16

Jump Start # 1188

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1188

 

Matthew 16:13 “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

 We continue our series on the questions of Jesus. The Lord’s questions were focused and not trivial. Being God, He could have asked the disciples anything, such as, “Do you know how far the moon is from the earth?” Or, “Do you know how many feet are in a mile?” The questions God asks in the book of Job deal with nature and things that Job never considered nor had any clue about. The questions of Jesus deal with character, faith, and understanding God’s will. Sometimes in Bible classes, we ask the wrong questions. We ask and chase rabbits that are curious to us but do not build faith and the answers are based upon speculation and assumptions.

 

The question found in our verse today was pinpointed to get the disciples to understand who Jesus really was. When He asked, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” He already knew the answer. He knew before He asked. This wasn’t a poll nor a popularity contest. The answer that the disciples gave was very revealing. “And they said, ‘ Some say John the Baptist; and other, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.’”

 

First, the answer that they gave was wrong. Jesus wasn’t any of those people. It matters who Jesus is. There are some things that we just cannot be wrong about. We must get this right. Jesus said unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. A person could think all of their life that Jesus was Jeremiah. He could write books about that. He could lecture that point. He could argue with his family and friends about that. But in the end, he would be wrong. Jesus was not Jeremiah.

 

Second, the names that they revealed were all safe answers. They didn’t reveal all that they had heard. Some claimed that Jesus was a demon. Others said that He was a Samaritan. Some, even in His family, thought that He had lost His mind. Those answers were not given. The names were all men of God. The names were all prophets. The names were all good men. Sometimes we tell people what they want to hear. Kids are great at that. They have a way of staying out of trouble because they know how to say what their parents want to hear. But telling people what they want to hear is not the same thing as what they NEED to hear. Sometimes the answer hurts. Sometimes the painful truth is better than false flattery that is used to make someone feel good.

 

Third, all the names that they gave were of men who were no longer around. Jeremiah was dead. The prophets were dead. Elijah was taken up to Heaven by God. John the Baptist was dead. If this is what people really thought, then were they also thinking that these people had been brought back? Sometimes people say things without thinking things out. Jeremiah had been dead for hundreds of years. If Jesus was Jeremiah, who and how did he come back? Why would Jeremiah come back? These things do not make sense.

 

Fourth, all of these names were of men. Good men. Godly men. Yet, men. Jesus was God. There is a huge difference. Jeremiah, as good as he was, had his sins. Elijah had sins. John the Baptist had sins. Romans 3 says that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” That “all” includes those men. A resurrected Jeremiah doesn’t change our destiny nor our plight with sin. We need a Savior. Jeremiah needed a Savior. Elijah needed a Savior. Only the pure sacrifice from Heaven could save us.

 

So this little experiment from Jesus’ question reveals to us that what people think can be way off base. So when somebody tells you what he thinks about same-sex marriage or abortion or salvation or worship or how to grow a church– he may be saying “Jeremiah,” when the answer is not Jeremiah. Things are not right or wrong because of what people believe. Doctrine is not determined by a democracy (the will of the people). Rather, God operates as a Theocracy (God-rules). Right and wrong has been determined. Sin is declared by God, not the church or you and I. What we are to do in worship, how we are to live, what determines righteousness has already been set by God.

 

Years ago in a neighborhood we were living in someone came by our house, going door to door, asking the neighbors what they would like in a church. He was going to start up a new church and he was interested in what people wanted. He came to our house. I was gone. Too bad. My wife answered better than I could have. She told him that we’d like a church that followed the Bible. He wrote that down but that wasn’t the answer he was looking for. He was into pleasing people. He was building a cafeteria style church—where you get what you want. Paul called that tickling the ears in 2 Timothy 4.

 

Who do people say that I am, is not the same thing as who I am. The people can be misguided and flat out wrong. Giving people what they want is a terrible idea. Pleasing God is what we need to do.

 

What I think and what Jesus thinks may not be the same. Guess which one of us is wrong and must change? Me. I may be in the Jeremiah group. Doesn’t matter. Jesus isn’t Jeremiah. Never was and never will be. My answers come from the Bible. Knowing the book shapes my thinking. It helps me to see what God sees. It helps me seek what God is interested in.

