesn’t care how much damage he causes or how many lives he hurts. He doesn’t care that little children will grow up without a stable home because divorce has taken place. He doesn’t care that a person may lose their job and then their house because they got fired because of some addiction. He doesn’t care that a person is arrested for a crime and goes to jail. He smiles when a church splits. He rejoices when brethren fight each other and take their minds off what they ought to be doing. Jesus said the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. That’s Satan. If it’s good, he’s against it. If it builds spiritually, he’s not for it. If it strengthens family, offers hope and connects us to God, you can be sure he wants it stopped. He is a murderer. He’s been that way from the beginning. It’s all he knows.

Don’t be a tool of Satan. Fight him. Oppose him. Live for Christ. Teach the gospel. Walk with Jesus.

Roger

 

30

Jump Start # 722

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 722

 

Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes

This is a great verse to remember. Sometimes we feel as if we are helpless and cannot do anything. We are just a lowly citizen who does not have armies at our disposal nor the power to make laws. The king does. The king, as history has shown, can be harsh, cruel and violent. But we have one thing that is greater than the king, we have God. A God that can do things.

The passage is am image of a person who puts their hands in a creek. As it flows over the hands, the person can move the water. This illustration is showing what God can do to the heart of the king. God can move it. The king may not even realize that God is over him and moving him, but God does.

 

There is no power greater than God. There is nothing that God cannot do.

 

This verse reminds us that we need to be praying. Praying that God moves the hearts of those in authority is something that we ought to do on a regular business. The laws that the kings make impact God’s people. They can make life and worship easy or difficult. History has shown different rules that have outlawed the worship of God. They made following God very hard. Persecution of God’s people often were a part of those wicked kings.

God is upon the throne. He always has been. Even when Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, God was upon the throne. Even when Herod ordered the murder of baby boys, God was upon the throne. Even when God’s apostles were struck down, God was upon the throne. Death doesn’t stop the will nor plans of God. Sometimes hard times and dark days are used to teach lessons and to build character.

 

God turns the king’s heart. Do you think that God can turn your heart? You and I are not kings. We don’t make laws. We don’t order troops into battle. Our hearts are not as important as the king’s heart. Yet in many, many ways, it is. It is to God. The book of Acts tells us that God opened the heart of Lydia, a simple business woman who heard the gospel.

God can turn hearts, especially those that are good and honest. The gospel can mold us and make us into what God wants.

Is there someone who is difficult in your life? Have you prayed about that person? Have you asked God to work upon that heart? Instead of wishing we could avoid that person or that they would drop off the face of the earth, changing their heart is the best thing that could happen.

Channels of water and a heart in God’s hands…how about your heart? Do you fight God or allow Him to turn it and shape it? It’s easy to want God to change others, but how about our hearts? That’s a great place to start.

Roger

 

29

Jump Start # 721

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 721

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

 

It’s getting close to election time. Political ads dominate TV commercials. This year I have a sign in my yard for one of the presidential candidates. A neighbor across the street also has one. His sign is for the other candidate running for president. Everyone who drives up and down our streets can see those signs and make judgments about us. I have visibly declared who I am wanting to win the election. The rest of the neighbors do not have any signs. It’s a secret who they are supporting.

 

Once the election is over, I’ll be taking my sign down. Life will return to normal where all we do is notice each other’s yards and landscaping.

There is a greater declaration that we make and that is that we are disciples of Jesus. We do this not with yard signs, but with lifestyles and choices we make. People that see us ought to notice that we are Christians. This ought to be apparent to them.

First, neighbors ought to notice us leaving every Sunday morning for worship services. It’s pretty obvious to know that when you see a family dressed up, with Bibles in their hand getting into the car about the same time every Sunday. Neighbors notice.

 

Second, they ought to notice by the caring attitude that we have. Neighbors ought to see us helping others shovel snow, doing landscaping and being there for one another.

 

Third, they ought to notice that we have a lot of people over to our house. Christians engage in hospitality. They might notice people coming to our house carrying food and Bibles as we have a study in our home.

 

But it’s not just the neighbors who ought to see these things. The people at work ought to notice that you are a Christian. They’ll quickly detect that you don’t cuss. You don’t laugh at off color jokes. Monday’s are not spent telling of wild weekend drinking parties. They notice that you work hard. They notice you are willing to chip in and help others. Your work is honest and reflects quality. They see that you do not abuse the company by coming in late, asking to leave early or wasting time when you are at work. It shows. They notice a Bible at your desk. It’s not hidden. Sitting there, it makes a statement. It’s like a political sign in your yard. People will make judgments because they see a Bible on your desk.

