28

Jump Start # 762

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 762

1 Timothy 6:17 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.”

Our hope is in God. Our passage for today reminds us that wealth and riches cannot be trusted nor counted upon. What is here today may well be gone tomorrow. A sudden tornado, a violent hurricane can wipe out all the possessions a person has taken years to acquire. It is God who is our hope and our trust.

Many of us have heard lessons like this before. Our thoughts for today are focused upon the end of this passage. It is God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. God wants us to enjoy things. Now we don’t hear that much. Sometimes we feel guilty if we have fun. We can be so serious and so concerned about so many things that we’ve just haven’t any room for fun or enjoyment in our lives. Serious sermons. Serious articles. Serious worship. Serious family time. Serious living. There’s a place for those things, but to journey this life without enjoying what God supplies is to miss things. It’s ok to smile, laugh, and feel good about things. God did not intend for this life to be drudgery and our only hope is to be Heaven. Just make it through this miserable life and then we’ll have some peace and joy. No, that’s not right. Jesus came to give the abundant life and that happens now.

We are into Duck Dynasty. Daddy Phil, on the show, says, “Happy, Happy, Happy.” I like that. There is much to rejoice about. In spite of the news, times are good. God has blessed us and we need to enjoy that.

Here’s my list of good things to enjoy:

1. Worship  with an incredible church family. The group I’m with are great people. They are generous, loving, connected, godly and doing things for the Lord. It’s amazing. Thinking about those people makes me happy.

2. Technology. I like buttons and gadgets and stuff like that. I don’t understand them and often have to have my kids help me out, but I love pushing a button and sending a copy of a sermon to someone across the world. I love keeping in touch with people that I probably wouldn’t if I had to write a letter to. I love being able to answer questions and do so much, such as writing this Jump Start while sitting in my favorite chair at home. Amazing!

3. Travel. Just this past year I preached in Memphis, TN, Detroit, MI, and in Phoenix, AZ. Those places are far from where I live. The trip is easy. It’s nothing to hop in a car and drive 4 or 5 hours to see someone. We can do that. Our world, especially this country, has gotten smaller because of our travel. And as we travel, we now have the comforts of music and movies to entertain us. I can’t imagine traveling in a buggy. It wouldn’t take much of that to wear a person out. Travel is amazing

4. Health. Medical research has given us longer lives and better lives. People are have procedures today that just a few years ago they could not. These are the best times for such things.

 

5. A Savior that wants us to want Him. Jesus loves us. This is one of the greatest joys of all. He knows you, warts and all. He knows everything about you. That’s enough to make us hide, yet He still loves us. We ought to enjoy our Christian life. It ought to be the best period of our life. We ought to be so glad that we are Christians. God loves us, accepts us and uses us. Amazing.

 

Enjoy. Rejoice. Be happy, happy, happy. God is good to us. We are going somewhere. We have a purpose, a plan and a mission. We are somebody…we are the people of God! Not all is gloom and doom. Not everything is going to pot. Not all is bad. No sir, there’s much to be happy about. Family, friends, brethren, the Bible, and the God above are enough to make any heart swell. When Abraham died, the Scriptures tell us that he was “satisfied with life” (Gen 25:8). A satisfied man is a happy man.

How about you?  Do you find yourself complaining more than you are rejoicing? Do you see more wrong than there is right? Do you find yourself being too serious about too many things?  Take a look at what God has given you. These are His presents to you. He wants you to enjoy them. He wants you to live that abundant life now.

So put that smile on your face and get about things today! Rejoice in the Lord! Be happy, happy, happy!

Roger

 

 

27

Jump Start # 761

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 761

Galatians 4:16 “So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

These words of the apostle Paul to the Galatian church is something that many have experienced and understood. The brethren were moving away from Paul and back toward the Jewish faith. Many were resisting what Paul was telling them. Just a few verses before, Paul reminded them that there was a time that they would have plucked out their eyes and given them to Paul. But not now. Now, it seems, Paul was not treated not as a dear brother in Christ, but the enemy.