 

What a great question Jesus asked. A few verses later, He made the question personal to Peter. “But who do you think that I am?” Now, it doesn’t matter what others think. What do YOU think. What are YOU going to commit yourself to? What is YOUR answer? This is where questions do the most good. This is where Jesus was driving at. He wanted the apostles to see that they were not thinking like others. Their answer was different from others. Most would disagree with Peter’s answer. Truth will do that. Truth will often leave you standing alone, but standing upon the convictions of God’s word.

 

Who do YOU say? Don’t hide behind polls. Don’t disguise your answer with what others are saying. Jesus wanted Peter to say. Can we do the same? Can you stand upon what you believe even if it is counter to popular opinion? Can you commit to your beliefs even if you stand alone?

 

What a great teacher Jesus is. He knew what He was doing with that question. He knew where it would lead.

 

Roger

 

15

Jump Start # 1187

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1187 

Luke 5:22 “But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them,’ Why are you reasoning in your hearts?’”

 

This week we are going to focus upon the questions of Jesus. Our Lord was a master teacher. He knew exactly how and what to say. He used many different teaching methods. Jesus, who never went to a university, read any research papers, knew how to reach, teach and change millions of lives. He did this without using Zig Zigler, Max Lucado or John Maxwell.

 

The most common word for Jesus in the New Testament is teacher. People called Him teacher more than they said His name, Jesus. Our Lord even referred to Himself as “teacher.” When He told the disciples to go prepare the Passover, He instructed them, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The TEACHER says…’” The teacher. In John 13:13 He said, “You call me TEACHER and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.’” As a teacher, Jesus accomplished three things:

 

(1) He made people think and see themselves as God sees them

(2) He challenged them, often putting them on the horns of dilemma

(3) He made it possible for them to change. He painted a picture that they could see and wanted for themselves.

 

One of the many methods that Jesus used to teach was questions. The Greek expression, ‘to ask’ or ‘inquire’ is used nearly 100 times in the Gospels. Someone counted one hundred questions that Jesus asked. Asking questions is a great way to teach. It allows the teacher to know if the student understands. Asking a question invites interaction. It makes the student find applications to the principles taught. It is a great way to defuse a hostile accusation.

 

Many of the parables come to a conclusion with a question. The parable of the good Samaritan shows Jesus asking, “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor?” At the end of the parable of the two sons, both asked to do things, but only one obeyed, Jesus asked, “Which of these two did the will of the father?”

 

We are told that at the age of twelve Jesus was in the temple asking questions (Lk 2:46-49). The questions of Jesus were not simplistic nor impersonal. They had such an impact that Matthew says, “…no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question” (22:46). Mark says, “They did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him” (9:32).

 

The use of questions is a phenomenal way of teaching. We can learn from Jesus. Too often, class books, and teachers ask shallow questions that no one answers because the answer is so obvious. In some cases, teachers fear questions. Peter said that we need to be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you. Be ready he said. When Philip approached the Ethiopian reading Isaiah in his chariot, he asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Great question.

 

Our verse today illustrates one of the times Jesus was digging into the way people thought. He asked, ‘Why are you reasoning in your heart?’ Great question. Why are you thinking this way? What do you plan to do about it? How did you get to that conclusion? What are you thinking?

 

Sometimes we are so quick to give answers, that people do not have to think. Parents, what Jesus asked, is a powerful way to instruct your children. They will come to you with a problem. It’s huge in their world. What are we to do? Before you quickly give out an answer, ask them, “What do you think we ought to do?” Work those minds and hearts. Get them thinking. Get them digging.

 

The same works well when talking to those who are not Christians. Ask them questions. Get them thinking.  Folks aren’t thinking much these days. People aren’t asking many questions. Preachers are busy answering things that are not on people’s mind.

 

Teaching with questions takes patience. Sometimes the wrong answer will be given and you must show what the right answer is. Always use the Bible. Show them the answer with the Bible. Sometimes people give shallow answers without thinking things through. Ask them why? Get them to lower the nets and get deeper in their thinking. Sometimes they just repeat what they have always heard. They haven’t thought about the implications of the answer. They have simply repeated what they were told. Questions can remove years and years of wrong thinking. It can change the way they see things.

