15

Jump Start # 836

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 836

Proverbs 31:10 “An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.”

The other day I was looking for something in my files and came across something for dads. It’s entitled, “Top ways to intimidate your daughter’s date.” Here are a few of them:

1. Sprinkle some dust on your daughter before she leaves. Explain to him, “It makes fingerprinting easier.”

2. Answer the door wearing a police swat team uniform

3. Invite the local funeral director over to measure the young man.

4. Casually show him your collection of five shrunken heads. Then tell your daughter, “Number six is here!”

5. As they leave, speak into a walkie-talkie: “Male subject is wearing khakis and a blue polo shirt, driving a black Ford pickup.”

 

Most dads reading this probably like that list. We love our daughters and want to protect them. We want them to be treated honorably and righteously. When my daughter was away in college, I received a phone call from a young man that was dating her. He knew that I was a preacher and he had a Bible question he wanted to ask me. I told him certainly, but when you’re done I have a few questions for you. He hung up. My daughter wasn’t real happy, but I had fun with that.

Our passage begins a most noble section of Scripture that we call the virtuous woman. This week, I want to spend some time in our Jump Starts looking at this passage.

The context begins by explaining that these words were spoken to King Lemuel by his mother. There are several indications that she spoke these words knowing that he was going to be a king or even after he became a king. What we have is mom teaching her son, possibly even, grown son, about life and marriage.

 

Many congregations will have teenage classes about dating and most preachers will present lessons on those ideas. But what we have here is a mom involved in teaching her son. This is where it begins. This is most important. Don’t wait until they are in high school to have these discussions. Talk to them when they are young. Keep talking to them.

It is interesting to note what is missing in this description of the worthy woman. We are not told how old she is, the color of her eyes, her size, or any external features. The outside is important. If there is no attraction there probably won’t be a first date. The thrust of this chapter is upon the inside. What is she like on the inside? What is her heart like? What does she do? How does she treat others?

Far too many date by looks only and marry by looks only. The showroom may look good, but too often there is nothing in the warehouse. Someone (male or female) that looks great, but is selfish, shallow, materialistic, and spoiled will make life long and hard. It will wear upon you. It will grow old very, very fast. Crabby, nagging and mean take away all the beauty someone may have on the outside. It is important to find someone who is beautiful on the inside. Such a person is thoughtful, kind, complimentary, friendly, positive, spiritual and has a head on their shoulders. They think. They reason. They have insight.

I have always said, ‘who you date, is who you marry.’ If you date a frog, you’ll end up with a frog. Frogs do not become princes. They remain frogs. Creepy, dirty, smelly, and croaky. That’s a frog. If you want a prince, date a prince. But understand, that prince isn’t looking for a frog.

As important as finding the right person, being the right person yourself, is just as valuable.  If you are looking for someone to be kind, you be kind. If you are looking for someone who is thoughtful of others, you be that way yourself.

The most important thing to consider is, can this person help me get to Heaven? Will he or she be an encouragement to me when I am discouraged? Will they keep me on course when I want to wiggle off? Will they be quick to turn to the Bible for help? Will prayers be a regular and normal part of our home? Will worship be something that we do together and often? Will we talk about spiritual things? Will he or she be forgiving when I mess up? Will he or she be eager to have others from the church in our home? Will he or she be active with the church? Will he or she stay with what God says, even during the valleys of our lives? Will he or she be trustworthy with their word, money and promises? Will this person make a great mom or dad? Will God be glorified through our relationship together?

 

What you see in dating is what you get in marriage. Don’t marry potential, promises or hopes. If he is not interested in your God now, while you are dating, don’t think he will be later after you are married. If he promises to come to church with you after you are married, why won’t he come while you are dating? What you see is what you get. If he talks ugly about his parents, he will probably talk ugly about you after you are married. If he is careless with rules while dating, he will probably be careless with rules after you are married. If he is sloppy now, he’ll be sloppy later. If he says bad words now, he’ll say bad words later. If he puts you down around his friends now, he will do that later. If he puts his friends before you now, he’ll do that later. Do you see this? He may make all kinds of promises, but if he can’t deliver while you are dating, what makes you think he will after you are married? Take off the rose colored glasses. You may be dreaming of a prince when you are actually with a frog. Don’t settle for that. You deserve better. You deserve someone who will help you get to Heaven.

 

Marriage is not about finding someone who makes me happy. It is not about someone who makes me laugh. It is more than making someone else happy. Some days are not happy days. The purpose is to glorify God. He is more interested in our holiness than our happiness. A person may be happy without being holy. Being holy, will make you happy, because you are doing right.

