17

Jump Start # 1059

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1059

Luke 16:24 “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.”

Our verse today comes from the  Lord’s story of the rich man and Lazarus. It is a compelling account of how opposite things became after death. The rich man had every thing in life. In death, he was in agony and had no one to wait upon him. Lazarus was dumped at the rich man’s gate and had no one who was compassionate for him in life. In death, he was comforted by Abraham.

 

This Scripture gives us a window into the next world. We wonder. What will it be like? What will we do? It doesn’t answer every question, but it shows how we treat others, and how serious we are about God’s law has an impact and a factor upon our destiny.

 

I find our verse today to be rich with irony. The rich man, in torment, was begging for Lazarus to come with  a drop of water on his finger. That verbal image shows the depth of pain and torture that the rich man was experiencing. One drop of water isn’t much. One drop wouldn’t last long. One drop wouldn’t change things. He didn’t beg to change places. He didn’t plead for a second chance. He doesn’t seem to apologize for his empty heart. He doesn’t ask for a barrel or water, nor even a cup of water. Just one drop. Just one. And of all the people, he asks for Lazarus to be the carrier of that one drop of water. He doesn’t ask Abraham to come. Nothing is said about other greats such as Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David…He only asks for Lazarus. It is amazing that he knew the name of Lazarus. He seemed to completely ignore Lazarus when he was dying at his gate. He didn’t seem to know and he definitely didn’t seem to care. Where was the water for Lazarus when he was at the gate? Where was the mercy for Lazarus when he was in such need? Where were the crumbs? Where was help to keep the dogs away? Where was a blanket to keep warm? At the gate, sick, weak and worst of all, without hope or help, when it was just inside the house, is how Lazarus died.

 

The very things that the rich man wanted in death, he refused to give to Lazarus in life. He wanted someone to care. He wanted mercy. He wanted comfort. He wanted relief. The heart that shut Lazarus out, was now being shut out by God.

 

What a lesson for us! We can so easily walk in the footsteps of the rich man. No time for others. Don’t want to get involved with others. Some have problems that are too complex and too messy. We close the door of our hearts, and our homes and simply do not think about others. Yet the time comes when we are in the same need. The need for time, but no one will give us any. The need for forgiveness, but no one will give it. The need for hope, but it’s not there.

 

How tragic to be like the rich man. Surrounded with ways to help others but kept it all to himself. Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is required.” This is true with opportunities that are afforded to us.

  • The opportunity to share the Gospel message of Jesus. There are so many ways to do that today. Do we keep the message closed up in the church building?

 

  • The opportunity to be thankful to others and especially to God. Do we say it, or do we just assume everyone knows?

 

  • The opportunities to encourage and build faith. There are so many great tools to help us learn, grow and become what God wants. Do we use those?

 

The rich man kept his gate closed to Lazarus. The rich man kept his heart closed to Lazarus. He hand no time, use or concern for Lazarus, until death changed things. Then he needed Lazarus. Then he knew Lazarus by name. Then Lazarus was his friend. Selfish to the end, the rich man wasted the opportunity to make a difference in Lazarus’ life.

 

Let us not be guilty of closing the gate of our hearts to others. Let us see that we need each other. Let us see how generous God is to us. Let us, as Paul pleaded with the Galatians, do good as we have opportunity. Let us, as Titus was told, be zealous for good works.

 

Open your eyes to those sitting in the church building. There are people all around that need help. Open your eyes to those in the neighborhood. Open your eyes to co-workers. Keep the gates open. Get to know the Lazarus’ in your life. Do what you can.

 

The way you treat others, will be the way you are treated. The rich man found that out.

 

Roger

 

14

Jump Start # 1058

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1058

Philippians 3:17 “Brethren, join in following my example and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

  What a wonderful and encouraging verse we look at today. Follow the leader—it’s more than a kids game, it’s the way of Christ.