 

Don’t be afraid of questions nor be afraid to use questions. Some are afraid to ask for fear that they will get a lecture. That is a terrible atmosphere and relationship to have. Build trust. Be assessable. Be open. When asked something you don’t know, say, “I don’t know.” Better that, than fishing for something that you are not certain about. When that happens, go and find the answer. Do your home work. Then come back with the correct answer. A church that will not allow questions is a church that is in trouble. Don’t be that way.

 

If you could have a few private moments with Jesus, what would you ask Him? Would your questions be about Him or you? Have you asked that question in a prayer? Does that thought scare you? Does it make you realize that what you thought was so important isn’t if asked to Jesus?

 

Questions—we will continue our look tomorrow.

 

Roger

 

12

Jump Start # 1186

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

Jump Start # 1186

1 Peter 3:7 “You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”

 

Marriage– it’s something special. It takes work because you don’t get your way. It’s a unity. Two people, two ideas, two backgrounds. One person said, “When God said the two shall become one, the real question is which one?”

 

Peter is addressing relationships. He has already discussed servants and masters. He has devoted six verses to wives. Now, it’s husbands turn. One verse, but layers upon layers of thoughts here. Look at some of the layers:

  • In the same way
  • Understanding way
  • As someone weaker
  • Show her honor
  • Fellow heir of the grace of life
  • Prayers not be hindered

 

Peter reminds us that our relationship with our wife affects our spiritual life. I can’t be wrong with my wife and right with God. Prayers can be hindered because the man’s failure to live godly with his wife. I probably ought to write a whole series on this, but not now. Today, one expression. Live with her in an understanding way.

 

Men are to understand their wives. He has to study “wife 101.” He needs to understand what makes her tick. He needs to understand her language. He needs to know why she does what she does. He needs to know her spiritually. This is a work. As with anything we study and learn, we must put time and effort into it.

 

There are too many jokes that have become reality in too many homes concerning the inability to figure women out. “The one thing I understand about my wife is that I don’t understand her.” True, but get about knowing her.

 

The huge problem with all of this is that men and women are wired differently and operate differently. Men expect women to think like a guy. She won’t. And a wife doesn’t understand why her husband doesn’t think like she does. He won’t. Sometimes the communication issues in a marriage and the complaints of the husband being insensitive stem from not realizing men and women are different in their thinking.

 

Years ago I read a book that really helped explain all of this to me. The Mars and Venus books are good, but they deal mostly with communication. The book I read, Men are like waffles and women are like spaghetti, really helped me to see the differences in the way men and women think. If you look at a waffle, it looks like tiny boxes. One box next to another box. All the boxes touch one another. That’s how men think. They are in one box at a time. They leave one box and go to another box. We do well with our boxes. When the man is at work, he is in his work box. The wife will call and say that she has been thinking about him. She asks if he has been thinking about her. He replies ‘No. I’m at work.’ She doesn’t understand that and cries. He doesn’t understand her and gets frustrated. When he’s at work, he in the work box. That’s all he thinks about. At home, he has his TV box, a fixing stuff box, a hobby box and so forth. One box at a time. That’s guys.

 

Women are like a plate of spaghetti. If you look closely at spaghetti and try to follow one strand, it goes this way and that way. Under this piece and over that piece and some how connects to all the other pieces. That’s women. It’s not wrong, it’s just the way they are made. They see everything connected. So in a conversation with her husband, she brings up the kids and school. That leads to the neighbors, the dogs barking at night, her mother, next year’s vacation and church. For her everything is simple. The man is dizzy because he is jumping from box to box to box and she’s now talking about the church and he’s still trying to figure out what barging dogs have to do with the kid’s school. She gets upset with him and he gets frustrated with her. Boxes and spaghetti.

 

Add to this another dimension. She speaks wanting support, a listening ear, and comfort. He looks for solutions. She comes home from work upset with all the office drama. She’s wanting to vent. He’s trying to fix things. She doesn’t want changes, only a listening ear. He doesn’t understand why she won’t do something about all of this stuff.

