08

Jump Start # 831

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 831

2 Chronicles 21:20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Our passage today sums up the work of Jehoram, one of the kings of Judah. He inherited his reign from his father. He quickly executed all his brothers so there would be no rival or threat to the throne. He did evil and was not walking with the Lord. The Philistines raided his palace, kidnapped his family and looted the treasures of his palace. The Lord further struck Jehoram with an incurable bowel disease. He had it for two years. He died in great pain with his bowels coming out. Why we are left with these details are not known, other than to show the Lord’s disgust with this person.

Our verse tells us of the reaction of the people when he died. There doesn’t seem to have been any national mourning. He was not buried among the kings. In fact, from our verse, today, when he died, no one regretted it. No one was sad to see him go. What a sad legacy and shocking statement to how people feel about someone and the work one has done.

No one regretted. They were glad he was gone. It reminds me of a song from the Wizard of Oz, “Ding dong the witch is dead, which ole’ witch, the wicked witch.” I expect this king was not the only one to die with no one’s regret.  There are reasons for that.

 

  • A selfish life will do that. Pushing your way upon people, using people, abusing people may get you to the top of the heap, but it’s a sure way to ruining relationships and making people hate you. When such a person leaves a company, no one regrets it. Rude may make T.V. shows, but it doesn’t win friendships.
  • A mean life will do that. Some people are mean. They look mean. They talk mean. They intimidate and are bullies. There has always been bullies at school. Some continue on with that all of their lives. They become bullies at work. They become bullies at church. They scare people, threaten people and force their ways. They dominate meetings and no one dare challenges them because they will be attacked and destroyed. Nasty to the core are some of these bullies.

 

  • A godless life will do that. Ever been to a ballgame where you witnessed a drunken display of ignorance? Loud, obnoxious, rude, offensive and thinking nothing of the people around him, such godless people ruin a good outing. Some want to flaunt their sinfulness in front of others. When they leave it is without regret. It is a relief when they are gone.

This king’s legacy has become a text book in how not to treat people.  He failed in life and when he was gone, everyone was glad. Some are glad when certain people simply leave a room. What a contrast to someone like Titus, who refreshed the spirit of a tired apostle Paul.

All of this makes us wonder how people view us. Are they glad when we come into a room or do they dread seeing us? Is there no regret when we leave or is there sadness when we are gone? How you treat others determines all of this. Judgmental spirits that only point out faults in others will lead to no one regretting your departure. Kindness is a characteristic found throughout the N.T. It is not being soft or weak. It is not ‘unmanly” to be kind. Jesus was kind. God is kind. Being a jerk is not cool, it is being a fool.

 

The king died without anyone’s regret. How sad. What a wasted opportunity and life. Make sure you are not repeating this story in your own life. Make a difference in the lives of others. Be that fresh breath of air that people need. Restore. Build up. Encourage. Strengthen. You will find many opportunities to do that, even today.

Roger

 

05

Jump Start # 830

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 830

Philippines 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s wonderful passage has been the text of many sermons. It deals with attitude and direction. The past is left and what lies ahead is sought. Great thoughts. Hard to do.

Last night, I spent some time cleaning up my I-pad. I had several apps that I never used and was running out of space. It was time to toss out what I didn’t need. I moved things around and got it streamlined the way I wanted it. Now that it’s Spring, we do the same with our closets. We toss out the clothes we rarely wear any more, move things around and when we are done, it looks amazing.

It’s a shame that we struggle to do the same with our hearts. We tend to horde things in our hearts that often makes us feel miserable. We keep guilt. We can’t get rid of emotional pain. We hold on to the unkind things people have said. We remember how people let us down. We fail to forgive ourselves. All of this clutter and junk just makes our hearts heavy. It’s too much for anyone to carry about, but we do. Some friends were moving their mother out of her house into a new place. They were going to have a yard sale. Downsizing. As the grown kids were putting items out for the sale, grandma followed them and put the things back into the house. She wasn’t ready to part with the things, even though she hadn’t used them in years. We smile at such things but find ourselves doing the same things when it comes to our hearts.  We travel through life with a lot of baggage that is unnecessary simply because we can’t part with the past.

Clinging to the past hinders our progress. It slows us down. It keeps us from advancing. These truths we realize, but we still struggle with this.

Paul had a past. Part of it was excelling as a Jew. He would have been an amazing rabbi. His past also included trying to stamp out Jesus’ church. He was good at that. He was feared by the Christians. But all of that changed. A vision on the road to Damascus. A Bible study with a preacher. A change of heart. A new understanding. A baptism for remission of sins. A new life. A new future. A new purpose. Paul had a lot of luggage from the past. Our verse reminds us that he left those things. No regrets. No looking back. No holding on. No second guessing. No what if’s. No painful nightmares.

