23

Jump Start # 1001

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1001

John 10:4-5 “When he goes forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

  Christmas is just a few days away. The stores and the radio stations play Christmas music constantly. I love Christmas songs. I listen to them all day long. When we lived in Kansas City, there were two radio stations that competed to be the first to start playing Christmas music. No one knew exactly when they would start. One year, in the middle of October, on an afternoon, one of the stations started playing Christmas music. The other station immediately followed. It was great. My favorite is Andy Williams. He could sing. Our family got to see him several times. I have listened to him so often that I can pick out his voice. There is no one else that sounds like Andy Williams. When he sings, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” it really is!

Our passage today illustrates that the followers of Jesus recognize His voice. Borrowing from a common practice in Israel, the shepherds would leave the pens and by the sound of their voice, their sheep would follow. The shepherd had spent time talking with the sheep and caring for them and a bond of trust was built and they came to know the voice of their shepherd. Others could say the same words as the shepherd and the sheep would not move. It was the voice. They recognized the voice. They followed their shepherd.

 

We understand this in everyday context. Most husbands and wives do not have to identify themselves when they call each other. They know the voice of the person they are married to. When my grown kids call, I know who it is. I recognize their voices. All of this comes from spending time with each other. We all have a distinct voice. We have a unique way of saying words. Our voices identify who we are.

 

We know his voice. That expression is defining the relationship disciples have with Jesus. We know the voice of Jesus. Now what is perplexing about this is do we? No one today has actually heard the voice of Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus sang hymns. Was He a tenor or bass? No one today knows. How then can we recognize a voice that we have never heard? Perplexing problem for us.

 

The answer lies in understanding how Jesus speaks to us today. Hebrews 1:2 says that “in these last days (God) has spoken to us in His Son.” The voice of Jesus is heard through His words. This is how we recognize His voice. It’s not the tone but the message. Knowing the voice of Jesus means we know what Jesus said. We recognize what Jesus wanted. We come to understand Jesus.

 

All of this is certainly interesting in light of the Duck Dynasty controversy regarding Phil Roberston’s comments about homosexuality. The press is full of articles, especially the internet. If you notice what readers post at the end of an article, it is very revealing. Many claim to know what Jesus said, but it is obvious that they do not recognize the voice of Jesus.

 

For instance, the voice of Jesus calls for holiness and righteous living. The sermon on the mount explodes with that concept. How we treat others, how we respond to persecution, how we worship God—all of that is to be done in righteousness. The voice of Jesus calls for righteousness. Now for someone to say, ‘All Jesus cared about is loving one another,’ is not recognizing the voice of Jesus. Implied in that statement is that Jesus doesn’t care about moral choices, just love one another. That is the theme of liberal theology today. The extreme side of liberal theology teaches that the sin of Sodom was not homosexuality but a failure to show hospitality. Many have bought into that idea. Just love—nothing else matters. I’m reading a book now that begins with the idea that we are all tired of rules in religion. Freedom. Just love. No rules. No condemning. No guilt. No sin. No wrong. Just love. Sounds like a left over ‘60’s hippie movement. Is that the voice of Jesus? Is that the tone you hear after reading the sermon on the mount?

 

Others have echoed the common theme of not judging. “Only God can judge,” is repeated over and over in reader’s comments. Is that the voice of Jesus? Did Jesus not say, “beware of wolves in sheep clothing?” How does a person tell the difference between a real sheep and a fake sheep? You must look closely. That’s judging. Jesus said in the sermon on the mount, ‘You will know them by their fruit.’ The context in which He said that involved good trees and bad trees. Bad trees produce bad fruit. Now some today would shout, “you shouldn’t call any tree bad.” Jesus did. He told His followers to recognize bad trees by bad fruit. Jesus was not talking about trees, but people. Judging. Not unrighteous judging. Not hypocritical judging. Not judging to condemn but to recognize. Jesus told the apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel. That necessitates recognizing who is lost and who is saved.

 

Recognizing the voice of Jesus. That is accomplished by spending a whole lot of time simply reading and thinking about what He said. Again, we understand that in other areas. Those who study art can recognize one artist’s work over another. There are characteristics that stand out. Those that study music can recognize the composer of a piece. There are characteristics. The same happens when we spend time with Jesus. There are characteristics that we recognize.

 

Recognizing the voice of the good shepherd. What a great blessing it is when you hear the voice of one you know. The voice of Jesus—we need to know it. We need to hear it in midst of the fog of modern noises.

 

The voice of the Savior calls…do you hear it? Do you recognize it?