Family will notice that you are a Christian. Holiday times brings families together. Negative talk, gossip, mean spirited conversations can be the norm at some of these gatherings. Family will notice that you don’t go along with those things. They notice that you don’t try to show off and impress others by the “stuff” you own. That’s not you. They notice that you don’t brag about yourself as the rest do. You are different.

 

Finally, people notice how you conduct yourself in a crisis. The emergency room, the funeral home are times when we lean upon our hope and faith in God. This calm hope shines. They notice. Peter says that they may ask about that hope in us. That’s good.

 

I’m not ashamed to have a political sign in my yard. My neighbors know who I am voting for. I have publicly declared. I am not ashamed that the world knows that I am a Christian. I have declared myself and am trying to publicly show it.

 

Public declaration of our allegiance is letting your light shine. Shine it bright. Shine it for all to see. Shine it in such a way that others will want to learn more about Jesus.

 

Roger

 

26

Jump Start # 720

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 720

Matthew 24:38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

 

Our passage today contains a warning from Jesus about the coming of the Lord. He compares that to the days of Noah. There were warnings there as well. Some say this passage is about the second coming of Jesus, others say, it’s about the destruction of Jerusalem. I’ll leave the technical stuff for other studies. It’s the coming warning that I want to consider in this study.

We have all kinds of warnings, from the labels on products, such as, medicines we take, to the dashboard of our cars. Weather warnings are the most serious that affects large populations. A few times the elements come together that causes the weather forecasters to send out serious warnings several days in advance. That happened last year in my area when the tornados struck Henryville, Indiana. Now, forecasters are warning about a huge storm that is headed for the northeast on Halloween. They have named this storm, “Frankenstorm.”

  • There will be some who take heed. They will be preparing for the storm. Some will leave the area for safer places.

 

  • There will be some who mock the forecasters. They will talk about all the hype and excitement and nothing comes about. So, for some, they will go about business as usual.

 

  • There will be a few curious ones who want to witness such a storm. There will be some traveling to the storm area just so they can experience “Frankenstorm.”
  • Then there will be a segment that never gets the warning. They won’t be watching the TV channels that tell residents to take cover. They won’t have their radios on. They don’t read newspapers. They will be busy caught up in their world, clueless to what is happening until they are caught in it unprepared. Some may get injured because they were not prepared.

 

It seems every major storm finds those same groups of people. Our passage tells us that it was that way before the flood. Noah warned. He preached while he built the ark. He preached for over 100 years. People didn’t listen. They ignored. They made plans showing that they didn’t not believe Noah.

If indeed someone believed that there would be a massive flood and blinding rain, why would they get married? That shows that they didn’t believe, until it was too late. Some probably never knew why the flood was happening.

Peter encountered people who denied the Lord was coming. Everyday is the same they said. It’s always been that way. Warnings have been issued. Jesus is coming. Some will be ready. Some will ignore the warnings. Some will mock the passages. Some will never get the warning. They don’t go to church. They don’t read their Bible. They will be clueless to what will happen until it’s too late.

 

God has other warnings. The coming of Jesus is not the only warning. God warns about behavior. The Galatians were told about the works of the flesh. The warning attached proclaimed that those who do such things cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Serious warnings! How do we take such warnings?

 

God warns about harboring hatred and an unforgiving spirit. Jesus said if we won’t forgive, God won’t forgive us. Serious warnings. How do we take such things?

 

It’s easy to see the mistakes people made surrounding the flood. It’s easy to see how folks ignore the warnings about Christ’s coming. But attitude and behavioral warnings are just as serious.

Warnings are given to protect us and keep us safe. Warnings interrupt our routine and make us take things seriously. Warnings are good. We need them. We especially need them from God.

 

Living clueless to what the Bible says is certain to get a person caught in the spiritual storms of life. It’s bad when they happens. It’s worse when a person realizes that it doesn’t have to be that way. If they had only heeded the warnings!

Take God seriously…listen to what He says. Unlike the weathermen, God is always right!

