15

Jump Start # 1249

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

Jump Start # 1249

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “The conclusion, when all has been heard is this: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.”

  The other day I was at a funeral. The casket was draped with an American flag. At the end of the service, a soldier came and stood beside the casket. From the back of the funeral chapel Taps was played. It was very solemn, dignified and fitting. There is something about that song, Taps. I’ve heard it all of my life. I’ve conducted many funerals when it was played. Sometimes at the grave site, a volley of rifle shots are fired, and then that sad tune, Taps is played. What is interesting about the song Taps, is that it is used to honor the fallen soldier. I’ve never hear a pop singer try to remake it into a modern tune. I have a CD of patriotic songs, Taps, isn’t included. Most folks don’t have Taps on their iTune collection of songs. I’ve never known a bride that wanted Taps played as she walked down the isle. Taps means one thing. It us used for one thing. A few years ago, my uncle passed away. He was my dad’s only brother. There was just the two of them growing up. They both served in WW II. My dad was in the marines, my uncle in the army. My dad did really well at his brother’s funeral, until Taps was played. He started crying. He told me that it brought back memories of all the young men who didn’t make it home during the war. He had heard that song over and over in the past. It has one meaning, to honor the fallen soldier.

 

There is something reverent, decent and noble about the audience when Taps is played. There is a stillness that falls over a crowd. Even fussy children seem to quiet down during Taps. Those, like myself, who never wore a uniform in service, understand the importance of the moment. Honor is being bestowed upon one who dedicated himself to serving his country.

 

Our verse today reminds me of Taps. Solomon concludes this book after a long journey of trying to figure out the unevenness of life and the unfairness of life by telling us to Fear God. The word fear is used in a couple of ways in our Bible. One way, is the most obvious and that is to be afraid. Hebrews tells us that it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. To understand God, His holiness, His position, His power, is to be somewhat afraid of Him. Those that challenged God, were struck severely. Aaron’s two sons thought they could offer God a strange fire. How wrong they were. They were stuck dead. Ananias and Sapphira thought they could lie to God. How wrong they were. They were struck dead. There is a certain about of fear that ought to race through us when we realize how wrong we have been and how holy God is.

 

The other way the word fear is used is to describe reverence, respect, honor. It is like Taps being played. It is not to honor the dead, but the living God. This is the way Solomon is using the word fear in Ecclesiastes. It is to respect and honor God. There are many ways this is done.

 

  • Numerous times I have seen folks step out of the auditorium during worship. When they have reentered, if a prayer is being said, they stop. They stand silently until the prayer is finished. Now if I’m talking in a sermon, they come on in. Why the difference? In a prayer, we are talking to God. Reverence. Respect. Honor. Taps is being played. When I’m talking, it’s just Roger. Talking to God and  listening to Roger are not on the same level. Fear God.

 

  • We show respect in how we handle and treat the Bible. First, the way we treat it physically. We don’t use our Bibles as a coaster. We don’t just toss our Bibles in the trunk of a car. There is a tender care about this book. Like an old American flag, it’s hard to know what to do with a worn out Bible. Something just doesn’t seem right about tossing it in the trash. I still don’t know how to get rid of a Bible that’s falling apart. But more than that, there is a reverence about how we treat the words of the Bible. In a discussion, the Bible brings a closure to all that is said. Jesus understood this. When tested about divorce, He said, “Have you not read?” He then quotes from the O.T. When Satan tempted Him, He said, “It is written,” again quoting from the Old Testament. There was a reverence, a respect about the words of the Bible. It’s like a judge in a courtroom. The attorneys may argue back and forth and want this or that, but the word of the judge is final. He owns the courtroom. You do not approach the judge without permission. You do not interrupt without permission. The Bible carries the same position and power. There is no changing it. There is no ignoring it.

 

  • Throughout the Bible, God’s name is that way. It’s not in our society. I wish it was. Honoring God’s name. Using God’s name in fear. Reverently speaking God’s name. The third commandment of the the 10 commandments warned not to take God’s name in vain. That’s missing today. When folks are happy they say God’s name. When they are mad, they say God’s name. When they don’t know what to say, they say God’s name. So common is this that there is even an acronym “OM_” that is found daily on Facebook and other places. Fear God.  No one but goofball would use the American flag as a rug or to wash his car with. When people are really mad at the government, they will burn the flag. Why? They know what the flag means. They are trashing something sacred and held in the highest honor. Greater than the flag, is the name of God. Honor Him but using it carefully and thoughtfully. Don’t say God’s name without meaning God. Teach your children this. Respect. Reverence. Honor. Fear.

