09

Jump Start # 913

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

 

Jump Start # 913

Psalms 63:3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

David loved the Lord. David attained a relationship with the Lord that many never do.  It was close, personal, practical, and real. He talked to God as if the Lord was sitting directly across from him. He had not just an intellectual understanding about God, he had an emotional love for the Lord. God was everything to him. That deep relationship carried David when he was chased and harassed by king Saul. David knew that God was leading him and helping him. The analogy of the shepherd and the sheep, from Psalms 23, the Lord is my Shepherd, grew out of this trusting relationship that David had with God.

Why is it that so few feel that way today? When we read Psalms it is hard for us to admit to the same relationship and the same feelings as David had. Something is missing. What makes this even more puzzling is that David’s Bible would have covered Genesis to Judges. That’s it. No Ecclesiastes. No Prophets. No Gospels. No Acts. No New Testament. His Bible didn’t include Jesus, the cross, the prodigal son, the good Samaritan, or the stirring scenes from Revelation. David could have a relationship with the Lord apart from all the facts, prophesies, promises and hope that you and I have. It seems that if anyone ought to have this amazing relationship with the Lord, it ought to be us. But so few do.

 

Could it be that we have a factual knowledge about God but do not have a relationship with God. You and I know stuff about God. We can go toe to toe with an evolutionist. We can list miracles, parables, explain demons, second coming, resurrections and understand doctrines, and this and that, but we don’t have a relationship with God. In the darkness of night, we wonder if we are forgiven by God. In the loneliness of a hospital waiting room, we struggle with what words to pray. Facts about the Bible and God are important. Without that foundation, we do not have a beginning nor a basis of understanding God. Without a study of what the Bible says, we do not know God’s will and are incapable of pleasing God. Yet our relationship with God must be more than a classroom, academic setting. Trust, love and feelings grow and exist outside of that technical type of relationship.

 

It could also be that many of us live our faith through the church. Instead of a direct line to God, our connection to God is through the church. For too many, their source of Biblical information is through the church. The church becomes their personal beacon of faith and hope. So, when things are great at church, their faith is great. However, when things are sour at church, so is their faith. They live through the church. Their relationship with God is through the church. David didn’t do that. His connection to God was not through the tabernacle. It was direct.

 

How can I move my faith to a deep, personal relationship, similar to what David had? That’s a great question. It is one that true believers all want. It is the type of relationship that will make a difference. The valleys are not so deep when one has this relationship with God. The peaks seem so much higher when one has this relationship. A person doesn’t have to remind themselves to pray, worship, or read God’s word when this type of relationship is thriving in them. They love God. They love that God loves them. They love everything that God loves.

 

First, David loved God’s word. Scan that long chapter, Psalms 119 and you’ll quickly find that David loved God’s word. Remember what David’s Bible consisted of? He didn’t have Mark, and those thrilling miracles. He didn’t have Luke and those amazing parables. David had Numbers. He had Leviticus. Those books seem tedious to us. Not to David. He loved God’s word. That’s a good place to start. Learning to love what God has given us.

 

Second, David thought about God, a lot. He mediated. His time was spent singing hymns to God. He was God aware and God focused. We let stuff and the schedules of today keep God pushed to the back of our minds. We let meetings and school and appointments and shopping and sports and traveling and this and that occur our time, mind and heart. We are so busy with busyness that about the only time we have for God is on Sunday and a few moments before we go to sleep each night. David was different. First, last, and through out the day, he was thinking about God. Deep thoughts. Deep insights. He lowered his nets to a depth that made him develop a love, a trust and a longing to be with God.

 

Third, David flat out liked God. We don’t talk that way much. We know God. We have a guarded love for God but to like God? To want to spend time with God? To view God as one of my best friends? To share life with God? To include God? To invite God? That’s where David was. This is why, as our verse states, God’s love was better than life.

You can have such a relationship with the Lord. You can have a depth of love, trust and feelings that you have never realized before. The Bible can become exciting and alive to you. You can have a prayer life that is rich and intimate with the Lord. Your mind can be filled with spiritual thoughts that will guide you and shape your day. David did it and so can you.

Those who have this relationship are blessed. Worship is not stale nor dry to these folks. Prayer is not the same ole’ words said over and over. Bible reading is not dull and boring. God is so good. God is so good to us.