How is the enemy treated? We are careful around the enemy. There is an air of suspicion when the enemy is near. We do not share much with the enemy. Our talk is guarded. Our plans are kept secret. We keep our distance with the enemy. The enemy is not trusted. What the enemy says is questioned and doubted. We don’t include the enemy. We don’t like the enemy. Paul felt like he was being treated like the enemy. And for what reason? Because he told them the truth. The truth about their choices. The truth about where they were headed. The truth about their mixed up faith.

Parents can understand what Paul felt. No one loves the kids more than the parents do. They want their kids to excel in all areas, especially morally and spiritually. There are days when Mom and Dad must clamp down on things and be the tough guy. There are days when the answer must be “no.” It is then that they suddenly become the “enemy” in the eyes of the children. Teenage years, especially can bring many battles between parents and the kids. The choice of friends, clothing, music, movies are the battles that many parents fight. Teenagers who do not understand the big picture, view their parents as being out of touch and simply wanting to ruin their lives. Mean things are often said. Words that hurt the soul of the parent are uttered. The tension and stress is enough for some parents to want to resign, but they can’t.

Similar things are experienced by shepherds and preachers in the church. They simply want to teach the truth of the Gospel. They want everyone to do right and go to Heaven. Sounds great. It is until, some have different ideas. Some want to live like the lost. They don’t want to have to attend church services. They want to party on the wild side of things. They want to date others while they are married and they don’t want to pay their bills. Poor choices, a lack of responsibility and an abandonment of faith is something that leaders often must deal with. There is only one answer to these things and that is a call back to the Gospel way. When that happens, ugliness comes out. Mean words are spoken. The church is blamed. Accusations are uttered. All this towards those who simply want to help someone stay the course with Jesus.

It’s hard being treated like the enemy. Some can handle it. Others don’t do well with it. The tension and pressures mount and some want to compromise or back down on what they said. They don’t like being treated like the enemy so they cave in to the pressures of those who are in the wrong. In the home, parents, against their own wisdom and advice, allow the teenager to do things. They do this, thinking it will improve their relationship at home and make things better. It doesn’t. They lost a battle and the next one will be harder to win. Lost ground is hard to retake especially when one has given it away. The battles will continue. The parents are viewed as weak. The teenager knows that there will be threats that mean nothing. There will be a lot of smoke but no fire. There will be tough talk, but zero action. The teenager has won. He got his way. He has learned that screaming at his parents and threatening to run away will get him what he wants. The weak parents want the child to like them, so they continue to allow him to treat them that way. All respect, authority and order has broken down in that home. And, worse of all, he still views his parents as the enemy.

The same happens in the church. Weak members threaten to leave, complain about everything and the leaders fearing all this, look the other way. The church becomes weak, the message diluted, and Satan smiles.

Well, what’s the answer to all these things? What does a person do when someone treats them like the enemy? It sure is an uncomfortable feeling.

First, stand with the truth of God’s word. A stake must be placed in the ground. There is no giving in on what God said. That’s final. Battles will be fought, but that stake cannot be moved. Love for souls compels a person to continue teaching what God said. That’s what Paul did. He did not find a way to compromise, not with the truth. Parents and leaders must be kind yet firm. If you refuse, here is what happens. Tears will flow. Prayers will be offered. Those bent on doing wrong may walk down the path of the prodigal. Those are hard, hard days. Remain constant in your love for them and your desire to stand with what is right.

Second, do not tolerate nor accept disrespect nor ugly words. If people are not grown up enough to discuss things, end of conversation. I have seen too many times when people have been allowed to say things in hurtful and mean ways that should not have been tolerated. If a person wants to talk that way, walk away. When they can discuss things in a civil tone and hold their sharp tongue, the conversation can continue. Attitudes are important in all of this.

Third, even though they may treat you as the enemy, you have done no wrong. They have become an enemy of wisdom, right and truth. You should not feel bad, even though you do, for holding the line on what is right and good.

Remember, the father of the prodigal never went to the pig pen. He never mailed checks to the wayward son. He never bailed him out. The celebration took place not in the pig pen but back home when he returned. How different this story would have been had the prodigal’s mama taken a basket of food out to the pig pen for him. That wasn’t done. Sometimes a person has to get in a real mess before they will come to their senses. If we keep that from happening, they will never come to their senses.

