21

Jump Start # 738

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

 

Jump Start # 738

 

A Note to our Jump Start Readers: There will be no Jump Starts tomorrow. We hope that you have the opportunity to spend some time with your family and especially to give thanks to God.

 

Matthew 15:36 “and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.”

 

Jesus gave thanks. In some ways that doesn’t surprise us. Jesus prayed often. Jesus stayed connected to the Father. Yet in other ways, it might. He was about to multiply the food and feed the multitudes. He was the instrument of this miracle. He could have thought that if it wasn’t for Him, this wouldn’t be done. He could have talked and reasoned Himself out of giving thanks. But He didn’t. Jesus gave thanks.

 

Sometimes a person can reason too much, be too technical and try to fit everything into a nice box. This is God’s department and this is mine, a person thinks. I did this and God did that. Forget all those things. Be thankful! Give others the credit. Compliment others. Praise God!

There are so many things that God has done for us that we do not even realize. Talent, opportunities, open doors, are many of the things God does that we often do not grasp. Paul prayed for open doors. Churches ought to do that today. Paul recognized that the growth came from God, not his preaching.

 

The story of the ten healed lepers reminds us that it is important to “say Thank you.” Don’t get lazy and think, “they know I’m thankful.” Say it. Show it. It is important. Jesus gave thanks.

 

Giving thanks recognizes that you appreciate what was done. Giving thanks honors another person. Giving thanks encourages and motivates. Some get weary because they do not feel appreciated. Moms often get this way. How about a big thank you! That sure would lift her day.

 

Every day there are people in our lives that help us and make our day better. Sure, it may be their jobs to do that, but being thankful helps us to realize the good that they do. There are police and fireman who are only a phone call away. There are soldiers overseas who are carrying weapons and in harms way so we don’t have to. There are school teachers and doctors and nurses who are busy making our lives better. The layers of people who help us are enormous. There are many to thank. Give thanks.

 

Giving thanks, especially to God, makes us recognize that God was involved and that God is good.

 

Jesus gave thanks. This wasn’t the only time either. When He instituted the Lord’s Supper, He gave thanks before He broke bread. Giving thanks was a regular part of Jesus’ life.

 

Give thanks!

Roger

 

 

20

Jump Start # 737

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 737

Psalms 86:12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever.

We are looking at thankfulness this week. In many ways, it seems, that thankfulness ought to be natural and not something one has to be reminded of nor something that we have to learn. But our culture is not thankful. The environment is getting and taking instead of reflecting and thanking. It is good to pause and remember and remind ourselves to be thankful.

Thankfulness is more than simply saying the words, “Thank you.” Thankfulness is a way of life. A person that is thankful appreciates and takes cares of the things he is thankful for.

  • A person that is thankful for their health will take care of themselves to the best that they can. There are lifestyle habits that are not good for our health. The thankful person is aware of those things.

 

  • A person that is thankful for their marriage will take care of that marriage. They will not take it for granted. He or she will spend time with their spouse, and build that relationship because they are thankful for it.

 

  • A person that is thankful for their church will honor it and connect with it. They will have a hard time staying away. They love their church family.

 

  • A person that is thankful for their salvation will protect it, grow it and share it with others.
  • A person that is thankful for God will spend time with God. He will talk with God. He will think about God.

 

Thankfulness is much more than words. It’s actions. It’s attitude. It changes us and affects us. It is good to be thankful. Could it be said that a person who ignores their marriage, their health, their salvation or their God is not thankful? Taking care of things comes with being thankful. That is a lesson that ought to be taught. Things do not take care of themselves. Without attention yards, hearts, marriages and faith tend to look shabby and full of weeds. Caring is an aspect of thankfulness.

Give that some thought. Are you taking care of what is important to you? Are you thankful beyond words?

Roger

 

19

Jump Start # 736

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 736

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

This week is Thanksgiving. It’s an awesome holiday. Families gather. There is a feast. There is football on TV.  Many are off of work. It kicks off the Christmas season. Many remember traveling to grandparents for Thanksgiving. There the aunts and uncles and all the cousins, some of which they have not seen in a year have come to spend a day with each other. It’s a great time.

Our passage today reflects the thankful spirit. That is characteristic of a saved person. There is so much to be thankful for. The spirit of thankfulness comes from a humble heart that is not spoiled or selfish. The thankful heart creates joy and contentment within.

Paul shows us three layers of instructions in this one verse.