  • Paul told the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
  • He told the Philippians in another verse, “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you.”
  • The Hebrews were told, “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

Follow the leader, that’s what God wants and expects. There are always those mavericks who want to blaze their own way, go a different direction and do things that no one else has ever done. That works great in the old Star Trek series, “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” But in Christianity, that means being a radical and heretic. We follow the examples of Christ, the apostles and other faithful brethren. One of my all time favorite hymns, “Footprints of Jesus” defines this concept. “We will follow the footsteps of Jesus, where ere they go.”

 

Now here are some thoughts:

 

1. This passage reminds us that we are not alone. We can feel that way, but we are not. Not only are there others who are following the same Biblical pattern that we are, there is a sure path and way to follow. There are spiritual footprints that mark the way. No one has to try to figure out which way to go. Christ has shown the way. The apostles have left examples and patterns for us to follow. There are others who are trying. Often, many are doing so in very difficult and trying circumstances.

 

2. This isn’t a contest about who can be number one, or the greatest. We are in this together. There isn’t any room to be jealous of others. We need to be thankful that there are others that we can imitate. There are others who are showing us the ropes. It helps. It makes things easier. We need to use them.

 

3. There are some who are ahead of us in this journey. Some have finished the journey. The young family can look to those who are now empty nesters and learn from them. Those who are new at teaching can look to experienced teachers for tips. Those who are young in faith can look to the shepherds as mentors and role models. There is always someone ahead of us. This has helped me as a preacher. I have learned so much from preachers who are older than I am. They have been great encouragement to me. Don’t be afraid to ask others for advice. Tap into their experience and wisdom. What a joy it is to see others ahead of us, doing so well. That is an encouragement for the rest of us.

 

4. There are those who are behind us on the journey. We are not the last of the group. There are those who look to you. Some of the experiences we go through will be a learning experience for others. How we handle a grief. How we deal with disappointments. How we handle success. How we keep at it, day after day—someone is watching you. It begins first with your children. They are the first to see your example. They see the real you. This can be a huge advantage for them as you walk according to the pattern. There are those who are newer in the faith that have questions. There are those who have never had teenagers before. There are those who have never experienced their children dating and getting married to others. Life keeps presenting new chapters for us. There are those watching you are learning from you. Someone is following your example.

 

Have you ever made a list of people that you would like to imitate spiritually? Who are your spiritual heroes? What is it about those people that you admire? What are they doing right? What do you have to do to become like them? Have you ever thought that your name may be on someone’s similar list?

 

Paul’s words are “observe them.” Other translations use the expression, “mark them.” It’s like using a spiritual highlighter. They stand out. They are doing things right. Their walk, attitude, choices, engagement in the kingdom are all worthy of note. They are role models. They are what you would like to be.

 

Borrowing an expression from Dave Ramsey, the financial guru, ‘if you do what rich people do, you will be rich. If you do what poor people do, you will be poor.’ Doesn’t that translate spiritually? ‘If you do what righteous people do, you’ll be righteous.’ ‘If you do what faithful and strong Christians do, you will be faithful and strong.’ But the opposite is also true. ‘If you do what the weak do, you will be weak.’ ‘If you do what the spiritually lukewarm do, you’ll be spiritually lukewarm.’ It’s a matter of following the leader.

 

More than just going to Sunday worship, what are the strong and the righteous doing? What do they do on a Friday to keep being strong and righteous? What do they read? What shows do they watch? What do they do in their spare time? What do they do to keep connected with God? Analyze them. Study them. Know them. Ask questions. Paul says, “observe those.” What are the habits of the spiritually strong? If you don’t know, it’s time you found out. It’s time you had lunch with a spiritual giant and asked him questions. It’s time you  looked at Christ from that perspective. It’s time you examined the life of Paul from that standpoint.

 

Do what the strong does and you’ll be strong. I like that thought. It’s helpful. We need to look to others. There will be some who will be looking at you.