Have I become your enemy…if you stand with God long enough, you’ll experience this. Take lessons from Paul. Take lessons from the Lord. Hold to God’s unchanging hand!

Roger

 

26

Jump Start # 760

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

 

Jump Start # 760

Genesis 2:2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

We are back with our Jump Starts. We took a couple of days off for the Christmas break. It is enjoyable to spend time with family and to get a break from the busy schedule of life. Those thoughts remind us that God rested. Not only did God rest, but He instituted a rest for His people in the Old Testament called the Sabbath or Sabbath rest.

On the Sabbath, Israel was not to work, travel or even do house chores. It was a time to rest, spend time with family and worship God. There is something to be said about resting the body and the mind. Working all the time makes one weary. Days off, vacations are wonderful occasions. Years ago, Sundays were like that. Few worked on Sunday. Most stores were closed. Nearly everyone went to church services and they had big family meals and then in the afternoon they visited with others. They just sat around and talked. Sometimes the talk was just catching up, other times it was deep discussions about religion, politics and life.

Times have moved on. We don’t rest much anymore. We are running all the time. Stores are rarely closed. When people get together, the youngsters have an electronic gadget in their hand. People have a hard time just taking and sharing life anymore. It’s hard for some, including me, to sit still for very long.

Our passage says that God rested. That in itself is interesting. We generally think that rest is necessary when one is tired. Babies need naps because they get tired. At the end of the day, our bodies tell us that it’s time to go to bed. Rest is beneficial and good. God didn’t rest because He was tired. God doesn’t tire. He doesn’t sleep. Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal because they couldn’t get their fake god to answer their pleas. He teased them by suggesting that Baal may be asleep and needs to be awakened. Our God is not like that. He doesn’t get a sore back or tired muscles, or sleepy eyes as we do.

The reason God rested was because His work was completed. He reflected and enjoyed what He had accomplished. God was pleased with His creation. His rest was an illustration that we need to rest. Our minds, souls and bodies need it. Without rest, we get cranky and the quality of our work suffers.

The Sabbath rest for Israel wasn’t a time to sleep in bed until noon, there was plenty to do, but it was the things that were different than the rest of the week. That break in the routine reminded them of God and that connection to God. Things were different on the Sabbath.

 

Although we do not have the restrictions on Sunday as Israel did, our day of worship can and should be a break from the routine. It is a time to worship, remember, be thankful and praise God. Sundays are special to the Christian. It’s time to gather with the church family. It’s time to praise God. It’s time to learn more. It’s time to remember a special death. It’s a time to feed the soul and connect to our God. I love Sundays. It’s my favorite day of the week. Folks still put on their “church” clothes and come with smiles on their faces and Bibles in their hands. There are hugs, serious discussions, wonderful singing and the solemn reminder of the love of our Savior as He went to the cross. Sundays are great.

I can’t imagine anything being more important than Sunday. Some miss out. They only attend church services if there is nothing else going on or only when guilt drives them. Even then, those who have showed up for those reasons, miss out. They’d rather be somewhere else, so their heart and minds are not with them. They miss out. They fail to connect. They go to church but they haven’t worshipped.

I have a friend who writes a blog that’s entitled, “It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming.” I like that. Sunday is coming. For Israel, there were things to do before the Sabbath came about. There were preparations that had to be made. They were thinking about the Sabbath before the Sabbath. That’s a good thought for us. Sundays coming…we ought to be thinking of it even now. Won’t it be wonderful to be with the church family? Won’t it be wonderful to sing to God? Won’t it be wonderful to have a concentrated study of God’s word? Won’t it be wonderful?