 

  • Follow Him. This is one of the greatest ways that we honor and fear and respect God. We treasure what He says, we believe what He says and then we do what He says. If you love me, Jesus said, keep my commandments. To say that I love God, but I ignore what He says, doesn’t show respect. Even in those unpleasant areas, I need to follow Him. I need to obey Him. What He says about divorce, obey Him. What He says about parenting, obey Him. What He says about worship, obey Him. What He says about attitude, obey Him. What He says about forgiving others, obey Him. If I only obey Him in the areas that I like, then I’m not really following Him. I’m simply doing what I want to do. But when He wants me to do something that I don’t want to do, like go and apologize, then I truly show if I respect Him, honor Him, love Him and fear Him.

 

Modern theology has turned the God of Heaven into one of our fishing buddies. They’ve made God like us. So our worship, our attitude, our prayers, and our disposition tends to be casual with God. Why not, He’s just one of the guys. No, He’s not. He’s not like us. He’s better than we are. To fear God would make us toss out all the junk that is going on in the name of religion. It would make us truly open His word and do some serious studying.

 

Fear God. Two simple words. Much like Taps. It’s a sound of honor, respect and tribute.

 

Fear God.

 

Roger

 

12

Jump Start # 1248

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

Jump Start # 1248

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

 

Well, I finished it this week. When the idea was presented, it sounded great. In the process of doing it, I really second guessed myself and wondered what in the world I was doing. Now that it’s over, I liked it. What I’m talking about is a recent class that I taught. The elders where I worship restructured some of our adult classes. Instead of the typical 13 week quarter classes, we had ten week classes and several five week classes. I was teaching some of the five week classes. The first round was about the Holy Spirit. Five lessons. Not too bad. Then came the monster, Revelation. Revelation in five weeks. Revelation in five days, basically. It was going to be the 33,000 foot view. Hit the high points. Tell the over all picture. See the obvious things. In the midst of teaching it I wondered if it was too much. But we did it. The class loved it. The big picture. The overview. We managed to squeeze in the two visions, the mark of the beast, the 1,000 year reign, Satan’s binding, judgment and Heaven. We made a booklet. We did it. After class was over I told someone since we did this, we can now do Ezekiel in 13 minutes. Only joking.

 

But this little experiment revealed something to me. I wonder if our verse-by-verse study that we so often do on most books is best. There is certainly a place for that, but every time? Always? The only way to look at a book of the Bible? What really got me thinking about this is that we don’t read other material the same way we do the books of the Bible. For instance, imagine getting one of those yearly Christmas letters from a friend. We always get a few every year. Now, imagine you and your family taking 13 weeks to read that letter. Once a week, you read a few words then you talk about them. You don’t read the letter in it’s entirety. We don’t do that we college texts. We don’t do that with the newspaper. Now, I understand, and I have myself taught, that no book is like the Bible. No book is read like the Bible. Understood. However, do we lose the message and kill the flow by being so tedious and meticulous with every word? Letters, especially, are to be read in one sitting. My friend Bob taught a class on Ephesians. He began every class with his iphone and speakers. He would play the book of Ephesians to the class. This is how they first received it. They didn’t have Bibles opened in their laps. They heard someone reading it. They had to listen. The book of Revelation gives a double blessing. First, to the one who reads, and then, to the one who hears.

 

Handling accurately the word of truth is what our verse today tells us. Mishandling the truth leads to wrong impressions, wrong ideas and trouble. With the Bible in hand, many things are said that are not truly supported by the Scriptures. It wasn’t accurate. My son-in-law, Jared, is an internal auditor. He looks at the books. When things are not accurate he goes into hyper drive and digs until he finds out why. Accuracy. We want that in our banking. Only in Monopoly will you find a bank error in your favor. We want our surgeons to be accurate. We want pilots to be accurate. We want surveyors to be accurate about our property lines. But when it comes to the Bible, somehow that drive for accuracy can be lacking. Too often, it’s easy to let someone else do all the homework and then make a passionate presentation to us. If it sounds logical and they can back it up with facts and passages, it’s good enough for most of us. God wants each of us to know, handle and be accustomed to truth. Our faith doesn’t rest in what someone else believes, but in what we believe.