How does a person do it? Our past is part of us. Our past has shaped us and defined us.

  • Forgiveness is the first step. Understanding that God blots out our sins, our story has changed. I saw a service van recently when I was driving. It was bright green and only had one sentence on the back. No company name. No logo. No phone number. The sentence said, “Like it never even happened.” That was the motto of a company that restores your house after water damage. They would return everything to the way it was. When they were done, it would be “Like it never even happened.” I like that. That’s forgiveness. Gone. Like it never happened. Why do we want to hang on to things that God has released? Let it go. Learn from your sins and mistakes but don’t keep them around in the china cabinet of your heart. Toss them.

 

  • Forgiving others is the next step. There have been many hurts, disappointments and frustrations with other people. Some have said unkind things about you. Some have gossiped. Some have hurt your feelings on purpose. Why keep those things in your heart? It’s like keeping old banana peels? UGH. Toss them. Remove them. Like banana peels, those things start smelling after a while. The more we think about those hurts, the more upset we become. What if they won’t apologize? What if they are not the least bit sorry? What if they are glad we are hurt? Still toss it. It’s not doing you any good. Those thoughts lead to bitterness, hatred and evil. Let God deal with them. The longer you keep the hurts around, the longer it will take for you to be what you should.

 

  • Move forward. That’s what Paul did. He forgot the past, but he also pressed on. God had plans for him. Heaven was in his future. Get busy in the kingdom. Think forward not backward. Help others. Connect with God and brethren.

When I see that Paul was able to do these things, it tells me that we can do the same. Maybe it’s time to do some Spring cleaning in your heart? Sometimes trying to figure out what to keep and what to toss is hard. Pray about it. Get rid of the junk. Lighten your load. You’ll be better as a result.

Roger

 

 

 

04

Jump Start # 829

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 829

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Yesterday I went to grab a quick bite of lunch at a place near our church building. As I was waiting in line, I noticed a young mother with a young boy and a girl about four years old. The little girl kept starring at me. The rest of the day I kept thinking about that little girl and more so her parents. I know a lot of young parents. Their children are the cutest things ever. There is a lot of fear parents have about our world today. It’s not safe. I don’t know if there are more evil people today or we just hear about them more. The country is wanting to redefine marriage, there is a more obvious assault upon faith and there is a shift toward being secular that is taking place. There is much to fear.

As I thought about that four year old girl, I wondered if my parents had similar fears when I was four years old. No, it wasn’t the log cabin days of Daniel Boone, but it was in the early 1960’s. Rock ‘n roll, hippies, drugs and the sexual freedom and revolution was spreading fast. Back then, college campuses were the scene of many riots from students protesting a war in Vietnam. Rock concerts became the place for public nudity. It was a scary world back then. Some survived. Some crashed.

Here are some thoughts:

1. It seems that parents have always been fearful of the world that their child is growing up in.  Each generation seems worse. That may not be true, but that’s a perspective that most have. There have always been bullies at school. Those who want to break the rules have always been around. Those who want to live in excess and without God have always been around. We want our children to be safe and innocent. Today, many parents elect to home school. That wasn’t an option when I was a kid. We know sooner or later our children will see things that we wish they never had to. They will experience the brokenness of lives bent on sin. I remember the first time I heard the word “pregnant.” I was in grade school and some kid was telling us about an older girl who had gotten “pregnant.” I didn’t know what that word meant. I was so naïve. Preachers didn’t use that word in the pulpit back then. I thought she had something wrong with her leg and it caused her to limp. Our kids will hear words, many of them will not be nice or acceptable. They will witnesses negative attitudes. They will hear of crime and violence. Being a scared parent is not new. It is good that you are scared.

2. It helps to remember that many of us made it through. Not everyone of my generation experimented with drugs. Many that did, quit. Not everyone danced in the streets naked. Not everyone embraced evolution. Not everyone burned the flag in protest. Many of us that made it, owe our success to our parents. They taught us. They showed us. They instilled within us what was right, meaningful, and lasting. They proved that you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. We made it. We became connected to Jesus Christ. We went to church. We developed our own faith and today we are busy in God’s kingdom. I don’t know how many prayers my parents said over me. I don’t know how they felt when I went off to high school and then college. They weren’t idle. They didn’t just let things happen. They were active in shaping, building and molding character. They checked who our friends were. They expected us to be home at a certain time. They made us help out around the house. All of that was building character.