Sundays coming. Be thinking of that. Be looking forward to that. Be ready for that. Are you worshipping each Sunday with your church family? If not, you ought to. It’ll make a difference in your life if you are with a group that follows the Bible and are serious about their soul and God. A lifetime of Sundays sure does the soul good. Get up and get out the door on Sunday. Don’t be lazy. Don’t be selfish and waste the day on yourself. Rest, reflect, recharge and worship God. He is good to you! He is looking for you. He wants you to worship Him

Sunday is coming…

Roger

 

21

Jump Start # 759

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

 

Jump Start # 759

Luke 2:30 “The angel said to her, ‘do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.’”

We continue our look at the conversation between Mary and the angel when she was told that she would carry Jesus. Mary was chosen by God. There was no contest in which she competed against other girls. She knew nothing of this until the angel appeared to her.

We might add a couple of thoughts here. Mary married Joseph and after the birth of Jesus, had other children. The Bible lists several of her children by name. Also, we remember, when Jesus was tempted by Satan to bow down and worship him, the Lord responded by saying that ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” Only God is worshipped. Only God is prayed to. Mary was human, not divine. We do not read in the Bible of others worshipping her nor praying to her, nor any other human.

Most scholars believe that Mary was a teenager when the angel appeared to her. That is a remarkable thought for us. Mary was young, yet she found favor in the eyes of God. There is a long list of other young people, such as David, the young shepherd, who God chose to be the king of Israel;  young Daniel, taken captive from his native land and placed in the Babylonian environment; young Joseph, tossed aside by his brothers and in a foreign land, all who served the Lord.

 

It is easy to think that teenagers are not capable of being spiritual or doing much. That’s not true. We may let them off too easy. Joseph, Daniel, David and Mary, and we could include in that list, Timothy and Hezekiah, all showed remarkable faith and courage in serving the Lord. There is no reason that a young teenage Christian today cannot make a difference in his world. The list of contacts and friends that young people have is enormous. They stay connected with friends. There is a great influence for good that can come from that.

 

Sour attitudes, living without a purpose or a plan, and being lazy characterizes far too many young people today. God’s young people need to rise above that and be different. So many are. They are the bright spots in their classrooms. They are leading their sports team in prayer and right attitudes. They help others. The spirit of Mary lives on in so many young Christians today.

Mary found favor with the Lord because she knew the Lord. It’s not a stretch to imagine that Mary prayed often to the Lord. Mary worshipped the Lord. Mary knew Scriptures and lived a life of righteousness, as a teenager. It can be done. One doesn’t have to travel to the pig pen with the rest of the world. One can be different. One, even young, can choose God. She was noticed. She was noticed by God. She was noticed by those around her.

It’s easy to discount the contributions of young people. It’s easy to assume that they are immature and not worth listening to. It’s easy to think that there isn’t much that they can do. Often, in congregations, young Christians are not given much chance nor responsibility. They become restless and want to do things, only to be told “No.” God didn’t think that way. How important it was to find someone to bring Jesus into the world. Those early years of Jesus’ life were in the hands of Mary. Godliness, obedience and faithfulness to the Lord were all a part of that upbringing. God would have selected carefully the one who would influence Jesus. God chose Mary.  God chose a young person. He didn’t choose a old woman, but a young woman.

Moms and dads have much to do with the spiritual quality of their children. Get them praying at meal time. Take them to visit others. Get them busy doing things for others. They shouldn’t get paid for everything. Life doesn’t work that way and money ruins the spirit of doing things because they are the right thing to do.

My boys and I shoveled many snowy driveways, helped many families load boxes, lift couches when they moved and jumped at a moments notice when a neighbor needed help. My boys are grown now and all but one lives in other states. I hear them telling me of things they are doing, and it makes the heart swell to see that they caught the spirit of a servant. It takes time to develop those attitudes, open eyes and servant’s heart. There were many cold mornings when school was canceled that they wanted to stay in bed. Dad made them get up, grab a shovel and head next door to shovel a neighbor’s driveway. I always went with them. We were doing this together. Sure they moaned a bit. Sure they looked for the easy excuse out. Sure they tired to put it off. But when we worked as a team and they saw the good that they did, they realized it was the right thing to do. I’m sharing this with you so you will understand that spiritual and character development doesn’t come from just sitting in a Bible class and being lectured to. It comes from doing. It takes more than doing things one time.