 

The words do need to be looked at in detail. The questions that arise need to be answered. The thought, intent, background and principles need to be flushed out. We need to know the book. We are to be a people of the book. So approach books from different standpoints. Don’t be stuck always reading and studying the same way. Here are a few suggestions:

 

  • When studying the gospels, focus upon the questions that are asked. Notice who asked the questions and how they were answered.
  • In the gospels, especially in Mark, notice the reactions from the multitudes. Just study those reactions.
  • Notice word patterns. You’ll see repeated words often in a context. Pay attention to those.
  • Notice references to the Old Testament
  • Notice the people Jesus met.
  • Notice how Jesus was interrupted.
  • Notice what bothered people and what bothered Jesus. They are not the same.
  • Notice prayers.

 

These come out in a verse by verse study, but they can be lost. Try making these things the study. Is it wrong to study verse-by-verse? No. Absolutely not. We need to. We must. I will continue to teach verse-by-verse studies. But once in awhile, that 33,000 feet view helps.

 

Handle the truth accurately. At the end of the day, at the end of a lifetime, have I handled God’s word accurately? If I have, it then ought to have an impact in my life. It ought to have shaped me, changed me and made me better. The truth within my heart will guide my faith, it will define my hope and it will strengthen me in difficult times.

 

Handle it. Touch it. See it. Feel it. Tons of folks are using electronic versions of the Bible. I do in some occasions. Friends tell me that they can turn to passages faster electronically than I can with my fingers. We may have to have a showdown some day. I expect I’ll lose. However, I’m one who still likes the feel of pages in my fingers. I like the sound of turning pages when I preach. One is not better than the other. The Bible is not made to be stored in a museum, in a locked box, but rather handled. Raise the hood. Look inside. Tinker with it. Look at it. Ask questions. See things that are there. Underline. Make your Bible user friendly to you. I’m amazed to see some folks turn to a book of the Bible by feel. Without looking, they can turn to a section. They have handled and handled that book. It’s more than touching, it’s handling the message. It’s knowing what is said. It’s reading it. It’s studying it. It’s looking up verses. It’s seeing the true and accurate picture.

 

Whether you study word by word or take that 33,000 feet approach, get into the Bible. The more we get into the Bible, the more the Bible gets into us. Now, that’s when things start to really happen.

 

Roger

 

11

Jump Start # 1247

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

Jump Start # 1247

Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in.”

  Our verse today is taken from the judgment parables of Matthew 25. Three stories: wise virgins, dependable servants and disciples who did what they could. In each of these three stories, the Lord is gone and He returns. When He returns, an accounting takes place. For the foolish virgins the door to the wedding feast was shut and they were not allowed in. For the one talent man, what he had was taken away from him and he was cast out into the outer darkness. For the stingy disciples, they were told to depart into the eternal fire. Harsh consequences for those who disappointed Jesus. Not everyone is going to make it. Judgment isn’t passing a written test. It’s living our faith. It’s faith in action. It’s doing things. It’s becoming what we are supposed to be. It’s putting into practice the principles that we believe.

 

Many things are done quietly and behind the scenes. Because of that, it is easy for some to think that nothing much is going on. Some even complain about that. If they only knew. Let me share with you just a few things I’ve seen recently here where I’m at. These are the invisible, behind the scene things. Most have no idea about these things. I do, simply because I happened to be around to see them.

 

  • There was a deacon showing up one afternoon to fix the underside of a pew. He worked quickly. He is good at what he does. No one will probably ever know what he did. God does. He made a pew stronger and safer for those who sit there. Thanks, Jim.

 

  • There was a young man who has learned how to make sermon CD’s and keep our CD racks stocked. I saw him the other day after services. While many are running around or talking, he was in and out of the media room with various CD’s. When folks look for a CD, there are plenty to choose from thanks to the good work of this young man. I doubt anyone noticed. God did. Thanks, Jordan.

 

  • There was a man last Sunday who left with an arm load of our Jump Start books. He had 24 of them. He told me that he was heading south for the holidays. He wanted to give a complete set for each of his two grown children. Who knows what good those will do. I doubt anyone noticed. God did. Thanks, Frank.

 

  • There was a couple of our deacons who have been spending a lot of time at our building working on media stuff. They’ve changed mics. They are fine tuning our live streaming. They are good at what they are doing. They come in after work and are often here on Saturdays. On Sunday mornings, everything runs smoothly because of the hours these guys are devoting to the work. I doubt anyone noticed. God did. Thanks, Stephen and Donnie.