 

Roger

 

13

Jump Start # 1057

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1057

Galatians 5:15 “But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”

  Sometimes a person forgets. Sometimes a person forgets the important stuff. The stereotypical view of man is one who never remembers his wedding anniversary. Our passage deals with brethren who forgot who the enemy was. They turned on each other.

The NASV presents a series of verses in this context that all start with the word “But.”

  • V. 11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted?
  • V. 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another
  • V. 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit…
  • V. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit…
  • V. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is…

Our passage, verse 15, follows a reminder to love your neighbor as yourself. This is when Paul warns, But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.” The brethren had turned on each other. They were fighting each other. They were going to destroy one another. They seemed to have forgotten that they were family in Christ. They were united by the blood of Jesus. They were after the same thing.

Why is it that some “bite and devour” others?

Some don’t mean to be destructive. They actually think that they are helpful. They point out things that are they believe are wrong. Often, it’s just opinions. Often it’s more hurtful than helpful. Much too often, the one picking doesn’t look into his own life as much as he looks into others. There must be time given for some to grow. There must be some patience allowed for change. Just a few verses later, when Paul details the works of the flesh, he lists strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions and envying. This may well be some of the “biting” that was taking place.

Some expect perfection in everyone except themselves. One mistake. One misspoken word. One fumble. One sin. One error. That’s all it takes, and some are ready to throw the violator off the bus. This is not a call for tolerating wrong. This is not a plea to look the other way. There are Biblical ways to handle sin. The next chapter states, “if anyone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness…” That’s God’s way. Don’t look the other way. Help a person. But help them not by biting and destroying them, but with gentleness. Feelings matter. Your tone, your choice of words, is it constructive or a death sentence? We are not perfect. The congregation is not perfect. Jesus is, but we are not. We must work on our own sin. We must help others with their sin. Bite leads to devouring which becomes consuming. When I consume my food, there is nothing left. It’s gone. When brethren turn on each other in a destructive manner, they destroy the congregation. People leave. Some quit. This is not how Christians are supposed to act. But they do. Churches split. People get angry. Threats are uttered. Fingers point to each other. The work of God stops. The extreme cases lead to physical violence, lawsuits and the formation of a new congregation that will ignore the other one.

 

Some expect everyone to accept their opinions and their suggestions. The Romans and the Corinthians had problems with what to do with meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Eat it. Don’t eat it. If some eat, and some don’t—what does that mean? Are those who don’t eat more spiritual than those who do eat? An atmosphere of judging and condemning was brewing on the horizon. Paul wrote from inspiration. The solution  from Heaven was not a meat eating congregation and a vegetarian congregation. Division was not considered. Paul showed that God accepted both. Then the principles: they had to be mindful of each other. They were not to offend each other. Their relationship was greater than eating or not eating meats. They each had to be convinced in their own mind. Those thoughts make a great Bible study, but some how we tend to forget those thoughts when selecting a preacher, appointing an elder, building a church building, or deciding what kind of sign we will put out in front of the church building. Everyone has a thought. When their thought is not followed, then they get upset. This is when the forks come out and the biting and devouring starts. The little things can upset us the most. True character comes out at those moments. We see who has pride and selfishness issues. We tend to think it’s everyone who disagrees with me, never giving any thought that I could be the one with the pride and selfishness. The Ephesians were told to be subject to one another. That expression means to bend the will. Get along with others. Let others go first. Let others have their way. Again, as if we even have to say this, we are not saying wrong must be allowed. We are not saying, someone who has a sinful agenda must be allowed his way and his turn. Not at all. We don’t give sin a moment’s thought. Too often however, if someone disagrees with us, we immediately consider that to be sin, when it is not. God declares what is sin. Sin is a violation of His will, not a violation of my opinion. There is a difference. Many things we fuss about are not right or wrong. Selfish people demanding their way or the highway ruin the faith of others. They run rough shod over the feelings of others. They make a mockery of Jesus’ teaching about love, compassion and acceptance. Spiritual bullies should not be allowed to have their way. Talking loud, dominating conversations, making ridiculous statements, threats and conclusions do not prove their point. Some cave in because they don’t want a fuss. Some fear controversy. Some allow others to bite them and devour them. What results is a congregation with weak leadership is forced to cater to the bullies among them. The only hope is a job transfer that may take them away or death. There are far too many congregations like this. For anyone to make an opposing suggestion is to be met immediately with teeth that are going to bite and devour them. They are chewed out in front of others. They are made fun of. They are ridiculed and told to sit in silence. I know. I’ve seen these things. I held my peace when I should not have. I’ve seen good people devoured by opinionated people.