Could it be our verse, “An excellent wife, who can find?” is asked because no one is looking? Maybe no one is looking for an excellent wife. They want a pretty wife. A rich wife. A wife that lets him run like he is still single. An excellent wife…an excellent husband.

They are out there. I know hundreds of them. They all have something in common, Jesus. They love Him. Worship Him. Follow Him. And want to spend forever with Him. That is what makes them “excellent.”

 

Roger

 

 

12

Jump Start # 835

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Sart # 835

Galatians 4:11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.

The words of Paul, in our verse today, are felt and wondered by many people in their own lives. Paul had worked and worked to teach the pure Gospel to the Galatians. Jewish false teachers had followed Paul and distorted and reshaped things. Many were confused. They should have known better. They knew the truth. Paul’s work wasn’t working with them. He wondered if what he had done was a waste of time. Perhaps, he thought, he labored over them in vain.

Parents can feel this way. We work and teach and guide our children and then when they are out on their own, many of them do the very opposite of what they were taught. Was all that a waste of time?

Preachers feel this way often. They work hard to teach the truth of God’s word and very little changes. Same attitudes. Same habits. Little results. Maybe it was a waste of time.

I understand this feeling. Let me share some thoughts.

  • We often measure success or accomplishments by visible results. Growth, emotionally, spiritually and mentally takes time, sometimes a long time. The preacher preaches his heart out. Great sermon on Christ. No one responds. Another sermon, same results. The preacher tries different methods in his delivery. Shorter sermon. Less humor. More humor. Textual. Topical. Current events. Even borrowed sermons. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. He’s told that he is doing a great job but he begins to wonder if people are just saying that to be nice. He gets discouraged. The idea of moving crosses his mind. He even thinks about quitting. He feels that he’s not very good and the reason is that he doesn’t see visible results. He wonders if anyone is listening to what he is saying.
  • We often anticipate immediate results. The teacher or preacher has thought about his topic for some time. He has studied, analyzed, read, researched, jotted down notes and worked and worked until his mind and heart are wrapped around the subject intently. He knows. The audience has not put in those hours. They are chewing on the subject. They are thinking about it. Impatience can make a person feel like he has wasted his time.

 

  • Losing what you have can make you feel this way. This is where Paul was at with the Galatians. They were going backward, away from Christ, not moving forward towards Christ. Others had taken away the good that Paul had established. He felt that what was done was in vain. With the Galatians, as it is today, outside influences can distort and destroy the good that was done. Our kids hanging around the wrong people can move them backwards intead of forwards. A radical blog that spews half truths is all it takes for some to throw in the towel on what they once believed. Discontented friends, false information, wrong impressions is enough for some to have second thoughts. It is enough for some to quit. When that happens, it seems that everything was a waste of time.

 

What is the answer then to these things? We must realize that if we have taught honestly, and truthfully, that deep inside a person knows. They may go off to the wilderness, like the prodigal son did, but hopefully and prayerfully, they know and will return. Many do. Many don’t. What is right is teaching and instructing God’s word. That never changes. It is never a waste of time to teach to an honest and good heart. Some changes take place on the inside and they are hard to see. Some changes come about slowly. Attitudes and habits are hard to change. The word of God is powerful. Keep teaching. Keep teaching. Keep teaching.

I’m at a point in my life where I wonder about these things. I’ve preached hundreds of sermons. I’ve written tons of articles. I taught Bible classes for decades. Did any of that do any good? I wonder. I think about those many unknown preachers 150 years ago. Few have ever heard of them. Little if anything that they did survives today. Their work gone. Did they do any good? Was it in vain?

 

The answer is NO it was not in vain. Like it is said of David, in Acts 13, he served the purpose of God in his generation. That’s what we must be like. Our generation needs us. Our generation needs to be taught, shown and strengthened.

Don’t give up parents. Don’t give up preachers and teachers. Keep plugging away. God knows the good that you are trying to do.

 

Roger

 

11

Jump Start # 834

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 834

Ephesians 3:3-5 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

 

Have you been watching The History Channel’s “The Bible?” Interesting. There are a few liberties and inaccuracies with the Biblical account but it does visual the stories we read in the Bible.

This brings us to a few thoughts about our Bible.

First, God chose words, not pictures to reveal His message. He chose words, not feelings to transmit His will. Many times in the book of Revelation, John is told to “write what you see.

Words have meanings. They can be memorized, copied and studied. Written words last. I have several books in my library that are over 100 years old. The authors, publishers and printers are long dead but their work remains. Written words are accurate. We go back to what was written and we know exactly. Words can be defined. They have meaning. Feelings are hard to understand. Feelings can be misleading. God chose words.