 

  • There was a man who recently brought in boxes of quality religious books. I expect some of them belonged to his dad. He donated them to the library here. Those books will help folks for years. Instead of selling them on Ebay, he gave them to the church. What a generous heart. I doubt anyone noticed. God did. Thanks, Lee.

 

  • There was our preacher I heard talking to someone on the phone the other day. I don’t know who he was talking to, but what he said and how he said things was so kind. I’m sure it was helpful. Those things happen nearly every day. He’s so good at those things. I doubt anyone noticed. God did. Thanks, Zack.

 

  • There was the day I went to print some class material. The printer stopped. It was out of paper. I looked in the cabinet below and there were boxes and boxes of paper. There were several boxes of toner just waiting for me to use. One of our deacons takes care of these things. We print a lot of things here. We are always printing. We print nearly every day. I have never been out of paper or toner. I doubt anyone noticed. God did. Thanks, Mark.

 

  • There was the young man I saw recently talking to one of our shepherds. This young guy doesn’t come very often. It’s easy for him to fall through the cracks. But this one shepherd had his eye on him. He let the young man just talk and talk. I don’t know what the conversation was about, but you could see the young man stepping a bit higher after that. The words of that shepherd must have been helpful. I doubt anyone noticed. God did. Thanks, Brent.

 

  • There were Bible studies, phone calls, emails going on that most of the congregation does not know about. Those things happen every day. There are visits and cards sent and good being done nearly every day. I doubt anyone noticed. God did. Thanks to those who are doing these wonderful works.

 

Now all of these things happened just recently, most of them just last week. These are the things that are going on behind the scenes. There are all kinds of things that are going on that all see. There are teachers who are always teaching. There are bulletins always printed. A clean building. Lights that work. People opening doors. Hand shakes and hugs and smiles. We see those things. Those aren’t the only things that are taking place.

 

Two observations: first, it’s easy to think that nothing is going on. It may seem like that because you do not see what’s going on behind the scenes. There are so many things that most do not even know about. When folks complain about nothing being done, it generally means that they are not aware of what’s going on. Some may suggest, why don’t we post what we are all doing? Not a good idea. That can lose the purpose for these things. Bragging can be introduced when that is done. Behind the scenes is the way it should be done. Behind the scenes is best. God knows. That’s all that matters.

 

Second, it makes me look to myself and ask, “What am I doing?” There are so many lives that can be touched, taught, encouraged and helped. It’s not only the big things, but even the little things that matter. There are things each of us can do. Don’t toot your horn. Don’t tell others. Don’t complain that you are the only one. Just get busy and do what you can. Do it the best that you can. You are serving the Lord.

 

If you took a moment are really thought about it, most of us would realize that there are many people who are doing things behind the scenes. That’s where they work the best. It would be helpful if now and then you just thanked the Lord for their great service. I know for me personally, they certainly make things easier for me to do what I can. Together we are a team. We are not competing against each other. We are not trying to see who is the best. We are on the same team. We want success in all that we do. We want Heaven.

 

Thanks.

 

Roger

 

 

 

10

Jump Start # 1246

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

Jump Start # 1246

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”

  Our verse today is a sad reminder that death always lurks in the shadows. Death is always difficult to understand. Questions arise such as, why and where are they? Death is especially hard around the holidays. I didn’t look up the details, and it may be just how I perceive things, but it appears to me that more people die around the holidays than other time. And for many families, they are experiencing their first holiday without a loved one. Holidays can be painful for many families because of death.

 

Paul’s words to the Thessalonians, our verse today, is written concerning those who are “asleep.” That term is used, especially in the N.T., to describe the righteous dead. Jesus said that Lazarus was asleep. The Corinthians were told that we shall not all sleep, but some will be alive when Jesus comes. Paul’s words are not an exhaustive, detailed and analytical look at the subject of death. Not at all. He’s writing to Christians. His words concern the death of Christians. This is only one small slice of this big subject. It’s important, but it’s not everything. It was not intended to be.

 

Three things this verse helps us with.

 

First, we need to be informed. Paul said, “We do not want you to be uninformed.” A lack of knowledge leads to fear, false ideas and wrong thinking. Knowledge, on any subject, gives confidence, assurance and drives doubts away. And on the subject of death and what happens after that, the uninformed definitely outrank the informed. Ideas range from eating chocolate in Heaven, to reincarnation, to ghosts, to messages coming from the deceased, to all being saved and no one is lost, to the wicked ceasing to exist, to unbiblical concepts such as limbo and purgatory. Where do all these ideas come from? From being uninformed. When you do know, anything sounds good. Without any information, we chase speculations. People claim to have died and came back. They write books. They sound believable. Then comes another twist. Then, yet, another after that. Confusion abounds. People don’t like talking about the subject of death, so that further builds more chances of being convinced of something that isn’t true.