 

The flow of the context of Galatians shows the solution to this ugly mess. But walk by the Spirit (16) and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. But if you are led by the Spirit (17) you are not under the law. But the fruit of the Spirit (22) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Those are not biting words. Those are the words that make a person put down the folk and treat others as he should. Those words remind us that we are on the same side. The enemy is Satan, not us. If we fight each other, we only help Satan. We are to help each other. Help each other be strong. Help each other stand tall. Help each other overcome.

 

Spiritual cannibalism is what our verse is about. I’ve heard stories of some desperate folks, long ago, like the Donner party, who were forced to eat their own dead. Disgusting. Spiritually, it’s more than disgusting, it’s the work of Satan.

 

The enemy is not each other. Your attitude. Your words. Your tone. Your prayers. These all reveal what you think of others in the congregation. We need each other. We are to be there for each other. We are God’s family.

 

The Galatians forgot. It’s up to us NOT to forget!

 

Roger

 

12

Jump Start # 1056

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1056

2 Peter 3:14 “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless.”

Peter ends his second letter reminding brethren that the Lord is coming. When He comes, Peter says, it will be to destroy the earth. A new Heaven and earth are promised. Things are not going to go on forever as they now are. Peter then shifts the thought to the type of behavior that is an appropriate response to the coming of the Lord. There is an anticipation about these things. Twice Peter uses the word “look” – looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God; since you look for these things.

 

Our verse identifies what our response ought to be. Instead of running and hiding, we look for these things. Instead of giving up all hope and living by the mantra of ’eat, drink and be merry,’ we are diligent to be holy. Peter uses three different words:

 

Be found by Him in PEACE. The opposite of peace is war. Peace with others. Peace with God. The bridge to peace is forgiveness, grace and love. When those things are missing, so is peace. Instead of peace, some hold grudges. The one at peace sleeps well. The one at peace is content. The one at peace has a calm soul. Those upset, bothered, irritated, mad at others or at God, are restless at night. They are agitated and unsettled. Be found by Him in peace. Get over things. Let things go. Bury the past. Bury the hatchet. Fall to your knees and beg God to forgive you. Apologize. Make things right. Some have a hard time with this. Five minutes into a conversation and you hear the horror stories of how terrible they have been treated at work, home or in the congregation. Some of those stories go back ten, fifteen, twenty-five years. They still carry the wounds and have not moved on. They are not at peace. They cannot talk without telling others about how unfair they were treated. Some congregations have been at odds with each other for decades. The principle causes are forgotten. The people involved are often dead. Yet, in a community there they exist. Two small congregations that ought to merge, but pride and past will forever keep that from happening. Be found by Him in peace.

