09

Jump Start # 1119

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1119

Luke 11:1 “It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”

 

Lord, teach us. The apostles had the true heart of a disciple. They wanted to know. They wanted to learn. The question about prayer came after Jesus prayed. I’m sure they were amazed at the way Jesus prayed. I’m sure they wished that they could pray like that.

 

“Teach us to pray” is an interesting expression. First, it comes from the apostles who grew up going to the Temple and hearing priests and their own dads pray. They had been praying most of their life. This question was beyond the basics of prayer. It involved more than “Who do you pray to,” reverence in prayer—they had that. This was things that they were taught as young boys. Some need to know that. Some have never learned. Some were taught that it’s ok to pray to dead saints and to Mary. They need to see that was never done in the Bible. Only God is prayed to. There are some “mechanics” and basics to prayer that everyone must begin with.

 

“Teach us to pray” involved not so much “How” to pray, but “to” pray. Jesus was praying often. He prayed before selecting the apostles. He prayed before He healed. He prayed in the garden. He prayed on the cross. He was a man of prayer. He referred to the Temple as the “house of prayer.” Praying was a huge part of Jesus life. A few pages later in Luke, Jesus would tell the disciples to pray at all times and not to lose heart. The key was prayer. We sing a hymn that asks, “Did you think to pray?” If we are honest, the answer sometimes, maybe most times, is no, I forgot to pray. I worried. I got upset. I became bothered. I was stressed. I got angry. I lost sleep. I couldn’t eat. I talked to my friends about it. I did everything except pray. Jesus wasn’t like that. Prayer was His first choice. Prayer was as natural as breathing.

 

This is the heart at what the disciples were asking. How do you do that? How do you know to pray? How do you pray first? Prayer, faith and remaining calm go together. Prayer and faith involve trust. That trust leads to peace within. The more one prays the greater their faith and the greater they are at peace.

 

How Jesus answered the disciples question is as interesting as their question. He gave them an example of a prayer. Most call this the Lord’s prayer. There is no indication that He actually prayed this—there is a line that He would not have said Himself. I not a huge fan of borrowing someone else’s prayer. Many books I read often have a prayer by the author. That’s nice, but it doesn’t do much for me. Pray must be personal, genuine, heartfelt and relevant. Your prayer will not be my prayer. We may pray about the same thing but not the same way.

 

Jesus is showing the disciples a prayer. It’s a prayer that recognizes and praises God. It is prayer that deals with physical things, such as daily bread, and spiritual things, such as forgiveness. It is so simple that this prayer fits today as well as in the first century. It’s a prayer that works on a Monday as well as a Saturday. It is a brief prayer. The words are simple. The thoughts are reverent.

 

Choose prayer. Choose prayer before you speak. Choose prayer before you make a decision. Choose prayer when you are bothered. Prayer invites God into your world, your life and your heart. Prayer reminds you to consider the spiritual side of things. Something may look good on paper, and everyone can give you a thumbs up to what you are planning, but praying about it now makes you consider the spiritual side. Then and there things may look differently. What was great on paper may not be the best choice when you look at it from the spiritual side. Praying often helps us to see that side.

 

Prayer also has a way to reminding us that we belong to God and we are accountable to God. We are not alone, nor are we free to do whatever we feel like. Choices come with consequences. Prayer reminds us of God. We shall stand before God some day. Remembering God helps keep our attitudes in check. Prayer helps us to remember that God’s will always trumps my will. God has a plan. I must fit into His plan and not believe that God is working to fit into my plan. What I believe may be Plan A may actually not be God’s Plan A. Paul wanted to preach in Asia. God said NO. After that, he went to Macedonia. That was God’s plan. Similar things may happen to us.

 

Teach us to pray. This is done by looking at Jesus. This is done by seeing how He followed the will of His Father. Prayer, faith and obedience worked well with Jesus and they will work well with us when we are taught.

 

 

Pray. Pray often. Pray deeply. Pray about others. Pray and believe.

 

Roger

 

06

Jump Start # 1118

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1118

2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

 

I like the hymn, “Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word…” The story of Christ is paramount to our faith. It is what Christianity is all about. The apostle Paul was concerned about the Corinthians. There was a threat of war taking place in the hearts of those brethren. Another Jesus, another spirit, another gospel   is always a threat. Influences from critics were making them question things that they once knew and accepted. Paul’s credibility was the center of attack. Our verse today bears out the marks of error: deception and craftiness. Deceived minds were abandoning the simplicity and purity of the Gospel.