God could have sent us all DVD’s. But He didn’t. God chose words. Those words of God were preached. They were read. They were repeated. Plays, dramas, and videos have a place in our world. They are effective ways of communicating today. However, they cannot replace the word. God told the apostles to go into all the world and PREACH. He didn’t say go and “act it out.” The spokesmen of God’s word were called preachers, not actors.

Second, God’s word is not written like a novel. I think some wish that it was. The History Channel series has shown a lot of the emotion and suspense behind some of the Bible events. I don’t doubt that some of that was true. The fear, the turmoil, and the struggles become vivid on TV. God doesn’t milk those things in His story. So many Bible events are told matter of fact with little thought into what the person thought or felt as it was taking place. The emotions make great TV but we can’t build our faith around those things. God appeals to our heads and not our feelings. He could have made us tremble in fear or cry our eyes out if He wanted to. God is an amazing author. He’s the best. He could have grab our hearts and made us captivated to the drama of His story. Instead, He appealed to our heads. God is after our wills. Because the Bible is not like a novel, some do not like it. They find the story boring.

Third, God understood that words have meanings. Paul’s thoughts from our verse today expresses that. When you read, he said, you will know my insight. You will know what was revealed  to me. You will know  what I know. How? Simply by reading? Yes. Don’t I need the Holy Spirit  to guide me, enlighten me and show me? No. Paul had the Spirit. You don’t need the Holy Spirit to understand the message. When you read, you will know what Paul knew. Intellect. Mind. Faith. Evidence. Proof. This is what God is after. This is the direction that the Bible is written. No pictures, only words. Not much emotion, mostly appealing to the mind. Not a textbook and not a novel. Those words of God are living. They affect us. They change us. They teach us. They warn us. They give us hope. They answer questions. They are the bridge to knowing God and all that is about Him. There is something about the Bible that we all understand. We may not read the paper everyday, but we do the Bible. We turn to it when our hearts are broken. We read it to find answers. We read it to know God. Some stay up at night and read the Bible. Others begin their day by reading the Bible. No other book has that affect nor impact upon man. No other book transcends time, national boundaries and touches home after home as the Bible does. No other book is read, studied, translated and treasured as the Bible.

Sometimes TV shows about Bible events can distort things in our minds. We can visualize Moses as Charlton Heston, the actor from the movie, Ten Commandments. We can visualize Jesus as the actor in “The Passion of the Christ.” Our faith can gravitate towards those images more than they should. Could this be a reason why there are no pictures of Jesus sent from Heaven? Could this be why God did not want any graven images? The image has a potential of becoming what we worship instead of God.

Sadly, I was told that someone was going to write a novel based upon the TV series about the Bible. Why write the story when we have the Bible? Could it be that more will read the novel than the real thing? Could it be that the novel will become the standard for some instead of the Bible.

What I enjoy the most from shows about the Bible are the scenery. It shows what the land looked like, where the people walked and what the conditions may have been. Very interesting.

The series will give you many things to talk about with your friends. It an open doors. For that, it is good. However, our faith, our hope and our life revolves around the written word of God—THE Bible. Come to know the Bible. Come to love the Bible. Use it. Live by it. Keep it. Carry it. God’s words are true. God’s words are right. God’s words can take us to Him and finally, they can take us Home.

Roger

 

10

Jump Start # 833

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 833

Genesis 6:6 “The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”

Our verse today reveals what led up to the flood in which God destroyed all life except for what was in the ark.  The previous verse states that “the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Constantly thinking evil. Engaging in great evil. Only evil. Continually evil. God had enough. He was through with those people. He was starting over.

This verse tells us several things:

First, our actions and our thoughts affect God. Our rebellion breaks the heart of God. There is no such thing as, “what I am doing only affects me.” There is no such thing as, “What I am doing doesn’t hurt anyone else.” Yes it does. It affects God. The evil of those people made God regret that He made man. God grieved. We understand grief from death and funerals. There is another form of grief. It comes from great disappointment when others are not doing what they should. Parents can grieve the ungodly behavior of their children. The righteous can grieve the ungodly behavior of church members. Paul told the Corinthians that they should have mourned the conduct of the brother who was living immorally. We are connected to others and what we do has an impact upon others.

Second, some people are very bad. The expressions in Genesis illustrate the depth of brokenness of Noah’s world. Every intent was evil continually. Every. Always. Continually. This wasn’t a  moment of weakness. This was an every day thing. This was the direction that they had chosen.