Your love is better than life…

Roger

 

08

Jump Start # 912

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

 

Jump Start # 912

 

2 Peter 1:8 “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless  nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Our verse today follows the list of what is often called the “virtues” of a Christian. Peter identifies eight qualities of character that ought to be manifested in each of us as disciples of Christ. He begins with faith and then says add to your faith virtue, add to your virtue, knowledge. Each quality being added to by yet another quality. These appear to be in a certain order and progression. It all starts with faith and ends with love. These qualities come from spending time in prayer and God’s word. They do not just happen, nor are automatic when one becomes a Christian. In fact, some struggle with adding these things and it shows in their walk with Christ. Some excel in one more than others. All are necessary. All will make us complete in Christ. Without these eight qualities something is missing in our relationship and faith in Christ.

 

Now our verse. It sums up the section on virtues. It identifies several key factors.

 

First, Peter says if these qualities are yours. Yours. They belong to you. They are you. This is what you are. There is an ownership of these things. There is not a disconnect between me and these qualities. If these things are you, then wherever you are, you will find these qualities. You are this way at work. You are this way at home. You are this way with friends. You are this way in worship. Faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love—these things describe you. They are you.

Second, Peter says that these things are increasing. They are not stagnant. There are levels of faith, knowledge, self-control, love. They are increasing. Through the years greater faith, not the same faith, but more faith. More knowledge. More virtue. More self-control. More patience. More kindness. More love. If things are increasing, those around us ought to notice. We notice when things increase. You notice the water in the bathtub increasing. You notice your investments increasing in value. You notice your boys increasing in height. Things that increase are visible. The more knowledge, faith, love, patience, self-control the more we look like Jesus.

Third, Peter tells us with these growing qualities in us, they do something to us. They render us neither useless nor unfruitful. Useless is a terrible state to be in. Many students have sat in a class and felt like it was a waste of time. The thought, “I will never use this in my life” is often true. The advice of some is useless. It’s not practical, real nor helpful. A person who has had a stroke often has an arm or leg that no longer functions. It just hangs there, rather useless. These spiritual qualities that Peter is stressing will make us profitable, useful and productive in the kingdom of God. We are useful. We are helpful. We add to others.

 

Peter also states that these qualities will not make us unfruitful. God is in the fruit bearing business. Have you noticed that in the Scriptures? Many examples, many references to bearing fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is what Paul wrote to the Galatians. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said, ‘you will know them by their fruits.” Fruits. Fruits are enjoyed. Fruits are nourishment. These eight qualities will make us fruitful. They will produce results internally, such as faith, knowledge, virtue and self-control. They will also produce results externally such as perseverance, kindness, love. We are a better person to be around because of these qualities. We are fruitful. We are of value.

 

This is what God wants from us. He wants us to be useful and productive. He wants us to be increasing. He wants us growing. He wants us becoming more and more spiritual. Our walk with Christ involves so much more than sitting in a church building. It is as important how we are in the office, the store, the golf course as in the house of worship. We are not two different people. We do not put on our Sunday clothes, as grandparents used to call them, and with that put on our Sunday attitudes and smiles, and then take them off when we get home, including our attitudes and smiles. We are the same. We are growing, showing and producing.

 

If these are yours…great statement. Great idea. Need to get about that, don’t you think?

Roger

 

 

07

Jump Start # 911

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 911

Acts 5:38-39 “So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”

Acts 5, where our passage comes from today, finds Peter and John in prison for preaching Christ. They had been arrested earlier in the chapter. God got them out. They immediately returned to the temple and continued teaching. When found, they were brought before the council and reminded that they were ordered not to preach Christ any more. Peter replied that they were going to obey God and not man. That statement infuriated the council. They set to kill Peter. They had enough. This is where Gamaliel steps up with a statement. He is a respected teacher of the law. He has clout and influence. He reminds the council of other uprisings that soon faded away, especially after the leaders were killed. Gamaliel sees a parallel between those political uprisings and Jesus, who claimed to be a king. Like the other rebels, Jesus was killed. The advice of Gamaliel, is that the group Peter is associated with will soon fade away, since the leader is dead. If it is from men, it will be overthrown. If it is from God, you cannot stop them.

The advice sounded good to the council and they let Peter live.

 

Gamaliel missed it on several points.

 

First, he assumed the “Jesus movement” was similar to other uprisings. It wasn’t. Jesus was Heaven sent, prophesied and spiritual based. Gamaliel failed to look into the teachings of Jesus. He lumped it with all other radicals. Mistake one. It is easy for those on the outside to lump all religious activities or even all religions in the same group. College classes in religion will study Eastern religion and Christianity together. They are not the same.