 

Roger

 

20

Jump Start # 1000

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1000

Psalms 73:1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart!

 

This is a milestone Jump Start– number 1000!!! That’s hard to believe. That’s a lot of articles. I want to write a few things about this. At every 100 mark that we hit, I have said a few things. This one is huge in my book. We now have more readers than we ever had. There is no way of knowing exactly how many are receiving these. Many of you are sending them to your own lists of people. I do not think it is stretching to say that nearly 2,000 people are receiving these. That’s amazing. I have a file folder full of emails that I have received from readers. Nearly every day I get an email regarding something that I wrote. So many of you have refreshed my spirit and encouraged me in these writings.

 

We started Jump Starts in 2010 as a little exercise for the congregation I worship with. I never thought that I would still be writing these now that they would have spread as far and wide as they have. The most common question I am asked about the Jump Starts is, “How do you write these every day?” I just do. I start my morning writing these. It takes about 20 minutes and then I get about doing other things. Others have started their own version of this and I am happy for them. I hope they do well. We have printed 9 different booklets on specific themes from these Jump Starts.

 

Our Jump Starts were never intended to be a deep doctrinal study. That’s not the format here. There are other places for that. This was simply my insights into a passage that would help encourage you, remind you and get your day going spiritually. They have helped me and I have found that others have been helped as well. I have always felt that the way a day begins often determines how the day will end. Our busy schedules often take us away from a study of God’s word. The Jump Starts were simply a means to help “Jump Start” your day.

 

There are a few “thank yous” that I need to send out here:

 

  • Thank you to the shepherds at Charlestown Road who believed in this idea and encouraged me to do this. We have gone through different formats in sending these out and they have spared no expense in doing this. When I wanted to publish some of the Jump Starts in a booklet form, they gave me a green light to do that. One of our deacons has built a Jump Start station where we display all 9 of the Jump Start books. Their support has been constant and amazing. Thank you for believing in this and opening the door for me to do this. The shepherds of this church are remarkable!

 

  • Thank you to you my readers. I honestly thought after a few of these that the number of readers would drop off and we would have to quietly end this. Just the opposite has happened. I hear about my Jump Starts being used in classes, sermons and invitations. I have seen them reprinted in bulletins and I know many of you have forwarded them on to others. Who would have thought? I have tried to emphasize our relationship with the Lord more than anything else. I believe that is so important. Living for Jesus every day is where it is at. God is good to us. Our hearts ought to be thankful and praising to God because of that. You have read about personal things in my life, such as the birth of grandchildren, moving to a new house, my daughter’s wedding and many of the things that are important to me. Many of you have expressed that you feel you are part of my family because of these writings. I really like the comment, “I can just see you saying that.” I hope so.

 

  • Thank you to the Lord. Other than myself, no one else has seen all 1,000 of these Jump Starts other than the Lord. I’m glad salvation is not based upon proper grammar, else I’d be in big trouble. I do hope that God has been pleased and blessed through these writings. I hope it has brought some back home to Him. I hope it has given something for some to hang on to when they were about to give up. I hope this has been one simple tool to help at least one person get a step closer to Heaven. If that has been done, it has been worth it. I realize that God has given me a special gift. Many preachers have told me that there is no way they could do this every day.  I didn’t know I could do this until I started. I am thankful to God for giving me a way to see things in His word. I am truly blessed, as we are all.

 

Some of these Jump Starts were very easy to write. The words just flowed. Others were a real struggle and I put out some that I felt were not very well written. Keeping the obligation of sending one out every day has not always been easy to do. I never wanted Jump Starts to take away from the rest of my work. To me, Jump Starts served as only one small aspect of all that I am trying to do.

 

Finally, where do we go from here? More writing of course. I still am wanting to publish two more Jump Start books—one on parenting and one on comfort. I’m getting close.

 

Will there be another 1,000 Jump Starts? I really don’t think so. I just can’t see that. I expect the well will run dry before then. We’ll keep this going for a while and see. I’ve learned never to say “never.” On our Jump Start website, www.jumpstartsdaily.com, you can search by word or specific verse and various Jump Starts will come up for you to read. There are nine Jump Start books that have been written. These are free. If you want one email me.

1,000—WOW! 1,000– Thank you!

Surely God is good!!!