 

The expression, “simplicity” is what I want to focus on today. The message is simple. The hard part is the doing. Staying with it for the long haul can be hard. The message of Jesus was first told by our Lord to fishermen, like Peter. They told it to others. Simple, common people hearing the simple message of the Gospel. The Gospel is for all.

 

History has revealed attempts to make the message more complicated and difficult. The distinction between clergy and laity is not a Bible concept—it’s the work of man, and more so, Satan. The clergy alone had the intellect, training and knowledge to know God’s will. Everyone else had to blindly do whatever the clergy said. Shades of deception and craftiness right there. Centuries later, it was the University taught doctors of divinity that shaped and led religious thought. No one cared what the mechanic thought. The faith of the housewife was nothing next to these intellectual giants. That spirit is still alive in many circles today.

 

A new perspective is now being touted by many. A new way of looking at the Bible. Insights into ancient language, customs and times, changes how the Bible ought to be viewed and understood. I’m all for insights, learning and education, especially Biblically, but what about that housewife? What about that mechanic? What about the simple believers in the 1300’s? Could they not know the will of God? Could they not please God?

 

The message doesn’t have to be complicated to be good, right and helpful. Sermons do not have to be sprinkled with big words, ancient languages, quotes from scholars to be helpful, truthful and faith building. The sermon on the mount is deep with application, but not in understanding. The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples is simple yet layered with application. Jesus spoke the words of the people. He was understood. There is a place for the college lecture, the academic study but it may not be in the pulpit. The simple message believed, followed and cherished is what we need today.

 

Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word. Simple message. Simple words. Simple conclusions. Make it so everyone understands. Make is plain. Make it so that young people know. Make it attractive as Jesus did. Make it personal as Jesus did. Make it so a person will look within, as Jesus did. Make it so lives will change, as Jesus did.

 

The simplicity of the Gospel. That’s the way it came. Don’t change it. It worked that then and it will work today.

 

Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word.

 

 

Roger

 

05

Jump Start # 1117

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1117

Titus 2:2 “Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.”

  Well it happened yesterday and I didn’t even know it. I went out to lunch to grab a quick bite to eat. I stuck the receipt in my wallet and didn’t look at it until this morning. And there it was on the ticket, plain as day, 10% senior discount. I didn’t ask for it. Nothing was said about it when I ordered. This is a first. Senior. She didn’t even ask. She knew. I must look it. That’s one of life’s WOW moments. There are many.

 

High school graduation is one. The seniors got out a week earlier than everyone else did, back when I graduated. I remember sleeping in as my brother and sister had to get up and go to school. I didn’t have to. Wow—that was different. Finished with high school.

 

Becoming a parent for the first time is another big wow event. I remember holding little Nathan and looking at him and thinking, what do I do know? I was afraid of dropping him or an arm coming off. He was the first baby I ever held. That was a wow moment.

 

Standing before an auditorium full of people who are staring at you and having to say something worthwhile, intelligent and helpful is a wow event. For many of us that first time, our knees knocked, our voice quivered, our hands shook, and we were terrified. Standing before audiences continues to be a wow moment for me. It never gets old.

 

Walking my daughter down the isle on her wedding day—that was a huge Wow event.

 

These moments remind us that life is moving, changing whether you want it to or not. We get older. We look “senior” even though we hate to admit that. Our parents age. Our kids grow up. Ecclesiastes tells us that a generation goes and a generation comes. Younger talent and younger ideas replace you. We are all headed to a grander place, a meeting with the Lord.

 

Our verse today, very fitting for me after discovering that other people now think I look like a senior citizen, reminds us that age is not an excuse for not fulfilling God’s purpose. Older men were to conduct themselves as if life, experience and especially the Lord had impacted their lives. They ought to show this. Temperate, dignified, sensible, sound—those are qualities of the heart. Those are choices, often made when younger, but developed and deepened when older. Being older is not an excuse for being cranky, abusive, mean, or sour. Many are. Many don’t like change. The ‘good old days’ were not that good nor golden. It took all day to do laundry and cook. Communication was slow. I have an antique typewriter that sits in my office. It’s a 1926 Underwood. It’s beautiful. Still works. What a pain it would be to write my Jump Starts on that thing. Sitting beside the typewriter is a 1906 Kellogg candlestick phone. There isn’t a dial on that old thing. A person had to click the operator to connect to the person you wanted to talk to. The phone is big, heavy and limited. No carrying that phone in your pocket. Good ole’ days? Cancer was the kiss of death back then. It’s not now. Good ole’ days—for some it was hot nights, because there was no air conditioning, outhouses, because there was no “in door” plumbing, travel was limited and expensive, houses were small, hand-me-downs were a necessity. Technology has made current life easier but not necessarily better. Morals have been tossed out along with common sense and absolutes. Today they smoke dope in Colorado, can marry the same sex, and are bothered more about the climate than what is going on in our souls. Every generation faces changes. Every generation sees new innovations that are helpful but not all changes are advancements. Some move us backwards as a society.