 

Second, Gamaliel assumed that if a movement is from man then it will not survive. He failed to grasp that error can exist for centuries. The teachings of evolution did not begin with Charles Darwin. He was the one that popularized them. They had been around for hundreds of years before Darwin. The teachings of evolution are widely accepted and very popular today. Does that mean evolution is true. No. Error doesn’t fade away with the death of the leader. Error doesn’t disappear after time. The advice of Gamaliel would be devastating to a church today. He failed to see that God allows error to exist.

 

Third, Gamaliel advised the council to just leave Peter alone. Peter was a problem to the Jewish leadership. He taught a resurrected Christ. He taught that Jesus was the Messiah. That upset the Jewish mind. That was blasphemous in their eyes. Problems do not go away. Problems do not fix themselves. It is messy and hard to deal with problems. The Gamaliel approach is a popular one today. Many follow this advice without realizing it. They don’t want to deal with problems at home, in the marriage, at work or in the church. Just let it alone, or ignore it, and maybe it will be better. It never is.

 

Now there is a greater lesson in all of this. Gamaliel was a highly respected and profound teacher. His words were listened to, yet in this situation, his advice was wrong. He was wrong. People we respect can give us advice that is worthless. Advice can come from books, friends and family. Instead of looking into what Peter said, instead of let’s hear his proof and evidence about Jesus, instead of doing some homework, Gamaliel just wanted the council to leave Peter alone. It will either go away or remain and that will be the answer we need. Dumb advice.

People are quick to tell you, here is something that you really need or you just have to do this. Our friends can be very persuasive. Our families can be even more persuasive. If not careful, we find ourselves doing things that we would never do, only because someone advised us to do that.

 

What then are we to do? Do your homework. Look into what is advised. Study it out yourself.  Had the council chosen to look into what Peter was preaching, they would have seen that Jesus was the Messiah. They would have become believers. As it is, they listened to someone else. People do the same about buying things, raising children and even attending a specific church. A bad experience, a narrow perspective, a negative attitude, a closed mind can taint the advice that one gives. Things can be distorted and taken out of perspective. Someone making a decision strictly on the advice of someone else, can and often receives bad information.

 

All of us have Gamaliels’ in our life. They mean well. They are quick with opinions and advice. They seem to know but often they don’t. Examine things in light of God’s word. Be careful with advice from others. Be careful in giving advice. How many times will someone say, “Oh, I’ve heard…” and what they heard wasn’t the true picture. Check it out. Find out. Be sure. Know. Ask your own questions. Look for evidence.

 

Jesus said, ‘you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

Roger

 

06

Jump Start # 910

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 910

Acts 2:23 “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.”

A question that is often asked, kicked around, used for discussion in Bible classes is whether or not Jesus had to die on the cross. Did Jesus have to die for our sins? It must be a thing about human nature, because we are so often interested in the why’s and the how come’s of things. This is true of the subject of suffering. Why do we suffer and how come we suffer? This is true of the subject of death. Why do we die and how come we die? This is true of the subject of sin. Why do we sin? How come we sin? The question about Jesus dying follows this thinking. Did He have to die?

The chasing of these questions can be interesting but often it doesn’t change where we are. I often think too much time is spent on the why’s and how come’s and not enough on here we are and what are we going to do with it?

 

Did Jesus have to die for our sins? If He didn’t, we are all sunk. He is Heaven’s answer to our problem. He is the best of Heaven. Luke tells us that Jesus came to seek and save that which is lost, meaning us. That’s why He came. He didn’t come to see how the common folks live. He didn’t come to fulfill some dream of living like a human for a while. His mission was to save us. He didn’t come to save the whales, the environment, or some social cause. Jesus came and died for us, and us alone. Since the garden of Eden, when God declared that the head of the serpent would be crushed and the seed of woman would be bruised, the mission and plan of Jesus was revealed.

 

The prophet Isaiah declared, “the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief…” Our passage is from Peter’s sermon where he declared that Jesus was delivered by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. The arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus did not catch God off guard. It was all according to plan. There were numerous prophecies fulfilled in the death of Jesus. The Lord Himself used the expression, “I lay down My life.” The Jews and Romans killed Him, but it was according to God’s plan and God’s time table. If the timetable wasn’t right, they would not have been able to kill Jesus. He had escaped death before. He had many resources to do it again if necessary. He wasn’t fighting to save His life, instead, He welcomed death by laying down His life without resistance. He gave. He offered up Himself.