Parents today need to remember that. The hope of your child is you. Pray for them. Teach them. Show them. Involve them. They can make it through without being wild, wicked and godless. They can have a modest wedding dress. They can have fun without alcohol. They can become useful to the church. It’s not easy. It’s not for the lazy. It’s not without some hair pulling days. It’s not without the help of God.

3. God knows how to raise a child. The instruction and the way of the Lord that our verse addresses comes from the dad. He is there. He is active. He is teaching. This isn’t taking place in a Bible class at the church building but around the kitchen table at home. It takes place in the restaurant, the movie theatre, the ball park. Always teaching…always leading…always shaping…always praying. Never giving up and never giving in. Many parents my age are now experiencing their grown children marrying and having babies. Many parents my age have seen their children accept the Lord, just as we did. We are seeing our grown children busy in God’s kingdom, just as we were many years go.

God’s way works. It always does. Hang in there young parents. Don’t lose heart. The world is dark, indeed. But don’t forget that God is great. John wrote, “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.” The “He” in you is God. The “he” in the world is anyone else, but especially Satan. God is greater. Keep teaching.  Turn the news off. It just makes you depressed. Share the wonderful story of Jesus.

You are not just raising your kids…you are building the next set of workers in God’s kingdom!

Roger

 

03

Jump Start # 828

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 828

Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”

The section of Romans, where our verse is found today, is a setting of several short admonitions that the apostle wanted the brethren to do. Today, we’d call these “bullet points.” He doesn’t explain “why” they should do them, nor, the historical background behind them, not even the consequences if they fail to do them. He just lists them and expects them to do them. Some of the bullet points are internal and attitude things. Others reflect how one should treat others.

Our verse today comes from that list. Rejoicing and weeping reflect the two extremes of human emotions. Happy and sad. Of the two, we like rejoicing more than weeping. I’ve heard it sad that “crying does the body good.” Maybe. When I see someone crying, I want to know why they are crying and then I want to fix things so they can stop crying. A positive thought, a look at the big picture, a reminder of good  times, counting blessings—those are usually the things I turn to stop the tears. Our passage doesn’t say that, does it? It allows the weeping to continue. It invites others to weep with the one weeping. Some things can’t be fixed. Some things are not turned around because of a happy thought. It’s ok to weep.

There are some things to notice about this simple verse:

First, the emotions of others may not be my emotions. I may not have anything particular that leads me to rejoicing at the moment or weeping at the moment. Others may be experiencing things that I am not. The apostle wants us to connect with them. Join them and be a part of what they are going through. That’s not so easy, nor is it done very often. It’s easier to be jealous. Instead of joining in the rejoicing, some stay out and pout. The prodigal’s older brother did just that. He heard music and dancing in the house. He didn’t go in. He was angry and didn’t experience what those in the house were experiencing. Some can’t stand that others get good news and they didn’t. They want it all themselves. When they weep, they become bitter that others can go on rejoicing when they are crying.

Sometimes we just think too much of ourselves. This section of Romans addresses that and these verses are ways to move away from that. It’s ok that others find reasons to rejoice. I need to be glad for them and rejoice with them. Rejoicing brings smiles, happiness and occasions to thank God. Good things have happened. Weeping causes us to cling to the side of God. Broken hearts and crushed dreams and disappointments, whether a person is eight years old or eighty years old, are hard. We like to forget the weeping and remember the good times. The weeping moments tend to do more good for us than the rejoicing times.

 

Second, Jesus demonstrated this passage for us. When the seventy returned from the limited commission, they were very excited. They were amazed that even the demons were subject to them. They were pumped and thrilled. Jesus was happy for them. Then we go to the tomb of his friend Lazarus. We find Mary and Martha crying. Others were crying. He died four days earlier, yet the tears had not stopped. Jesus saw the broken hearts. He saw the weeping. Jesus wept. Those two words are the shortest verse in the English Bible. They express what the Romans were told to do, “weep with those who weep.”

 

Third, rejoicing and weeping with others shows that we feel for them. Insensitive hearts are not far from being cold hearts. The “with those” in our passage identifies the key connection here. Some are so aloof from others that they don’t know when they are rejoicing or weeping. Not only was there an awareness, but there was a sharing of the same emotion. Why weep with those weeping? Because one cares. No other reason is needed. The most insensitive thing to do is to rejoice and laugh in front of those who are weeping. That really hurts. Sometimes at the funeral home, a funny story about the deceased is relived, and a moment of smiles and joy returns. That’s good. But to ignore weeping because I don’t like to be sad, shows a disconnect with others.