 

Third, there is a direct connection between thinking evil continually and doing great evil. Our minds fuel our behavior. Evil thoughts become evil action. If you want to stop the evil, the thinking must change. Imagine the opposite. Instead of thinking evil continually, thinking righteously continually. Thinking of God. Meditating upon His word. Thinking of how to live to please God. Thinking of what good you can do today. Thinking, thinking, thinking. All that thinking translates into actions. Dreaming of evil. Talking about evil. Reading about evil. Hanging around evil. Watching evil. All this translates into doing great evil. It’s no surprise. I’m shocked at some parents who are amazed that their child is arrested or kicked out of school for doing something wrong. The child’s world has been evil. Nothing good. Nothing godly. Bent and twisted thinking has led to that action. Where are the prayers around the table? Where are the Bible studies? Where are the worship services? Where are the serving others? A world of selfish and evil thinking leads to selfish and evil actions.

 

Fourth, the presence of Noah reminds us that he chose a different path than everyone else. God spared Noah. Hebrews tells us that he operated “by faith.” It’s hard to imagine how difficult it would have been for Noah. No church to encourage. No godly friends to share good times with. Everyone he encountered every day, aside from his family, was evil. Evil continually. It’s hard to be honest when others are not. It’s hard to go by the rules when others are not. It’s hard to be kind when others are not. It’s hard to remain focused upon God when others have turned their backs to God. Noah did. Noah did not grieve God.

 

A person can be evil or righteous. Their choice. Parents have a lot to do with this but not 100%. I’ve seen behavior swing both directions regardless of what parents did. Much is what we are filling our minds and hearts with. Much has to do with who we hang around with. Much has to do with how serious we are with God.

 

Breaking God’s heart or pleasing God…making God angry or putting a smile on God’s face. Which will it be?

Roger

 

 

 

09

Jump Start # 832

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 832

2 Corinthians 7:10 “For sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

In our Jump Start yesterday, we took a look at one of the kings of Judah. He was a wicked man who died a horrible and painful death caused by a disease that God sent. When he died, no one regretted it. The people were glad he was gone.

That thought of “regret” leads us to our passage today. Paul defines repentance and contrasts it with sorrow of the world. Let’s take a look at this:

  • Repentance means changing. There are many reasons why people change. The first step of Biblcal repentance is “sorrow that is according to the will of God.” Sorrow is the key. A person who is happy with their life, the way it is going, the direction it is taking them, what it  is doing to them, will not change. They won’t see a need to change. It is when a person isn’t happy and things are falling apart that they seek a change. The prodigal didn’t come home when he had money in his pocket. It is when he ran out of money, a famine came upon the land and he was facing dinning with pigs that made him change. This is true in most areas of life. When a person is tired of the mess that their house is in, they will clean it up. When a person is tired of the way they look, they will go to the gym. When they are tired of being broke, they will make a budget and stick with it.

 

There is a difference between Godly sorrow and sorrow of the world. A person can be sorry that they got caught in a crime. They can be sorry that they have ruined their marriage by having an affair. Those sorrows can make a person stop. Some one sitting in jail cannot do drugs. They have stopped. They haven’t really changed, they simply are unable to get the drugs. Someone else may have the option of being tossed out of the house by his parents or mate if they don’t stop wrong behavior. They may stop. That is a change. The force behind is not the desire to do good, it is the fear of having to find a place to sleep that night.

 

The sorrow of the world produces death. Judas was sorry that he had betrayed Jesus. He returned the silver that was paid to him. His sorrow didn’t lead to life, it lead to his death.

  • Godly sorrow is based upon God. A person stops wrong because God says it is wrong. This is a person who wants to be right with God. His ambition and motive is to please the Lord. God’s word has shown that his choices and lifestyle are sinful. Unless something changes, he will not go to Heaven. He repents. He changes. He embraces the Gospel message and learns from God.

 

  • In his changing, he leaves behind his sinful choices. It is a repentance without regret. There is no looking back. There is no thinking about the “good old days” when I used to… He is ashamed of those days. Those were wrong and sinful things. He longs to be right with God and to clothe himself in righteousness. No regrets in being a Christian. No regrets in following the Holy One of Israel. No regrets in leaving habits, friends, attitudes and choices that were wrong. The one with godly sorrow would do things differently if he could go back are relive his life. He would have chosen God sooner. He would not have done the things he did. He regrets the wrong. He regrets hurting God. He doesn’t regret changing.

Living without regret. Living with peace, hope and joy. Living with God. Is that you? Do you have a foot still stuck in the world? Do you wish you could still do wrong? It’s time to side with God. It’s time to see that wrong doesn’t work. It’s time to leave without regret and run to the side of God. It is amazing being a Christian. It is amazing being able to worship the God of Heaven. It is amazing to not only hear God’s holy message, but to be able to own it for ourselves. It’s amazing to be included with the people of God. Dancing with the world or clinging to the side of God? Which is it for you?

 

No regrets…

Roger