 

Peter said “Understanding way.” Is there any hope for waffles and spaghetti? I preached a sermon on this once and a woman told me afterwards, “I’m getting a box cutter to help my man out of those boxes.” Not a bad idea. Understanding each other goes a long way. Men can’t become spaghetti. We are not wired that way. Women don’t do well in boxes. They are not wired that way. But understanding is the key. She leads him, slowly and helps him from topic to topic. She doesn’t overload him with too much information. He’s a processor and must take it all in and chew on it a while. The man must leap from box to box. Multitasking in his thinking is the key.

 

Communication is the fuel in a marriage. Two people who do not understand each other and cannot communicate will pull apart, get angry with one another and not trust each other. Talking. This is hard for men. We have one box that women can never ever understand. It’s simply called “Nothing.” We drive down the road and the wife asks, “What are you thinking about?” He says, “Nothing.” He’s not hiding things, being evasive or dodging the question. He is actually not thinking about anything. Nothing is a real place for guys. Women are always thinking. The mind never rests. When she hears “nothing,” she can’t deal with that. She thinks, ‘that’s not normal.’ Worse, she starts thinking, ‘You don’t love me anymore.’  That thought never came up with him. He wonders where did she pull that from. She asked and he said. He was honest. Nothing. She can’t deal with nothing.

 

Understanding each other is tough. It can be done. You work at it. You learn each other. You help each other. My wife is detailed oriented when telling a story. I’m not. General idea is good enough for me. I start telling a story, I get the thing messed up for her. I get the details wrong. Wrong date. Wrong place. That used to bother me, because she’d have to correct me and get the details right. It doesn’t bother me anymore. I try to get the details right, but I still mess it up. She’ll iron them out. Understanding. Getting the story right is important to her. I’m learning.

 

The opposite of Peter’s words are very scary. If we do not understand each other, we don’t know each other and then we find that we don’t have much in common or why are we even together. The understanding helps us in the difficult times. The understanding helps us spiritually. Different concerns. Different needs. Different likes. But together because we understand each other.

 

The direction of the passage is towards men. Husbands need to understand their wives. It is good when it works both ways, but maybe Peter knew something about us guys. Maybe he knew that it’s harder for us. Maybe he understood waffles and boxes.

 

Try working at it. Get to know each other.

 

Roger

 

11

Jump Start # 1185

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

Jump Start # 1185

Psalms 137:1 “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.”

  Today is a sad anniversary for our country. 9-11. Lives were changed and many lives lost that day and since that time in pursuing wicked men who are bent on our destruction. Painful memories are the hardest to deal with. We love the happy memories. The weddings…the births…the birthday parties…the holidays…baptisms…awesome worship services. We take photos of those events because we do not want to forget. It’s the painful ones that we’d like to forget but they hang around and seem to haunt us.

 

The memory of a car accident…the memory of hateful words spoken to you…the memory of a sudden death…the memory of a funeral…the memory of a divorce—those moments have shaped us and affected us. The tears, the heartache, the pain, the hurt—it doesn’t take much to bring back those painful memories. You can be having a pretty good day and a certain song comes on the radio and that’s all it takes to bring back the thoughts and bring on the tears. My mom has been gone for 19 years. The other day I was in a store and saw a woman from the back. She looked like mom. About the same size, hair color, even the way she walked. I knew it wasn’t but it sure brought back memories. I wished it was.

 

Our verse today is one of the last Psalms. It was written during the Babylonian captivity. Judah was in punishment for disobeying God. The words are the thoughts of the faithful. They remembered Zion or Jerusalem. They were away from the Temple. They were captives in a foreign land. It brought tears to their eyes.

 

How does a person deal with the painful memories that will not go away? Some have been crippled by those experiences and life all but stopped for them. It may be time for some professional help in those cases. For some, those events changed their lives. The death of a mate has forced them to make some painful changes, possibly moving from a home that they no longer can take care of or afford. It may have resulted in a family being split up by divorce and now you only get to see the kids every other weekend. It may be that your company folded and you haven’t been able to find a job. It seems the birds are singing and the sun is shining for everyone else, but those painful changes and memories have truly affected you in a great way.