 

Can you imagine your world without Jesus coming to earth to save you? No sacrifice for your sins, which means, no forgiveness. No hope of Heaven. No access to the Father. No prayers heard. No perfect example to live by. No prodigal son story to offer us hope of coming home to God. No turning the cheek, no selfless servant to inspire us, no divine love that embraces us, no Heaven to motivate us. The world would be darker. Every funeral would be utter terror, knowing that the dear departed was thrust into Hell and nothing could be done to change that. Had Jesus not come, there would have been no apostles, no churches, no New Testament. Had He not come, much of the Old Testament would not have been written, because it points to a coming Messiah. Alone, what a terrible feeling. That would be our lot. The only blessing would be the death of a child. An innocent who died before sinning would be the only bright spot. Some would consider killing their children so that they would not sin and have a death and eternal sentence of Hell looming over them.

 

Did Jesus have to die? Yes, He did. He did, because God’s nature is that He loves us. Jesus’ death demonstrates that love. His death is the explanation point and proof that God loves us. He hasn’t left us alone. He hasn’t abandoned us. He hasn’t given up on us. Without Jesus dying, we’d question whether God loves us.

Now, there is one final thought we must include here. So often, with questions like these, we toss them about, study them, discuss them, and leave with facts in our heads but little in our hearts. What a shame that is. Yes, Jesus had to die for us.

 

Do you realize that most today are living as if Jesus never came. They live ignoring that divine example of love, service and mercy. They live only to self. They live ignoring God’s commands. The day will pass, and most will not even bow their heads once to God in prayer. Thousands of pages of writing will be read today, but the most important pages of all, God’s word, will remain tucked away in a night stand or forgotten in a church building or stuck on a shelf. Millions will laugh and snicker at silly stuff, chase meaningless dreams, while consumed with fear, worry, anger and doubt. For so many their ambition is getting more stuff. We are living among, working beside and journeying through this life with thousands who act as if Jesus never came. Their lives are dark, empty and without purpose. They think God owes them happiness. They expect blessings. When they die, they think they deserve Heaven. Why? They have ignored the coming of Jesus. Their lives do not show it, reflect it, nor teach it.

 

This sad reality ought to move the rest of us to share the story of Jesus. It ought to make us realize that the majority of the people I meet today, live as if Jesus never came. I need to be inviting more. I need to be telling more. I need to be moved to tell the old, old story of Jesus.

Did He have to come? Yes. Did He have to die? Yes. And in doing that, He offers you forgiveness, purpose, an example and Heaven. Will I be changed or will I ignore? That is a greater question to ask. That is one that needs to be explored, kicked around, debated and studied. Jesus came. Jesus died. What does that do for you? What does that do for me?

 

Roger

 

 

05

Jump Start # 909

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

 

Jump Start # 909

Exodus 10:20 “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.”

 

A friend at church recently asked me to write a Jump Start about God hardening Pharaoh’s heart. So, I’ll take a stab at this. What makes this passage tough to understand is that this flies in face of all we know about God. He is about saving not casting away. He wants people to come to Him and follow Him, not send them away. God hardening anyone seems out of character with what we know about God.

 

Here is something else that we need to know.

 

  • In Exodus, there are 14 references to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart.
  • Five times, the expression “the Lord hardened” is used.
  • Five times, following Pharaoh’s hardened heart, we read, “he did not listen”
  • Six times, following Pharaoh’s hardened heart, we find, “he did not let the people go.”
  • Three times, following Pharaoh’s hardened heart, it says, “he sinned.”

 

All of these passages surround the encounters between Moses, Pharaoh, the ten plagues and the release of God’s people from Egyptian captivity. The slaves of Israel were a large work force in the Egyptian economy. Pharaoh was gaining nothing by releasing them. He didn’t want them to go. In an environment of multiple gods, the one God of Israel didn’t seem like a threat to Pharaoh. God showed otherwise. He was the one true God of all Heaven and Earth, not just for Israel, but for all creation. He wasn’t God only to those who believed, He was God of all. The plagues seem to be a directed hit against the Egyptian gods. They worshipped the Nile. It turned to blood. They worshipped the sun. It became dark. They worshipped harvest. Hail destroyed the crops. One by one, Jehovah was showing that He was more powerful than these made up pagan deities. There was nothing Pharaoh could do. His gods were worthless and incapable of stopping Jehovah.