 

Do not be uninformed. Ok, how do I learn? Just how do I become informed? Through the Scriptures. No one knows more about this than God does. Paul’s words that follow in this context reveal a few facts. He tells us that Jesus is coming. He tells us that that will be a resurrection. He tells us that the righteous will be with the Lord. Where’s the proof? It stands behind the word of God. God stands behind His word.

 

As unpleasant as this topic may be to you, somewhere down the line you ought to give it some serious thought. It’s going to happen and you might as well know what is going to happen to you. Your knowledge will help assure your family. It will give you confidence. It will show that death is nothing more than a passage way, a door if you may, to the next room. Certainly things change. For the righteous, the change is for the better.

 

Second, Paul tells us that there is a hope in death. He wanted the brethren to not grieve as the rest do who have no hope. This tells us that some have hope in death and others do not. What is there to hope in death? From the first point, being informed, a person understands that death is not the end. The hope, for the righteous, is being with God. The hope is Heaven. The hope is the blessings of comfort. The hope is being finished with pain, sorrow and death. The hope is that Satan won’t bother you any more. Instead of fearing death, dreading death, there was a hope. There will be that grand resurrection day and the righteous will be gathered with Christ forever. That’s amazing. It’s awesome! In the presence of all the Bible greats, at one time and in one place. Nothing to fear. No other place that you need to be. Not in a hurry. Not behind on things. Not stressed. Not tired. Not bothered. Not scared. Together with God. Together with other righteous ones. A grand reunion with the righteous ones from before. There is a guy named Clement Nance. He was one of the very first, if not the first, preachers of New Testament Christianity in Indiana. He lived in the early 1800’s. I’ve been chasing some rabbits about his life and work in my spare time. I’d love to sit with him on a bench in Heaven and have him tell me about the early days. That fascinates me. Then there is my mother. In a few weeks, the twentieth anniversary of her death will be remembered. Then there are those who meant a lot to me who have passed recently. Folks like JoAnn and Terri in Kansas City. Marty in Tampa. Ted in Lafayette, IN. Billy, here where I’m at. Righteous people. Good people. They loved the Lord, followed Him, obeyed Him, and I have the hope of seeing them again.

 

Paul’s words were to the living about those who died. The Thessalonians had their own list. Not of family members and friends who died, but the righteous. Paul is talking about the death of the righteous. That’s where the hope was. Some of the Thessalonian Christians had died. The living were grieving over them. These words were addressed to that situation. The hope lies with the righteous. Not everyone has that hope. Not everyone is going to make it. Just because a person died doesn’t mean that there is hope. Just because the person was loved by me or was sweet, doesn’t mean that there is hope. The hope rests in the fact that they were believers. They were Christians. They walked, followed, worshipped and obeyed Jesus. That’s where the hope was.

 

Third, Paul tells us that there are two different kinds of grief. There is a grief that most have. It’s not based upon hope. They do not believe. They do not know what they believe. They have ignored the subject of death, like they have ignored God. They have been busy living this life and then one day, death comes calling. It catches them off guard. They aren’t ready for it. They don’t want to say “good-bye.” They grieve hard. They grieve long. Their lack of faith and understanding fuels questions, fears and anger. The mourning process is long and ugly for them. They are changed and not for the better. They blame God. They become cruel toward others. They feel cheated. They can’t give it up. I passed a cemetery the other day. Someone had strung Christmas lights around a grave. That’s a first for me. It seemed very odd. Did they think, and the answer is probably yes, that the departed would enjoy sharing the holidays that way? I wonder if there would be Christmas presents placed upon the grave? Uniformed and hopeless leads to strange things.

 

Christians grieve. Our text implies that. They miss loved ones. They grieve the loss of the righteous. However, their grief is different. It’s built around hope. It’s not despair and desperation and doom. There is a tug on the heart to be with the righteous. There is a tug on the heart to want to be done with this place. It’s not wrong at all for a Christian to shed tears. Jesus did. He knew Lazarus was going to be raised. He was moments from doing that. Yet, He still cried.

 

One final thought: the holiday season is a busy time with shopping, cooking, wrapping and spending time with family. Remember those who are grieving. Keep an eye out for them. Do something special for them. It’s hard. The first time is the hardest. It helps knowing that others care.