First, the word of Christ needs to dwell in us. We must have the Bible in us. Faith comes from the word of God. The more Bible I have, the greater my faith. Paul’s words are not that we know some Bible verses, but that the word dwells richly within us. Dwelling is where something lives. When I travel, I often stay in hotels. Although those places have beds, lamps, TV and bathroom, as my house does, I never feel like the hotel room is home. I may stay there but I don’t dwell there. There is a difference! God’s word doesn’t just pass through us, it stays. It dwells within us richly.

 

Next, Paul says, we are to teach and admonish each other through songs. Not just any songs, but spiritual songs, and hymns. We often do not see our singing as a teaching process. It is. Remember when Paul and Silas were in jail. At midnight they were singing hymns. An earthquake opened the doors but none of the other prisoners raced to freedom. They stayed. The singing had an impact upon them. This passage isn’t implying a gathering of the church on Sunday. I think Paul is describing the heart of a Christian. I remember my grandmother humming hymns as she worked in the kitchen. Singing hymns affects the singer. It reminds you of God and the big picture of things. It also affects those who hear. Have you ever just sung hymns throughout the day? Doing that puts a person in a good mood.

Finally, Paul said to sing those hymns with thankfulness. I’m not sure how else one could sing hymns, unless it was out of duty. The thankful heart is singing to God. Those songs and thoughts will remind a person that today is a gift from God and what a blessing that is. Those songs will teach us that God is good to us. They have a way of driving out the commercial and  materialistic thoughts that seem to creep in our hearts.

 

Do you have a favorite hymn? Why that one? Sing today as you drive about town. In doing this you’ll find a new thing to be thankful for—and that is hymns. There are a long of hymns. Some are the old traditional ones that are classics. Some are peppy. Some are deep in thought. Some are very simple. What a variety. If you don’t have a song book at home, that would be a great gift for someone to get you for the holidays.

 

Singing with thankfulness…that sure lifts the cloud and turns the grumpy guy into a different person. Have you noticed how often children sing? Could it be that’s one reason why they are so happy and adults, who don’t sing much, are so sour? Sing with thankfulness… It doesn’t have to be in the church building…it can talk place Monday morning at work. It doesn’t have to be loud, I can sing to myself. It doesn’t have to be pretty, just honest and thankful.

 

Thankful singing…what a blessing!

Roger

 

16

Jump Start # 735

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 735

Jonah 2:1 “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish”

The story of Jonah—that was one of the early lessons we heard in Bible class as children. It is easy to dismiss things as this, or Daniel in the lion’s den, as children’s stories. First, they are not “stories” in the sense of make believe. They are historically and factually true. Jesus put His resurrection next to Jonah and the whale. Second, they were not written for children’s Bible classes. They are for adults. They are faith builders.

Our passage today begins with the word, “Then.” Most translations use that word to begin this verse. Chapter one ends with Jonah in the belly of the sea monster for three days. THEN Jonah prays. The word “Then” can mark the order of things. This happened first, THEN, that happened next. Or, it can be used simply as a connector.

It’s hard to imagine that Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and THEN he prayed. You’d think that Jonah was praying as soon as he hit the water. Maybe…maybe not.

 

Our passage reminds us of a couple of thoughts about prayer. First, some of us do not think about prayer until we are in the belly of a problem. Sunny days, good health, busy times does not bring prayers to our lips. They ought to. Prayer is much more than needing things and asking things, as it is talking to God. We need to talk to God, often. There is so much to be thankful for. Jonah is a great reminder that we often get ourselves into problems by our own doings. Jonah disobeyed God. That was his choice. God caused the storm. Jonah was tossed overboard. Jonah didn’t have a need for God when he was on the boat, at least he didn’t think he did. But once he was in a serious problem that he could not get out of, then the prayers go to God.

Secondly, our passage reminds us that God hears us, even from the depths of the sea and from the belly of a great fish. God hears. The belly of our whale may be the hospital bed outside the surgery room. It may be on an airplane flying high upon the clouds. It may be in a heated meeting at work.

 

Jonah’s prayer reveals that seaweed was wrapped around his head. You know it had to be dark, squishy, smelly and extremely gross inside that belly. People are not supposed to be there. Five minutes would be about all this guy could take. Jonah was there three days. Then the whale spit Jonah out. That had to be another extremely unpleasant experience.