 

It seems, after each plague, Pharaoh was struck down. But then, he rallied and refused to let the people go. Pharaoh was stubborn. I grew up hearing the expression, “Bull-headed.” Pharaoh was not going to give in to a bunch of slaves. No way. After each plague, he dug his heels in more. The more he resisted, the harder the next plague. In the battle of the wills, God is not matched. God will not be defeated. The final blow was the death of the first born. There was no turning back from death. All the plagues were temporary, except the last. The sun shines today in Egypt. The Nile river looks like any other river today. But those first born that died in the last plague, never came back to life again. To this day, they have remained dead. Pharaoh was crushed, defeated and conquered.

 

The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was not something that God did independent of Pharaoh. His heart was hardened because he refused to listen, he refused to let the people go, he sinned, he was stubborn. The more God did, the more Pharaoh refused. God was behind the plagues. Pharaoh was behind his hardened heart.

How then, did “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart?” The plagues were sent by God. Moses was sent by God. The words Moses spoke were from God. It was those things that made Pharaoh even more resistant and stubborn. Some folks do not want to change, period. It doesn’t matter how many nice things you do for them. It doesn’t matter, as some parents see at home, how many times you threaten; it doesn’t matter how many times you warn, they will not change. For some, it seems the more you do, the more stubborn they become. That’s Pharaoh. Who ultimately is responsible for his hardened heart? Himself or God? Pharaoh. God was trying to get His people out of Egypt. Beyond the plagues, God had a massive arsenal at His disposal. Remember in the garden, Jesus telling Peter to put away the sword. All He had to do was say the word, and legions of angels would come. God has caused the earth to open up and swallow rebels. He has made donkeys speak. He caused the sun to stand still so Joshua could continue fighting in a battle. He has parted rivers and seas. He has sent leprosy on specific people. Soon after these events, as Israel crossed the Red Sea, God closed that sea and destroyed Pharaoh’s elite army. No nation could match Pharaoh’s army. No nation had won wars against Egypt. God destroyed them all without a single arrow being shot. He killed them all. In this battle of the wills, Pharaoh was near the end, God was just beginning. It was Pharaoh’s stubbornness that cost the loss of crops, livestock, and eventually the death of the first born and then his army. God sent that last plague. He sent it because Pharaoh wouldn’t budge. It was Pharaoh’s call. He dug in, once again, so God struck.

 

Interesting thoughts, but what does this do for me? First, I better make sure that I’m not like Pharaoh. I best be sure that I’m not digging in my heels and resisting God. Do I refuse to go to church services because I don’t want to? Do I refuse to change my attitude because I don’t want to. Do I refuse to be helpful, because I don’t want to. Well, Mr. Pharaoh, the more you resist the worse it is on your heart. And in the end, you will lose. God always wins.

 

Second, there are folks today like Pharaoh. Stubborn is their nature. Some are proud of that. It’s like a family emblem or coat of arms. Dad was stubborn, they say, and so am I. That’s nothing to be proud of. In God’s book, that’s like saying, “Dad was dumb and so am I.” Get over it. Let God’s word melt your heart. Listen. Learn. Change. Become.

 

Third, like Moses, we must not give up on stubborn people. Moses was sent by God over 10 times. Pharaoh never got it. Some today, will never get it, but we will keep trying.

The hard heart is destined to misery before God. The hard heart won’t listen, change, reflect or consider. This is the way I am, says the hard heart. The hard heart will miss Heaven. That’s how serious it is. It’s time to get over self. The first step in discipleship is to “deny self.” Pharaoh never did. He died stubborn. He died not listening to God. He died disobedient. He died defeated by God. What a terrible way to go.

 

God has given us this story not just for historical purposes, but to show us the outcome of the stubborn heart. It is a dead end road. It leads to failure with God. The greatest command is to love the Lord your God with ALL your heart. In Acts, at the conversion of Paul, the expression “Kicking against the goads” is used. That was a sharp, pointed stick that was used on oxen. When they kicked against it, they were jabbed. Before long, they quick kicking and just pulled the cart. We kick against the goads when we resist what God says. It jabs our conscience and it makes us guilty.

 

Will you do that? The first step in chipping away that hard heart is to love God and listen to Him.

Roger