 

Roger

Email me at: Rogshouse@aol.com

 

19

Jump Start # 999

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 999

Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

  The forces of evil never quit. They never give up. They push and push until they get their way. The latest victim is Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty fame. He has been suspended from the show because of comments he made against homosexuality in an interview for GQ magazine. I feel that he was set up. There are certain topics that are sure to get the wrath of the godless society and intolerance of homosexuality is near the top of that list. I am a huge Duck fan. I like how every show ends with the family praying. I’m certain the forces of darkness hate that. A & E, the station that televises Duck Dynasty are in a tough spot. They are liberal toward the homosexual community however the Duck show is the # 1 cable show. It’s a huge cash cow for them.

 

It will be interesting to see if stores drop the Duck merchandise because of Phil’s comments. Have you noticed how much Duck Dynasty items are available? Think of just about anything and you will find a Duck Dynasty version of it. Grocery stores, hardware stores, Walmart, and up scale stores all sell Duck stuff. Right before Christmas, how interesting and what a dilemma this puts stores in. Paula Deen was dropped immediately because of racial remarks. What will they do with the Duck man?

 

All of this hoopla gives us a few things to talk about.

 

First, we are engaged in a spiritual battle. It’s time folks on God’s side woke up and realized this. Things are not getting better, they are getting worse. More and more people are intolerant of what God says. They will tolerate sin. They will tolerate judging from their side of the street, but they sure can’t accept it from the other side. These high profile stories will trickle down to people not being hired because of their views against homosexuality. The courts will continue to force the acceptance of homosexuality. Gay couples will push churches to accept them, have their weddings there and become silent about what they do. This is a battle. All wars are ugly, costly and good people get hurt. It’s time to put your helmet on, take up your sword and stand up, stand up for Jesus.

 

Second, Yeah to Phil Robertson for sticking with his beliefs and stating that homosexuality is sinful. His words were graphic and blunt, but that’s Phil. We need more to do the same. Don’t water down what God says. Don’t apologize for what God says. Believe. Stand up. Speak out. The world wants to change God and the Bible. God wants the world to change. God will win. Let us not be ashamed. Now, in doing this, don’t be a jerk. Don’t be rude or ugly. Don’t be mean. Don’t be hateful. God wants and we should want all to come to Christ and be saved. God hates sin. God wants all to repent and come to Him. Using off color, derogatory words and declaring that any who differ with us ought to go to Hell is not the language of the Bible. We do not represent God when we act like idiots. We do not build a strong case, nor convince others when we act like idiots. Correct with gentleness is the theme of the N.T.

 

Third, Some who claim to know what God says really do not. The president of GLADD, which is the official homosexual movement made a dumb reply to what Phil Robertson said. He claimed that Phil’s words were out of line with Christians. He went on to state that Christians accept homosexuality. The problem is too many churches have caved in and sold out to this movement. They lack backbone and conviction. Gay ministers fill mainline denominations. Their twisted and distorted mind lacks Biblical understanding. In Romans, homosexuality is called degrading, unnatural, indecent and wrong. The world sees the church as weak and voiceless and the puppet to the wishes of a sinful society. Put enough pressure on and most churches change. How sad that is. They would rather stand behind sinful behavior than stand with the Holy God. We need to speak accurately and fairly what God says. The world is quick to declare, “God loves.” He does. He doesn’t love disrespect nor rebellion. He doesn’t love sin. God loves. Do we? Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” You don’t hear Mr. GLADD saying that. He must have got a few pages stuck together when he read the Bible. God loves. God wants people to obey Him. Those are not opposites. They go together. Accepting what God declares is wrong, is wrong.

 

Finally, few things ever return to the way they were. We live in dark days. Many of us long for the innocence of days gone by. They are truly “gone by.” People don’t want that. We must never tire in standing for what God says. Some day this battle will be over. We are one day closer to Heaven.

 

I have written a Jump Start booklet about same sex marriage. I believe we are not in the position to define marriage, God is. We start with the wrong step when we think we can redefine what God has defined. We do not have that right. If you would like a copy, email me (rogshouse@aol.com).

 

We are the light of the world. That light seems to shine brighter and brighter as the world gets darker and darker. Let us never call good evil and evil good!

 

Roger

 

18

Jump Start # 998

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 998

Psalms 119:63 “I am a companion of all those who  fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts.”

  One of the great blessings of our journey with God is meeting and knowing incredible people who love the Lord and want to please Him. Our fellowship is important. Often we do not grasp the great value of true friends in Christ.

There is a part of the American culture that is fascinated with the bad guy. The Robin Hood, the Jesse James, the 1930’s gangsters—the high adventure, one step away from the law, the escapes—those things make for good movies, but they were not good people. They trashed the law of God, hurt innocent people and were thugs with weapons. Most of them that lived by the sword, also died by the sword.