 

  Be found by Him SPOTLESS. Spotless leaves the impression of clean. Nothing is worse than dressing up to go out and once you arrive you notice spots on your outfit. This is not what Peter is talking about. He is talking about a spotless soul. In his first letter he stated that we are to be holy as He is holy. Spotless and holiness go together. To be spotless is to be forgiven and pure. On our own, we cannot be spotless. We must have God’s help. We must have God’s grace and forgiveness. Spotless is how God sees us. Be found in His grace. Be found forgiven. Be found pure. This comes about when one is walking with the Lord. This comes from a relationship of obedience, trust and love towards God. Peter is saying, Jesus is coming. The world is going to end. Be found spotless. Jesus said that when He returned he would divide the sheep from the goats. The sheep represents the righteous. The spotless. The goats, everyone else. That’s it. That’s how God sees us. We have so many layers and categories of seeing people. There is educated and uneducated; racial differences; age difference; gender differences; regional differences; economic differences, and on and on we go. Not with God. Spotless or dirty. Sheep or goats. Doesn’t matter if you lived back then or you live today. Doesn’t matter if you are poor, graduated, young, talented, married, good looking—sheep or goats…spotless or spotted. That’s it. You become spotless by faith in Christ. Baptism washes us. Walking with God keeps us clean. John said as we walk in the light as He is in the light, the blood of Jesus cleanses us. Cleansed. Washed. In Revelation it says we are washed in the blood of Jesus. Only the blood of Jesus can remove the spots caused by sin. Being good won’t do it. Being generous won’t. The spots are still there. God still sees them. Only Jesus’ blood can remove those stains. Spotless. Peter said, Jesus is coming. Be spotless.

 

Be found by Him BLAMELESS. This word is used often in the N.T. it is one of the requirements for a person to shepherd God’s people. All of God’s people are to be blameless. The difference between spotless and blameless is the direction. Spotless is how God sees us. Blameless is how others see us. Our interaction with others is to be blameless. Without blame. This comes from being honest. This comes from being helpful and going out of your way. This comes from correcting your mistakes. This comes from apologizing when wrong. This comes from having a good reputation with others. This is how your family sees you. This is how your co-workers see you. This is how brethren see you. Blameless. Blameless is not perfect. There will be fumbles along the way. The blameless doesn’t hide those, excuse those or justify those. They apologize and do better. There is no blame. A person can be blameless before man and NOT spotless before God. Spotless deals with our soul. Blameless deals with our character. Close, but not the same. Iet’s next to impossible to be blameless and not at peace. Peace and spotless go together. Peace and blameless go together.

 

Three different terms that God expects us to be. Three words that are up to us to be. Be found by Him. Be at peace, be spotless, be blameless— Jesus is coming. There’s no stopping that. Get about making peace…being spotless…and living without blame.

 

Roger

 

11

Jump Start # 1055

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1055

Ephesians 3:3-4 “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.”

 

Our verse today helps us understand two valuable aspects of our faith: inspiration and the reading of God’s word. Twice in these verses Paul uses the word “mystery.” This in not like a mystery novel or a murder-mystery show on TV, where someone must try to figure out what happened. There was no figuring out. Mystery, as used in the original language, meant something that was revealed or uncovered. God knew all along what the message was. When the time was right, He revealed it to the apostles. They, in turn, wrote this down and when we read what they wrote, we can understand God’s message.

Three simple thoughts here:

First, it was the apostles that were inspired. The revelation came to the apostles. We use the concept of “inspired” to define having an idea. An artist, composer, or writer get “ideas” or “inspiration” to use their talents. Their “inspiration” was not directed by God through the Holy Spirit. The inspiration of the apostles was not in painting pictures or writing poems, but in recording God’s word. Every word was important. The exact order of the words was important. This was not left to human imagination. God guided the apostles. The message wasn’t interpreted differently by each person. Art can be that way. You stand in a gallery and someone asks, what does it mean to you? God’s word is not that way. He has a specific message. The meaning is God given.

 

This work of inspiration from God is completed. The word of God is closed. No more books are being written. No more messages are coming. Folks don’t seem to get that today. Jude 3 tells us that the faith has been once delivered. Peter said that all things pertaining to life and godliness has been given. No writer today, and that especially includes me, is inspired by God. God is not directing, telling or using “divine urges” to write paragraphs in books, in spite of what Beth Moore and other leading authors believe and claim. What the apostles wrote was considered the “commandments of Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 14:37). Are we to assume, when these modern writers claim that God moved them to write, that their words, their books ought to be included in our Bibles? That is a serious claim to assume that God is telling someone what to write. It makes what they say more credible, but it falters when what they write goes against known inspiration of God. Now, there’s a problem. The moderns who claim that God is leading them, are not toe-to-toe with the written word. This illustrates the shallowness of their use of the expression “God led me.”