Roger

 

25

Jump Start # 719

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 719

Ephesians 5:17 “So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

A man was invited to come to church services. He really didn’t want to. He made excuses and complained about this and that. He stated firmly, “I can’t understand the Bible.” That was probably the most honest thing he said in the whole conversation. He doesn’t understand the Bible. There are many like this person. Some have been told that it is impossible to understand. The variety of churches on nearly every street corner has given proof to this ideology. It seems that no one can agree upon what the Bible says.

I don’t buy into this thinking. Our verse today affirms what I am saying. Paul told the Ephesians to understand the will of God. Obviously, understanding the will of God was and is possible. We can know what God wants. We can understand the Bible. Some say, we can not understand the Bible alike. That statement doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. If we understand the Bible, we will understand it alike. We cannot understand it differently. One person cannot say the earth is flat and another the earth is round and come to the conclusion that we understand it differently. No. One person does not understand. We may have different ideas and thoughts but that does not mean that we understand correctly.

We don’t have a problem thinking that a college kid going off to medical school after a few years can understand the workings of the human body. We don’t have a problem with another person studying engineering to the extent that he can grasp what it takes to send a rocket deep into space. We can understand what causes tornados. We can understand why the red light is flashing on the dashboard of a car. We can understand politics, economics, criminology, Shakespeare, Egyptian hieroglyphics and even the mental state of the mind. Yet, some how we cannot understand the Bible! Doesn’t that seem a bit odd to you?

Our passage is found in the midst of several positive and negative admonitions. Notice some of these.

The negatives:

  • Do not walk as unwise men (15)
  • Do not be foolish (16)
  • Do not get drunk with wine (18)

The positives:

  • Make the most of your time (16)
  • Understand what the will of the Lord is (17)
  • Be filled with the Spirit (18)
  • Sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord (19)
  • Be thankful (20)
  • Be subject to one another (21)

How is it that some can understand God’s will and others can not? Is there a special school that some have gone to or a unique gift that some are born with? The answer is neither. All can understand the will of God if that is first their will. They have to want to understand it.

Flipping through the Bible here and there, a couple of times a year won’t do it. Try that in physics class and see how far you’ll get. Understanding God’s will begins with a heart that wants to be spiritual and know God’s will. Jesus said, “Seek and ye shall find…” It won’t just come to you while you are sitting in a chair watching TV. It won’t knock on your door. First, I must be serious about the seeking part.

Many, many years ago I took a class in speed reading. I can fly through a book and know the gist of it. Even now I tend to read the first and last paragraphs of a page and scan through the middle section very fast. Can’t do that with the Bible. Every word is important. The order of the words are important. There is no speed reading with the Bible. Slow it down. Take your time. Look carefully. Think. Chew on what you read. Ask questions. Put yourself there. Connect to other Bible verses. Look up words. Chase rabbits in your study. Read the passage in another translation. Look at repeated words. Consider who is talking. Who is the audience. What is going on behind the scenes. See how God defines words. What is the point of the paragraph I just read. All of that is essential to coming to an understanding of the Bible.

 

No other book demands so much of us when we read it. For instance, every day I’m reading a book about Sandy Koufax, my favorite baseball player. I also read pages from the Bible every day. I do not read those two books the same. My approach is very different. My agenda is totally different in those two books. I read one very fast. I read the other very slowly. I read one lying on my couch. I read the other sitting at my desk, with a pen in my hand and a pad of paper beside me. I’m reading one book. I’m studying the other. There’s a difference. Until a person gets that, they won’t understand the will of God.

 

The Bible is a big book that covers a lot of history. The more I can put these things together in my mind the better I will understand the message. Egyptians, Romans, Babylonians and also prophets, apostles, elders and judges—this gets all jumbled up and fuzzy if I can’t put the pieces together. It takes time. Learning always does. Stay with it. Take notes. Take notes during sermons. Write in your Bible. Work at it. It will not come to the lazy or to those who give up easy. Don’t start with Revelation. Start with Luke.

 

You can know. You can understand. What a blessing it is to understand God’s word. Studying is a growth process. Little by little the darkness goes away and the dawn of God’s word fills your mind and heart and you come to know God. What a great joy that is.

 

I believe God is the greatest author of all time. I believe that He is capable of writing a book that all can understand. The message of Jesus was first told to common fishermen who went and told other fishermen the saving message of Jesus.

 

Don’t give up, nor accept the easy excuse that no one can understand the Bible. We can if we try. We can if we look at it with an open mind. We can if we put away our rose colored glasses of prejudices and preconceived ideas. We can if we let the Bible speak and we listen.

Understand…do you? God wants you to!

Roger