Our verse reminds us of the great companionship with those who fear the Lord. The Scriptures repeat that theme often.

  • Ps 34:3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together
  • Ps 122:1 I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’
  • 2 Timothy 2:22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

 

It is those “with” us, those godly companions that make a difference. One of the best blessings of our walk with God is the amazing people who walk with us. Good people. Folks who are not perfect, but know that Jesus is. People that apologize when they are wrong. People that know God’s word and cherish reading it. People that love to sing praises to God. They are generous, kind, sincere, helpful and understand what true friendship really means. Across the world I have met so many wonderful, wonderful Christians who are really trying their best to just walk with God. I have met them in major cities such as Indianapolis, Kansas City, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Phoenix and in little bitty places that are hard to find. On Sunday you know where they will be—at the Lord’s house, with Bibles in hand, smiles on their faces and hope in their heart. They come to worship, fellowship and learn. Their Bibles are worn and marked—the sign of years of use. These godly folks come early and stay long after services. They invite you into their homes and are more interested in you than they are telling their story. These folks are the backbones of congregations. They have literally poured blood and sweat into keeping a congregation faithful and strong with the Lord. Their prayers are amazing. Their insights into the Scriptures are treasures and they love to talk about spiritual things. These people are God’s people. They are a blessing to all that know them.

I could fill pages and pages listing the names of God’s people that are just as I described. Incredible folks. Good to the bone. I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many where I preach. It’s easy preaching to such a crowd of God’s people. They truly love to hear the story. I have become companions to those that fear the Lord. All across the country I could name amazing Christians. Most are simple, common people but they have a rich faith in Jesus Christ. I am blessed and better because of them. I can’t wait until we all get to Heaven and we can all be together! Won’t that be awesome!

Now, there is a side of this that isn’t so good. I have found in every congregation, those who come but they don’t connect. There are those who slide in at the last second and peel out as soon as the final “amen” is uttered. They are distant and can’t even name many within the congregation that they are a part of. Outside of their home congregation, they know few, if any Christians in other places. The vast majority of their friends and family are not Christians. They have little positive influence in their lives. They simply don’t understand much and they simply don’t get it. They are always on the edge of disaster. One step away from a divorce. One step away from quitting. Their faith is shallow and turned off more than it is turned on. They do not see the connection between what happens on Sunday and work or family. They are not growing. They are on spiritual life support. They are surrounded with Bible classes and studies, spiritual tools, such as CD’s, pamphlets, articles, bulletins and best of all, these incredible people who are strong, caring and loving, yet they do not take advantage of them. They are barely hanging on. They have one toe in the water and feel like that’s enough. When trouble comes, and it generally does, they are shocked, stunned and surprised. A mate wants a divorce, a child becomes a prodigal, there is a substance addiction, there is trouble with the law—they don’t know what to do, who to turn to and can only think to blame these wonderful godly people. There is a segment of my congregation that never reads these Jump Starts. There are some who do not know anything about them, even though we talk about these all the time. It amazes me. There are folks, especially overseas, who would trade everything they own to be in a congregation like where I am at. Yet, some remain content to stay on the outside of things. It is to their loss.

 

Are you the companion with those who fear the Lord? Are you walking with God’s people? Do you number God’s people as your dearest friends? Are you connecting, fellowshipping, and utilizing the great asset of God’s people in your life? Outside of your home congregation, have you come to know other Christians from other places? Amazing people. Good people. God’s people.

You need them in your life and you need to be one for others. Everyone needs others. That’s just the way God made us. Make your heroes Christians. Let your children grow up knowing great Christians. When our kids were little, they would get visiting preachers to sign their Bibles. They still have those Bibles and we talk about that. It has meant a lot to them. Honor the honorable. Super star athletes who make millions and abuse the law are not heroes. The Hollywood scene, where looks are more important than character are not heroes. True heroes are those who walk daily with the Lord. They are engaged in the greatest battle of freedom—spiritual freedom. They have devoted time, money and heart to the kingdom. Those are the true heroes. Honor them. Thank them. Be a companion and a friend to them.

They are everywhere. We walk among citizens of Heaven. What a blessing that is.

Roger

 

17

Jump Start # 997

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 997

Luke 16:31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

  Our verse today ends the 16th chapter of Luke and it is the conclusion to story of the rich man and Lazarus. This account doesn’t end on a happy note. Note everyone rides off into the sunset with a smile on their faces. Not everyone lives happily ever after. We leave the rich man in torment, suffering and begging for relief. We leave his brothers with the same coming destination. It’s a train wreck that is about to unfold. Nothing is able to prevent the coming disaster.