 

It’s important to see the big picture here. Jonah had disobeyed God. He was in trouble. Now he wanted God. Our Lord did not give up on Jonah. He didn’t say, “You got yourself into this mess, now get yourself out.” God is not like that. Jonah learned some lessons from the belly experience. He learned that God is not to be out maneuvered by us. He learned that God means what He says. He learned that God doesn’t give up on us. Jonah must have thought while on the boat that he was too far away to go to Nineveh. God didn’t think so. There is no running away from God. The Lord will find you.

Do we see ourselves in Jonah? Have we disobeyed God and felt like He has given up on us? He hasn’t. He’s waiting for you to turn back to Him as Jonah did. Have we run from our responsibilites as Jonah did? Tired of being a parent? Tired of being married? Tired of being a Christian?

THEN—then Jonah prayed. Maybe you need a “Then” moment in your life. The “Then” God Jonah back on track with God. The “Then” is what Jonah needed. God was waiting for the “then.” He may be waiting for you as well…

Roger

 

15

Jump Start # 734

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 734

Joshua 24:15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

 

Our passage today is probably the most known verse from the book of Joshua. There is a strong admonition to choose whom the nation will serve. Joshua tells them to choose for themselves. He tells them to choose today. Then he lets it be known that he has already made his choice. He stands with God. Great verse. This is used often at the end of sermons.

The beginning of this verse has always struck me as being odd. “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord…” Why would anyone think that? How is it disagreeable to serve the Lord?

Some may think it is disagreeable because they have been convinced that the Lord is wrong. They have swallowed the poison of falsehood and have been turned by weak and unproven arguments away from the Lord. Remember, Joshua is not talking to unbelievers. He is addressing the nation of Israel. These were God’s people. They knew Moses. Their fathers came out of Egypt. God had delivered them, fed them, protected them, led them and been with them. How could it be disagreeable to serve the Lord?

Others may come to that conclusion because they want a religion that is convenient, easy, and with few demands. The law of Moses was not like that. It was strict. It was narrow. Only certain foods could be eaten. Only few things were allowed on the Sabbath. They were only permitted to marry someone within Israel. There was zero tolerance for witchcraft, adultery or blasphemy. Children born in Israel grew up with this faith and system. They weren’t “converted” or had a choice. Anyone that didn’t go along was “cut off” from the nation.

Some of Israel had seen how the other nations were worshipping. The pagan religions of Canaan included immoral sexual acts as part of worship. That was really different than what they were used to. Idols filled the land. Israel’s God seemed invisible. No one knew what Jehovah looked like. Images of God were not allowed. The nations about them had images of their gods. The appeal of what others are doing has always been strong.

Disagreeable. Some are find the system of Christianity that way today. They want to shape it and redefine it so that it is nice, tolerant and easy. They want a comfortable religion that fits well with society. They want a cool Jesus. They want a faith that’s hip. They want the world to like them. What happens when some get this way is that they marry the church to the world and the church loses. They want rock concerts, but that are Christian and without drugs. They want Christian wrestling matches that are light on immodesty. They want the world with the cloak of Christianity. It doesn’t work. It looks foolish. And worse of all, it’s not what Jesus said.

Jesus said the world will hate us, because it first hated Him. He said that you cannot serve God and mammon. He said that if we are not with Him, then we are against Him. The New Testament echoes the words of Joshua. Choose you this day whom you will serve. If it is disagreeable to you…serve someone else. Serve the gods of the land. But in doing so, you get what you pursue. The gods of the land are fun, but fake. The gods of the land are acceptable, but they cannot deliver. The gods of the land cannot save.

 

Is it possible for us to take the New Testament and follow it as it says? Is it possible for us to have a church like we read about in the New Testament? Is it possible to be pure Christians without any strings attached? I believe the answer is yes. To do that, there is a constant connection to following what the New Testament churches did. Worship the way they worshipped. Preach the word as they preached the word. Be organized the way they were organized. Raise money the way the early churches raised money. Pure New Testament Christianity isn’t an oddity or a new twist on doing things, it’s what God calls us to do. Take a look at Philippians 4:9. Great passage that tells us to follow what the apostles did. If they did it, then we ought to. If they didn’t, then we shouldn’t. Follow the leader, that’s what it’s all about.

It comes down to choosing. Choosing to serve God the way He says or disagreeing with that and doing our own thing. I’ll stick with God’s way. How about you?

Choose whom you will serve…

Roger