 

Second, God chose written words as the vehicle to communicate His will. There are many forms of communication. Feelings communicate. Remember back when you were first dating someone, and they held your hand for the very first time. Nothing had to be said. That said it all. The looks in our eyes often tell if we approve, are confused or are angry. Feelings communicate. Signs communicate. I’ve been on nature trails and there would be a wooden post in a ground with a number on it and an arrow. Trail 2 pointing to the left. That was a form of communication. If I went straight, I would no longer be on trail 2. That’s a form of communication. Speech is one of the best forms of communication. God incorporated that with the written word. The word was preached and the word was written. Today, we use the written word as a basis of sermons and classes.

 

There is something special about the written word. Words have meanings that can be studied, understood and shared. Words can cross over into other languages. It’s hard to do that with feelings. Words can be copied. Words can be memorized. Words are timeless and ageless. I was reading a few pages the other day that were first written in the 1820’s. The words have outlived the person who authored them. It outlived the first owners of the book they were in. It outlived the next several owners of the book. Most likely, those words in that old book, will out live me. Words are like that. God chose words. Those words trump feelings. Those words remove doubt and opinions. Those words are ageless and true.

 

Third, Paul expected the Ephesians, and all people sense, to read his words. When you read, he said, you will understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. What did Paul know about Jesus? We know. Read what Paul wrote. So, we see a connection in this verse between God and us. God revealed. The apostles wrote. We read what was written. That is the bridge from us to God and from God to us. That is how Biblical knowledge and understanding is built. John said that we know we have eternal life by reading the words that he wrote (1 Jn 5:13). You know you are saved, not by a feeling, a sign, but by comparing your life to the word of God.

 

This tells us that we need to spend serious time reading the Bible. It is the only way we will know God’s will. There are two inherit thoughts with this. First, we must trust the Bible to be true, accurate and authentic. There are avenues to prove this. The external evidence is overwhelming. The manuscripts and writings of early Christians give us mountains of proof that our Bibles today is God’s word. There is nothing missing. There is nothing added that should not be there. The proof and evidence stacks up in that favor. If a person doesn’t trust his Bible, then he won’t read. Find a reliable translation, not a paraphrase. Find one that is comfortable for you to use. If you do not like your Bible, you will not read it. Find one that has print that is comfortable for your eyes. Find one that feels good in your hands. Your Bible is your connection to God. Without the Bible you do not know God.

 

This also tells us that we must read. Paul said that. “When you read…” he wrote. God expects us to read. Now this is a challenge to this generation more than any other. Folks simply do not like to read. Oh, they’ll look at a text message on their phone, or read an email, if it’s short. But far too many have stopped reading. We watch videos, TV, movies. We listen to music. But reading? That is one treasure I have received from my dad. He loves to read. Still does. All of my siblings are readers. My kids have grown up in a house full of books. Reading is such a blessing and a joy. Alone with a book, especially, God’s book…there is nothing else like that. Too busy to read? Slow down. Too much racing through your head to read? Calm down and make the time. Make the time every day. A little here and a little there. Look at words. Look at what happened. Learn. Grow. Soon you are seeing the mystery. Soon you are understanding. Soon you find yourself becoming. That is why God’s word is living and active. It does something to us. There is no other book that has that affect upon us.

 

God revealed…the apostles wrote…you and I read. 1-2-3. That’s the connection. That’s how faith grows. That’s were confidence comes from. That’s the secret to survival. Read it and believe. Read it and do. Read it and become.

 

Roger