 

It’s easy to be cranky and complain when you are older. But don’t. God remains the same. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of the Lord abides forever. Isaiah said that. Peter borrowed that. Through the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, the European dynasties, the Germans, the Russians, the Americans—God remains upon the throne.

 

Time ought to smooth our rough edges. Walking with Jesus ought to make us better and wiser. As age shows in the face, godliness ought to show in our character. I am more concerned that someone recognizes me as a Christian than they do a senior. How do I conduct myself with my family and friends? How do I handle difficulties, differences and defeats? How am I out in the public? Am I a pain? Do I complain and whine a lot? Do I demand? Am I short with people? Do I threaten? Has time with Jesus taught me differently? Do I speak with kindness and genuine care? Am I less interested in myself and more interested in others? Does the big picture of Christ come before me often?

 

All of us are getting older? Are we getting better? Those are not the same? Our verse illustrates just one area of getting better. It isn’t exclusively for the aged, nor for just men. All of us need to be those things. Few things are worse than someone who has walked a long time with Jesus and are none the better. The two men on the road to Emmaus were certainly changed by a seven mile walk with Jesus. How about you? Does it show? Do people recognize that you belong to Christ?

 

Your character, your choices, your attitude, your words—they are demonstrations of what we really are. Walking with Jesus makes a difference if you will allow it. You notice things when you spend time with the Lord. The inner reflection becomes an outer manifestation.

 

Getting older…are you getting better?

 

Roger

 

 

 

04

Jump Start # 1116

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1116

Haggai 2:19 “Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.”

 

The Lord, through Haggai, was promising the nation of better days ahead. New blessings were coming. They had come a long way. Some didn’t make it. Those that remained committed to the Lord would see a future with hope and not disaster. Some of these promises would be fulfilled in the coming of Christ—the greatest blessing of all.

 

Our thoughts today center around the question asked in our verse. “Is the seed still in the barn?” That’s a great statement for us to consider. Farmers, and even gardeners, understand what that statement implies. The best seed is of little value sitting in the barn on a shelf. The seed must get into the ground for it to do any good. Seed that remains in the barn will always be just seed. In the ground, wheat, corn, beans, flowers will grow. The famer will have a harvest if the seed gets into the ground. In the Lord’s parable, a sower went forth sowing the seed. Some of the seed fell upon the hard road, some fell among the thorns, yet the seed was getting out of the bag, out of the barn, and into the ground. That’s where the seed was supposed to be, in the ground.

 

Simple principle with profound impact upon us today. Do we keep the seed in the barn? Consider two applications:

 

First, as a congregation. Do we keep the seed in the barn?  How much time, how much energy, how much money is spent on getting the seed out of the barn and into the hearts of the community? Think about this, folks drive up and down the road and pass the church building every day. They see a nice building, a sign, but what do they know about the church? It is not uncommon to have two or three different churches on the same street. Some buildings have been there for years and years, yet the community doesn’t know much about them. Never stepped inside. We build nice buildings. We keep them clean. We invite guest speakers to come. But the extent of the activity is within the “barn.” What if no one ever comes into the “barn.” The seed must get out of the barn. How about mailing something to all the homes in the neighborhood? How about renting a place, like a school, for a special series of lessons for the community? How about putting chairs in the parking lot and having a singing outside so people can hear you? How about thinking and planning and brainstorming ways to get the seed out of the barn? Maybe we’ve spent too much time in the barn and we think that folks will simply show up because we are here. The message from the Master was “GO.” Go into all the world and preach….That doesn’t just mean Africa, that means in the neighborhood and across the street. How do folks in the community think? What’s bothering them? What message do they need the most? Barn thinking or community thinking?

 

Second, as an individual. Do I keep the seed in the barn? It’s not just a “church” thing, it’s my thing as well. I need to be busy getting the seed out of the barn. How? This is done by looking, praying and being ready for opportunity. A guy at work has been out for a funeral. It was his mom.  Engage in conversation. Let him know you are sorry. Most will talk. Knowing he’s been out for the funeral, you’ve picked up a couple of CD’s from the church house (the barn) about death. Now, when he’s back, not at first, but after some dialogue, you hand them the CD’s. You tell him these might help. These explain things. After a couple of days, you follow up and ask him about it. The seed is coming out of the barn.