 

Roger

 

09

Jump Start # 1245

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

Jump Start # 1245

Psalms 27:7 “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me.”

  I was with a dear friend recently. She was hurting. Her hurts were visible in her eyes if you knew her. Her pain was in her tears, as she literally cried. She is a sweet, sweet Christian who is nearing the end of her journey here. I’ve known her for decades. We are friends. At this recent visit, she cried. She was scared. She just doesn’t know if God has forgiven her. We talked. We looked at a few passages. I offered a prayer. I left, but I couldn’t leave the conversation. It stayed with me. She is not alone in how she feels. I’ve met many Christians who have felt this way. This is especially true of the older generation. It may be that they have more time to think about things. It may be the reality of death is before them. It may be that they are more serious in their walk with the Lord.

 

Our passage today, not written from a senior citizen, but one who felt God was distant. That can happen at any time or age. Here are some thoughts that came to me about this:

 

1. We can feel this way because of the damage and consequences of our sins. We can think that we’ve done too much for even God to forgive. We know the lessons about Saul of Tarsus who persecuted Christians and became the apostle Paul. We know those things. But still, when it is my life, my sins, my forgiveness, those take on a different meaning. Has God truly forgiven me?

 

2. Sermons can make a person feel this way. This is something I heard from my friend. Preachers pounding hard about hypocrisy, waywardness, indifference, and a lack of spiritual intensity hits honest and good hearts. Some feel guilty when maybe they shouldn’t. The hard part about preaching is the spiritual diversity in the audience before you each week. In that audience are the faithful of God who are trying. Also in that audience are the curious, the indifferent, the apathetic, the hypocrite, the visitor and the prodigal. The faithful look within. They apply everything to themselves. They want to be right with the Lord. So as the preacher is hammering away about prodigals, there is the faithful, thinking that the preacher is talking about them. They remember periods in their past when they were not as strong as they could have been. They remember wrongs in their life. They wonder. They question. They begin believing that they have not done enough, if there is such a thing? They feel bad about the low moments in their life. Those things weigh them down. They can lose confidence and assurance in the Lord. While the preacher is trying to touch the prodigal’s heart and the stir up the heart of the indifferent, too often, the heart of the faithful is bothered because of their lack of trust in the Lord.

 

3. Much of this is a faith issue. In theory this is understood. In reality, it’s hard to grasp. What a failure and a disappointment to God some of us, if not all of us have been in the past. It’s hard to climb out of the deep pit that we’ve been in. The freshness of forgiveness often doesn’t cover the stench of sin. On top of this, most have a hard time forgiving themselves. It’s easier to forgive someone else. We demand more, expect more and have little patience for failure in our own life. But it’s there.

 

Can we feel forgiven? Can we have the assurance of Heaven? Can we overcome our past? The answer has to be yes. Without that answer, we are doomed. I believe many of the doubts and fears we have come from Satan. He eats at our confidence in Christ. He hangs around reminding us of sins and failures. He wants us to believe that we are too bad for God. He wants us to be overwhelmed with worry and anxious moments. Those things keep us up at night. They block good health. We become weary and discouraged because of worry and fear.

 

This is why Peter said “Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” Jesus repeatedly said, “Do not be anxious.” Don’t go there. How? How, is through faith. How is grasping that God loves you. He knows you. You have hidden nothing from Him. He knows all and still loves you. Faith builds confidence. Faith drives Satan away. Faith is the answer, the hope and the means to trusting God. The Lord promises to forgive us, if our hearts are true and right. It is upon those promises that we build our hope and move forward.

 

My conversation with my friend revealed to me that there may well be many who feel the same way. They want to go to Heaven. They believe in God. They have followed Him. But there lingers doubts, fears and anxious moments. We must be busy building faith. We must strengthen up our hearts. Could it be that we spend too much time talking about others, and what we need to focus upon is our relationships with the Lord. Maybe we’ve taken it for granted that the faithful are always strong. Maybe it’s the fundamentals that we need to revisit.

 

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine…Jesus is mine. My Jesus. Some day we will be out of there. We will no longer have these dark fears plaguing us. Satan will be put where he belongs. Until then, know, believe, trust that God loves you and wants you to spend forever with Him. Walk with Him. Ask Him to forgive you. Do what He says. Do your best. If you stumbled yesterday, pick yourself up and make today the day it ought to be.

 

My Jesus.

 

Roger