 

So grab the kids, make a batch of cookies and head off to visit one of the widows in the church or grab the shovels and head to a neighbor’s driveway. When there is some work to be done at the church house, grab the kids and include them. The heart of a servant is a life long lesson. The hard work, sweat, sore muscles, dirty hands that come from helping others is a lesson rich in so many ways. My boys still talk about those days. Hard work is good for a person. Volunteering to help someone else out is even better work.

Mary found favor with the Lord. That didn’t just happen. Her up bringing and her character had so much to do with that. Get busy with your family. Now that schools out, use the opportunity to do things for others. You will not only put a smile on someone’s face, but you are building the heart of your child.

Roger

 

 

 

20

Jump Start # 758

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

 

Jump Start # 758

Luke 1:29 “But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.”

The Christmas Season is upon us. Many places and many people are focusing upon the birth of Jesus. The birth of Jesus is important. First, it is a Biblical fact and there are powerful lessons found there. However, there is a very strong tendency to make more out of the birth of Jesus than was intended. The emphasis upon the N.T. is not the beginning but the end, not the baby in a manger, but the Savior upon the cross. The baby is cute, the crucified Savior is powerful. The is no indication in the Bible that the early Christians, or the early church celebrated the birth of Jesus. Very little is even said about the birth outside the first pages of Matthew and Luke. Mark and John do not refer to it all and the epistles make very little reference to it. There are indications that Jesus would not have been born in December as well. Today, the forecast in Jerusalem is for cold rain. It’s doing that right now in Indiana. Bitter day to be outside. Terrible conditions for shepherds to be in the field and terrible time for people to travel. Caesar had called for a census to be taken. Every adult male had to travel to his place of birth to be registered. A census would not be called in a season which travel was so difficult, like rainy and cold Decembers are in Jerusalem. One other thought, every feast day or special day that God wanted his people to remember, including the death of Jesus, was specifically told when and what to do. For the birth of Jesus there is nothing stated from Heaven. Look up the feast of booths, Passover or even the Lord’s Supper. You find instructions about when, where and what to do. There is nothing about the birth of Jesus. Interesting, isn’t it. God never leaves worship to our imagination. It is always instructed.

 

Having said all that, we ought to be able to talk about any and every aspect of Jesus, no matter what day of the week it is or what month it is. Since so many are thinking about the birth, we will share a few thoughts in our Jump Starts.

Our verse today shows Mary’s reaction to the announcement from the angel about the coming birth of Jesus. Two thoughts stand out about these things.

First, she was chosen by God without any input from her perspective. There is nothing to indicate that she prayed for a child. There is no indication that she dreamed that she would be the instrument to bring the Messiah into the world. Those thoughts were beyond her. God didn’t ask her. He simply chose her. This was not an answer to her prayers. This happens over and over in the Bible. Jesus chose the apostles. They didn’t strive for that position or petition for it. They were chosen. That is an interesting thought. God doesn’t need our permission, approval or even our input into what He is doing.

Second, Mary didn’t seem to understand everything that was happening. Our passage says that she was very perplexed. The prophets didn’t fully grasp all the things that they were writing about either. God didn’t call for a time-out and send Mary to school for six months and then return to His divine plans. He carried on, with her being perplexed. Knowledge and understanding takes time. We can carry on what we do and in the process learn and understand more and more as we go along. Marriage is like that. A young couple gets married and they do not fully grasp all that is involved with marriage. They simply love each other. As time passes and they have been married for a while, they learn more and more about each other, relationships and how to build a successful marriage. Discipleship is like that as well. We can follow Jesus and learn from Him. As time passes, the depth, involvement and commitment increases as we learn so much more.

 

Being perplexed is not a reason to put on the brakes. Answers can be found. Continue on with what you know, always learning, asking, and seeking. Being perplexed leads a person to want to know more. It’s a great experience and a great adventure and once all the pieces come together in your mind, the cloud of darkness is lifted and great insight is understood.

Have you ever been perplexed with what God said? What did you do about it? Give up? Stayed that way? Found answers and came to a greater understanding of the will of God?

Roger