 

Someone else you know is getting married. You talk to her about the wedding. Future brides love to talk about their wedding. You hand her a CD about marriage or give her the Jump Start book about weddings and marriage. Tell her that this is something that might help her. Don’t  have the Jump Start book? Email me (Rogshouse@aol.com) and keep a stock ready to hand out. Seed getting out of the barn.

 

Other situations, you are looking, watching, ready to help. Ready to connect a person to God’s word. You hear someone trash talking their church. They’ve had a bad experience. Jump in and invite them to come with you. You see someone reading their Bible, ask them what they are reading? Do you understand what you are reading? That’s what Philip did with the eunuch. The seed comes out of the barn.

 

Years ago I heard of a family that had their own tract rack on their front room wall. It was very odd but it was very useful. When people came to the door, they were ready with information to hand to them. The seed was coming out of the barn. Invest in some inexpensive Bibles that you can give to people. The seed comes out of the barn. There are many, many of our readers that are using the Jump Starts as a means to connect with others. The seed is coming out of the barn. Hospital visits, as a visitor or as a patient, or even as an employee, can be opportunities to get the seed out of the barn. Visits to the funeral home…walks through the neighborhood…opportunities to get the seed out of the barn.

 

It is important for congregations to be well stocked and supplied with a variety of material that the members can use. CD’s, colorful tracts, Bibles, flyers that briefly tell what the church is all about—these are the things that need to be in abundance so the members can pass them out, have them handy and use them. The expression, “strike while the iron is hot,” comes from the blacksmith days. The piece of iron would be pulled from the fire and it would be bright red. On the anvil it would go and the smitty would hammer it and shape it. Back into the fire and back on the anvil. Once it was the shape he liked, he would plunge the iron into a barrel of water. The steam would rise, the iron would cool and then it was no longer able to be shaped. Too often, when opportunity arises, while the iron is hot, we are not ready. We don’t have anything to give a person, we have to go ask the preacher if he has anything on this particular subject, and it takes him a while to get back and by then the iron has been in the barrel, it has cooled down and our efforts are to no avail. Strike while the iron is hot. Be ready. That’s what Peter said. Be ready to answer those who ask you. Be ready. Keep a supply of articles, tracks, CD’s in your car, desk, home. Take them with you when you are going to see people, visit hospitals. Get the seed out of the barn.

 

Now just handing a guy a smart looking tract or a cd won’t be the end, it’s just the start. Follow up. Ask to read one of the passages with him. Ask if he understood. You listen to the CD yourself before you give it.

 

This is how a church functions like a team. Someone preaches the lesson. Someone makes the CD’s. Someone stocks them. Someone gets them and passes them out. Many people involved. Use the internet—email, fackbook, twitter. Get bright, colorful and sharp lessons on things that matter. Let people know about the website. Advertise. Use all available means. Nothing is held back from getting the seed out of the barn and into the ground. The modern farmer will use the latest technology. He will invest in high tech equipment. He has GPS, radar and all kinds of help—all for the purpose of getting the seed into the ground. And churches? Well, some are still using methods of generations ago. Today, people don’t read much. So long, tedious articles and tracts, written in plain black and white will sit in a track rack in the barn. Short. Colorful. Catchy. Pictures. Attractive. Simple. Positive. Helpful. Truthful. That’s what needs to be done. Where do you find there? Write them. Get the preacher busy. Give him an assignment. Get after it. Spend money on seeds. Invest in color printers. There are all kinds of tools today to make things the best we can. We are in the seed business. The guy who gathers the seed. The guy who packages the seed. The guy who sells the seed. The farmer who buys the seed. And the one who puts the seed into the ground. Many people –all in the seed business.

 

It’s time for churches to get in the seed business. There’s a lot of people needed. There are a lot of things to be done. Make it attractive. Make it the best. Make it so someone will want to read it, listen to it, take the time with it. For too long, congregations have had classes upon classes about evangelism with little results. Get the seed out of the barn. Spend a class making material. Spend a class putting things together. Stock the barn and stock the home so the seed can be get out.

 

Is the seed still in the barn? I wonder how many times God asks that? I wonder why we don’t get it?

 

It’s time. Get the seed out of the barn…

 

Roger

 

03

Jump Start # 1115

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1115

Numbers 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more humble than any man who was on the face of the earth.)

  Humility is something that doesn’t score many points with folks today. Aggressive, bragging, self promoting, arrogant—that gets noticed. It is those things that often pushes one to the front of the line—in sports, in business and in life. Go for it, take it, you deserve it—slogans not of the humble but the aggressive. God’s people go a different direction. God’s people are inclined to listen to a different message, the words of Christ. Humility is the nature of Christ. Matthew records the great invitation of Jesus when He pleaded, “Come unto Me all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart…” I am humble. Moses was humble. No one was more humble on the earth than Moses. God wants us to be humble.