 

One thing I would suggest is not to keep dwelling upon the pain. It will be there, but we can make it worse. It’s like when a person is dating and the other person breaks up with them. Playing those sad songs over and over doesn’t help. It just makes you feel worse. Paul’s words to the Philippians about focusing upon the things that are lovely, pure, right is powerful. Let your mind dwell upon these things is what Paul said. Reliving and replaying the hurt over and over only takes healing longer. It’s like picking off scabs. You have to allow things to heal and what you focus upon can really help.

 

Second, get around others, especially godly people. Isolation leads to depression. Elijah was hiding in a cave when God found him. He was told to get out of the cave and get around people. Caves are dark. They allow dark thoughts. Most of us have our own caves. It’s time to open the drapes and let the sunshine in the house and in our hearts. Get to worship. Get around others. This allows you to be useful, productive and helps you count your blessings. It’s ok to smile again. It’s ok to laugh again. It’s ok to find pleasurable things to do again. When Paul was depressed God did not remove the problems that caused that. He sent Titus. Titus was a breath of fresh air for Paul’s soul and spirit. Titus encouraged and helped Paul. You need a Titus in your life. The problems and pain will probably still be there, but a Titus can bring back the hope and joy in your life.

 

Third, your experiences, as painful as they are, can be powerful tools to help others. We are all on a journey. We are not at the same location. Some are ahead of us and others are behind us. Look to those ahead of your for encouragement and advice. Look behind you to offer a helping hand to those who are hurting. The fellowship of others is a great help. What you have learned, good and bad, can be shared with others. It helps talking to someone who has walked the same path that you have. No one understands the pain a parent goes through who has buried a child more than another parent who has done the same. The rest of us really do not know what you feel. Be there for one another.

 

Finally, remember that God is still on the throne. He’s been there all this time. He was on the throne when the planes flew into the twin towers on 9-11. He was on the throne when bombs fell upon Pearl Harbor. He was on the throne when Judah was taken to Babylon. He was on the throne when His beloved Son was put to death on the Cross of Calvary. God knows. He sees our tears and knows our hearts. Our thoughts could turn to why didn’t He do something? Maybe He did and we don’t understand it on this side of eternity. We know He still loves us and always has. We know that He wants the best for us, and that best is for us to have a relationship with Him and walk with His Son to Heaven. He has never promised rainbows and sunshine each day. He has been faithful to us. There has been blessings since our tragedy. We may have a hard time seeing them, but they are there. He’s not finished with us. There is a work to do and there is a life to live. There are people that need us and are counting upon us. We need to be God’s hands and feet. He wants us to continue on with Him. The pain we experienced isn’t an indication of His displeasure. Suffering, hardships and hard times are some of the best classroom learning experiences God has. We see things in the dark that we never see in the daytime. We tend to lean more upon God, pray more, think more spiritually when we are going through the valleys of life. We love the mountain top experiences, but often, to get to the mountain tops, one must travel through the dark valleys first.

 

Prayer helps. Fellowship helps. Reading God’s word, especially the Psalms, helps. It’s ok to cry. It’s ok to reflect. But don’t shut the Titus’ out of your life who are Heaven sent to help you. They love you and want to encourage you.

 

Painful memories—we all have them. May God help us with them.

 

Roger

 

10

Jump Start # 1184

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1184

Proverbs 14:29 “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.”

 

Our verse today is about the demonstration of one’s character. There are two avenues, two choices, two ways to go here. The first is the one who is slow to anger. His character is built upon patience. Our passage says such a person has great understanding. Sure he gets angry, but not all the time and not at the slightest thing. This person sees people above things. He understands that mistakes and accidents are not the same as rebellion and intention. There is a difference between spilling milk at the table and throwing a glass of milk because one doesn’t get his way. The slow to anger has his spirit under control.