 

There are two observations that I want to share here. We have written several Jump Starts on this context. There is much to be learned from this teaching of Jesus.

 

First, the rich man and Lazarus lived on even though they were finished with their bodies. They both died. They were buried. I expect the rich man was buried in the cemetery with an elaborate funeral and tomb. Lazarus, most likely, was dumped in a common grave and for many poor people, the grave was unmarked. God knew.

 

It’s hard for us to imagine existing without our bodies. There never has been a time when we were separated from our bodies. We didn’t leave our bodies at home and go out on for a drive. We cannot separate our souls and our bodies. Death can. Death does. Our bodies are not forever, our souls are. Our bodies serve us now. God has made each of us special. We recognize each other by the way we look. We have certain eye color, hair color, height and mannerisms. Some are strong. Some are sickly. Some have the movie star beauty to them. Some are plain. We carry scars from childhood mishaps and surgeries. We have wrinkles and callouses and this and that, that have become a part of our bodies. Some have taken good care of their bodies. Others have been rough with their bodies. Our bodies have allowed us to do many things. Some day, we will part from our bodies. Have you ever given that much thought? Our bodies are tools. They are given to us so we can get about life. Paul would tell the Corinthians that the outer man decays, yet the inner man is renewed day by day. What happens on the outside doesn’t reflect what is going on in the inside. Some days are bodies are sore and ache. Some days we don’t feel well. Some days we are very tired and dragging all day long. Our spirits, our souls, can still soar when the body wants to return to bed.

 

Some day we will be finished with our body. It will have served it’s purpose. We will part. I don’t think we will be sad over that fact. If we’re walking with Christ, where we will be when that happens is more exciting and hopeful than we can imagine. Our bodies cannot go where our souls are going. The end of this life is as far as these bodies can go. The resurrected body will be different. It will be imperishable. What that will look like I’m not sure. I’ve worn glasses since grade school. The resurrected body won’t need glasses. It will be different. Some walk with a cane. The resurrected body won’t need that. The same goes for hearing aids, false teeth, pills, medicine and all the things necessary to get our bodies moving in this world. All of that will change.

 

The second thought is that the rich man’s brothers wouldn’t listen. They ignored Moses and the Prophets and it is stated that they would not be persuaded even if someone from the dead spoke to them. They were stubborn. Moses and the Prophets represents the totality of the Old Testament. There was enough in the Old Testament to generate faith in God and an obedient life. They would have none of that. We are not told why. Too busy making money like the rich man? Too busy chasing after things that made them happy? Too busy. Or, was it that they had the time, but just not the interest. God didn’t interest them. The things of God were of no concern. Let’s talk sports. Let’s talk politics. Let’s talk fun. The thought of religion is for old women and kids. Don’t need it. Getting by just fine without it. And dumb talk like that never realizes that all five of the brothers were racing toward a cliff. So many of us have family members just like these five brothers. Hard working people. Good people. But no interest in the things of God. They are living for today and that is it. The rich man, too late to do anything, wanted to warn his brothers. He had ignored the warnings himself. They were ignoring warnings. Most folks don’t think much about death and what happens after that. Many don’t like to talk about it at all. Maybe if it is not talked about, it will just go away. No. It never goes away. Death comes. It comes when we are ready and it comes when we are not ready. It comes at the wrong time and it comes when there are more things to be done here. It comes. It always does.

 

This reminds us, especially at the holiday season, when many family members are gathered together, to say something. To remind our family. To show them. To share with them. To teach them.

 

Some people are not interested in spiritual matters. That is hard to understand. It’s hard to understand because all of us have a spiritual side to us. All of us will live after death. All of us will part with our body. All of us. Not all of us are interested in the arts. Not all of us are interested in sports. Not all of us are interested in finance. You can live without ever knowing much about the arts, finance or sports. You can ignore those subjects. The spiritual is a part of who you are. You will be on the other side some day. There will be a funeral for you, and you will still be alive, in the spiritual world. This does affect all of us. The rich and the poor. The busy worker and the bored teenager. The American and the non-American. The actor, the athlete, the politician, the plumber, the preacher, the retired guy. It affects my neighbors, my co-workers, my friends, my family, and yes, me.

 

We will part from this body and be cast into the eternals. What we believe and what we have done will determine if we are in comfort like Lazarus or tormented like the rich man.

 

His five brothers wouldn’t listen. Will you?

 

Roger