 

It’s hard getting a grasp on humility. It’s not denying your value. It’s not walking through life with an Eeyore complex. It’s not believing you cannot do anything. It’s not denying yourself pleasures or fun. It’s not beating yourself up. Is it possible to play sports or games and want to win and remain humble? Is it possible to strive to be number one in your class? Is it possible to want to be the top in sales for the company you work for? Does humility keep that from happening? Does it mean you allow people to have their way with you? Does it mean you never speak up, speak out, or defend yourself? Some are so afraid of being viewed as not humble, that they hide in the cave of life.

 

Consider some Moses facts:

1. He broke up a fight between his countrymen

2. When he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, he killed the Egyptian

3. He didn’t think he was the one who could go to Pharaoh. He didn’t know what to say, nor think he was good at speaking. God thought otherwise and sent him.

4. He was stern and direct with Pharaoh. On one occasion he left Pharaoh, “hot in anger” (Exodus 11:8).

5. When he saw Israel dancing to the golden calf, Moses threw down the tablets of stone and they broke.

6. When God was so angry with the nation that He wanted to destroy all of them, it was Moses who pleaded with God. His prayers swayed God.

7. Moses got angry and struck the rock and his punishment was not being allowed to enter they promise land.

 

And, no one was more humble on the earth than Moses. Passionate, at times angry, confident, not compromising—yet humble. Moses was humble. Humility is more about my position than anything else. A person can be confident, passionate, asserting, yet not pushing self. Moses stood with God. Moses wanted the people of Israel free, as God wanted. Moses would be direct when it came to what God wanted. You don’t find Moses talking about Moses. You don’t find Moses basing his arguments upon who he was, but rather what God said. It wasn’t about Moses, it was about God.

 

Being humble means being a team player. Being humble means the spotlight isn’t on you but on the group, the company, the team, or in Moses’ situation, on God. It takes backbone, confidence and a certain amount of aggressiveness to teach and spread the word of God. These attributes are not in us, but in the word. We recognize ourselves as humble servants. We are God’s tools. We are simply doing what we ought to do. Humble keeps you from drawing all the attention and being the big dog. Humbleness recognizes the value of the sound guy at church or the secretary at work or the equipment manager on the team or the guy who brings in the grocery carts from the lot or the thousands of other sideline jobs that are essential but rarely get any attention. The humble person understands that these other people are necessary to make his job run smoothly. He acknowledges the “little guy” and understands everyone has a role.

 

Humble. Jesus was humble. He didn’t let the money changers abuse God’s temple—He drove them out. He wouldn’t let the Pharisees get away with dumb stuff and questions that we not honest. He challenged them. He stood His ground. He forced them to conclusions. He was humble. Yet, He didn’t walk around like a Rock Star, with body guards, keeping a distance from others. When asked, He went. When questioned, He answered. He was in the home of tax collectors. He touched lepers. He went to Samaria. He allowed the children to come around Him. He wasn’t too good for anyone. Everyone felt welcomed by Jesus, until their unbelief got in the way. Jesus demonstrated humility.

 

So, for us, it means we do not ignore those who are different. The guy who is a little “off.” The person who wears the same clothes. The kids. The aged. The divorced. The guy who bounces in and out of righteousness. Humble means I welcome, I associate, I include, I love all people. When we lack that, the atmosphere of a country club prevails. Only certain ones are accepted. If you are not one of us, you cannot come in. We best be very careful with that thinking, because one day, we will be on the outside as well. That’s not the way of God.

 

Humble—you don’t have to toot your horn. You don’t have to tell others what you did. Don’t let the left hand know what the right is doing—remember? Just do what you can. God knows. God remembers. Help others. Don’t be too good to pull weeds at the church house, pick up a song book, or teach a class. Humble—do what you can.

 

A while back someone sent me one of the Jump Starts. I guess he didn’t know that the Roger who writes these is me. He sent a note saying that I might appreciate getting this devotional. At first I thought about writing him and telling him what amazing things these are, the best I’ve ever read. But I got a hold of that pride and didn’t. It then struck me that maybe he concluded that there was no way I could write these things. That made me feel worthless. I finally just sent him a note explaining that the Roger that wrote the Jump Starts was this Roger. He never wrote back. He must have felt as awkward as I did.

 

Humble. It’s hard. It’s a balance. It’s something that we must work at. When it’s missing, it’s easy to tell. When it’s there, it sure makes a difference.

 

Roger