 

The other person is said to be “quick-tempered.” A footnote in the margin explains this as “short of spirit.” We’d use the expression, short fuse. It doesn’t take much to set this guy off. He leaves a trail of bad words, chewed out people and slammed doors everywhere he goes. He’s just as likely to explode in church as he is at home or at a store. He’s bites the head off of restaurant people if they are slow or they mixed his order. Road rage is a constant companion with this person. His kids fear messing up because they know a volcano of anger will erupt. They do not have a warm relationship because they are always on edge. His ways, his tone, his language is being copied by his kids. The quick-tempered person often becomes the bully that everyone fears. He is the neighbor that no one can get along with. He is the one in church who is always causing a stink about everything. The passage tells us what we already know. His quick tempered ways exalts folly. He is always embarrassing his wife by chewing out people in public. His temper is quick. He is impulsive. He doesn’t think before he speaks. His pride keeps him from apologizing. People shy away from him and his family suffers because no one really wants to be near him. He has driven people away from the church. Behind his back people think of him as a jerk. He is obnoxious, offensive and mean. His comments in a Bible class illustrate a narrow, shallow and bigoted attitude. He is a real mess.

 

Modern versions use the expression “impulsive” for quick-tempered. We understand impulsive. Impulsive spending is what happens when you go to the store for three items and you come home with a dozen. Impulsive spending crashes the budget. Impulsive is the mark of someone who has not planned nor thought things out. The moment catches them and they act.

 

Impulse is how Satan operates. He wants us to be impulsive in our ways. When we stop and think and consider, most times, sin isn’t as pretty as Satan paints it. Impulse doesn’t think about tomorrow. It’s all about the moment. Impulse doesn’t consider consequences. The New Testament has an antidote to impulsive behavior. It’s called “girding your mind.” Peter said that in 1 Pet 1:13. Girding your mind means, “preparing your mind.” Girding is what happened back then when a person put his clothes on. He wrapped his garments around him. He “girded his loins.” Girding your mind is the same idea. It’s taking the time to consider things, to think things out, to see ahead. We get in trouble when we don’t do that. Things happen and we say, “I wasn’t thinking.” That’s right. We weren’t. Had we been thinking, we wouldn’t have said or done what we did. Daniel we are told, made up his mind not to eat the kings food (1:8). Daniel was thinking things out. He was girding his mind.

 

Impulse is what happens when the young college girl gets caught up in the moment and has sex with her boyfriend. She soon learns that she is pregnant. She must drop out of school. Her mom and dad have to take care of the child while she works minimum wages. Her plans, life and future have all been altered by a “moments decision” that was made without thinking. Impulsive, she did not think ahead. She did not think it out. The tears of guilt will not undo what has been done.

 

The same goes for the guy at work who fudges a few numbers here and there and cooks a few books so he can embezzle some corporate money. He doesn’t think. He never sees the police showing up to escort him out in handcuffs. He never sees a trial and jail time. He doesn’t think about what this will do to his family. He wasn’t thinking. That’s the problem. He just wasn’t thinking.

 

But the opposite is just as true. Take a couple who work with a budget every month. They save and invest from every paycheck. They live within their means. Retirement comes and they have built a nice nest egg. They did this by not living paycheck to paycheck, but thinking things out. Not being impulsive, but having a plan and sticking to that plan.

 

Or, here is a man who takes seriously the work of the Lord. He sets aside some time every day to read God’s word. He takes notes on passages and grows in his faith. His love for the Lord compels him to encourage others. He and his wife open their home often for others. He has thought all of this out. This is the way to go. He is making a difference in the lives of others. Generous, kind and godly are the choices of his life. In time, he is asked to teach classes at church. When leaders are needed, his name comes up naturally. He has set his mind upon the things of God. This didn’t just happen. He thought it out.

 

Our passage is not just about the subject of anger. There is a much larger picture here. It is a way of life. It is thinking and planning things out. It is taking thought of what our words and actions will do. It is choosing not to be impulsive—whether in attitude, words or actions. It has been said that ‘Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.’ Folks won’t stumble into Heaven by accident. There’s no impulse that will rocket someone into Heaven. It’s measured steps. It’s a deliberate choice. It’s thought out. It’s planned. The way of the Cross, we sing, leads home.

 

This is more than just a cool verse. It is all about us. It is a postcard of us, sent from Heaven. We are thinking things out or we are impulsive. We are growing or we are getting into trouble. We are making a difference or we are damaging others.

 

Think it out…that’s God’s way. Is it yours?

 

Roger