There is a bond among brethren. The church is more than just a gathering of people interested in Jesus. I remember sitting in huge lecture halls in college. We all gathered for the common purpose of having to take that same class. We were fellow students. But there was no bond, fellowship, or connection. We gathered before class started and scattered when class was over. There was no mutual connection. We didn’t even know each other. That’s not the way a church family operates. There is a connection. There is a mutual togetherness. There is a sameness of emotion, intent and good.

Can you weep with others when they are weeping? It’s a good thing to do that. Can you rejoice with others when it is their turn to rejoice?  The kindness of others who love you can help you through the day and through this life. We need each other and this passage identifies one reason why.

Roger

 

02

Jump Start # 827

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 827

Jeremiah 18:8 “If that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.”

Our passage introduces two interesting concepts for us. God told Jeremiah to visit a pottery shop. There he saw the potter working on a new piece. Hands dirty from clay, potter’s wheel spinning, he watched him shape a lump of clay into something useful. As he watched, something wasn’t right. The potter made a mistake. He wasn’t pleased with how his work was turning out. So he smashed it into a lump again and started over. That happens. The clay is easy to reshape.

 

As Jeremiah is watching the potter, God speaks to him. This is where our verse is found. The illustration of the clay being changed and reshaped was not about pottery 101, but about God’s dealing with His people. God would punish nations that no longer walked with him, especially His people. God’s plans might be to bring a nation down. Before those plans came about, that nation might turn. They may repent. They may stop doing evil. What happens then? Are they destined to be destroyed because God planned that? No! If a nation changed, God would change. Jonah’s preaching to Nineveh is an example of this. The message from Jonah is that God would destroy them unless they repented. They turned and repented. God held his judgment against them.

Neat history lesson. There is more here for us.

1. God’s plans can be changed. They are not set in concrete. They are actually based upon the heart of the people that they are directed towards. This is one reason why we pray. Pray can change things. Pray can even change the heart of God. Don’t think I can do as I please, and once in a while throw in a quick prayer, just to cover my bases and keep God off my back, and to keep things going my way. That’s not what is happening in Jeremiah. That is not how God responds. He knows. He knows our heats. He knows how serious we are. He knows if we are playing a game, just mouthing words, or are seriously dedicating ourselves to His ways.

 

Prayer works. Prayer is powerful. This is why we pray for the sick. We pray that God will change and improve the health of one we love. We pray in difficult times because we know that God can help us be safe. Prayer works. Prayer can changes things, because God can change.

2. God’s view of a nation can change. God’s view of a person can change. In the N.T. we call this forgiveness. A wicked person, an evil person, a bad person is that way not from birth, but from poor choices that they make in life. Such a person can see the bad that they have done and feel remorse for those things. He can beg to the God of Heaven to forgive him. He can come to know Christ, turn his life around, be baptized and begin a new and better life. Is it too late? Is he stuck on a dead end street? No. God can change how He views such a person. The prodigal was considered “dead” by his father. When he returned home, the son was “alive.”

How does God view you? Have you messed up? Have you ruined things? It may be too late to change what you did, but it’s not too late for God to change how he sees you. This is why the Gospel message is preached. There is hope. There is forgiveness. God can change how He views you. You are not destined, stuck, or unable to get off the train wreck. The potter didn’t like what he was making, so he started over. Same lump of clay. He reshaped it. He worked at it. He made something that was useful and good.

 

That’s what the Gospels do to us. They reshape us and mold us into something useful and good. Without God, we tend to be selfish and arrogant. We think we have it all figured out. We do pretty good, we think, without God. It doesn’t take long to see that kind of thinking doesn’t work. It’s time to smash all of that and start over. It’s time to be reshaped into something useful and good.

Isaiah uses the image of the potter and clay. There God is the potter. We are the clay. God is shaping us. If  you have ever had some play-dough around the house, you know if the lid isn’t put on tight, it hardens and cannot be shaped any longer. It’s hard to work with calloused, hard and stubborn wills. Know-it-alls tend to make life difficult for others. Our attitudes determine how pliable we are to God and His word. Wrong attitudes can lead to hearts that are hard and difficult to reshape. A person who is willing to come after Jesus and “learn from Me,” has the soft heart that can be shaped and molded into the image that God wants.

Are you allowing the word of God to shape you? Are you looking more and more like Jesus? Or, is it time for the potter to smash you and start over?

 

Pray can change God. God’s word can change us. We want God to change for us. Are we willing to change for God? Something to chew on today…

Roger