30

Jump Start # 1343

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1343

Acts 15:39-40 “And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.”

  Luke, who wrote Acts, is detailing the travels of Paul, much like a journal. Paul and Barnabas had been traveling and preaching companions throughout the first missionary journey. Now they were ready to embark on a second trip. They were soon to set sail. Barnabas wanted to take Mark, his cousin. On the first journey Mark was with them, at least for part of the trip. He left them and returned home. Paul didn’t want that to happen again. He wanted someone who would be loyal and stay the course, even in difficult times. These were not vacation travels. They were working for the Lord. They were sent out by brethren. They experienced harsh opposition and unpleasant circumstances.

 

In detailing these events, Luke tells us of a huge disagreement between Paul and Barnabas. It was over Mark. Paul didn’t want him on the trip. Barnabas did. They disagreed. It ended with Paul choosing someone else and leaving. Barnabas took Mark and went a different direction. Paul and Barnabas would not travel together after this. This was a new page and a new direction for Paul. Luke tells us these things so the reader would not question, “What happened to Barnabas?” We know. We also know, on Paul’s last page of Biblical writings, 2 Timothy 4, he sends for Mark, with the statement that he is useful to him. Mark proved himself.

 

Disagreements, they happen. They happen at home. Mom and Dad disagree. Parents and teenagers disagree. It happens at work. The leaders have a plan and those that have to implement those plans do not believe it will work. There are disagreements. Politicians disagree. Sometimes, often times, progress is stalled because of the deadlock among rivals in the political arena. And now, from this page in Acts, we learn that there are disagreements among God’s people. Here the disagreement surrounded how they viewed another person, Mark. Barnabas wanted to give him another chance. Paul, obviously, didn’t trust him.

 

There is no indication that Paul and Barnabas’ disagreement led to sinful actions. Nothing in the text would lead us to conclude that one cussed the other out. There is nothing here that would make us think that one shoved the other or that they came to blows. Nothing leads us to think that they screamed and made awful threats toward each other. Nothing makes us think that they trashed each other’s character. Disagreements can be civil. It doesn’t happen very often, but they can. It is also interesting that neither seemed to use their position nor their past in this disagreement. Paul did not pull out the apostle card and force Barnabas to do something he did not believe in. Barnabas did not remind Paul that he had stood up for him in Jerusalem when the brethren didn’t trust him. Those things were not used.

 

People will disagree. We do not have to declare the start of a war when that happens. We look at this today, and wonder what each party should have done. Maybe Mark changed. Maybe Barnabas saw something that Paul did not. Maybe Paul should have backed down a bit. Or, since this was a mission funded by a congregation, Paul didn’t want to waste money on someone who wouldn’t stay the course. Maybe Barnabas failed to see the big picture. You and I can second guess this all day. We can even conclude which of the two we feel was right in the matter. That is not the intention of this passage. It is not for us to take sides. It is not for us to determine which one was right. This is a historical note that carries spiritual lessons.

 

Brethren will disagree. We disagree about simple things such as what color to paint the auditorium. We disagree about more important things such as the hiring of a preacher or the appointment of leaders. When our disagreements ignore Biblical principles then the discussion is over. We must follow the Bible. God directs how a church ought to worship, raise money, use the money and fellowship. Ignoring what the Bible says about those things, may and should lead to disagreements. When folks do not want to stand upon the word of God, there will be disagreements and often a separation between brethren. Those things continue to happen. There are those who are always wanting to change things. Some of the changes violate Bible patterns and principles. When that happens, the changers are in the wrong. That often does not stop them. They have an agenda and will push for it, even though it may disregard what the Bible teaches.

 

But then there are the disagreements that do not violate God’s pattern. There are differences of opinion. Some of these differences can affect the wellbeing and future of a congregation. Should a church go into debt to add on. Conservative minds will drag their feet on that. Others see the need and the great potential. One side believes it will strap the church financially for a long time. The other side sees room for more people and future. Disagreements. These can be very sharp. These can turn ugly. These can result in a separation, like Paul and Barnabas.

 

I’ve seen many of these disagreements among brethren. It is hard to see the other viewpoint when you are so convinced of your viewpoint. I have seen these disagreements turn mean and ugly and people got hurt because of this. I have seen some never fully recover from these disagreements. Years later, it remains a sore spot and it hard to discuss peaceable.

 

There is no easy solution other than remembering who we are and what we are trying to accomplish in the big picture. Hurting brethren over a building seems to miss what is most important. Remembering Christ. Remembering that we are to be in submission to one another. Remembering that it’s not my name above the doorway helps us to keep the right perspective. Are there times that brethren must part? Are there times when one must leave? If it is necessary for the sake of your soul and for the peace and unity of the group, one may have to. Now, how he leaves is as important as how he conducts himself in the disagreement. Being passionate about an issue is not reason to be unkind, unChrist like and mean. Likewise, if I feel that I must leave, don’t try to get others to leave with you. Don’t divide the church. Don’t make a mess of things. Don’t burn bridges that years later you wish you can travel across again.

 

Getting along is hard. It’s hard in a marriage. When God says the two shall become one, figuring out which one is part of the learning of marriage. Attitudes can make it or break it in a discussion and disagreement. Getting along with teenagers is hard. They often don’t want to listen and think that they know better than their parents. Getting along with brethren can be hard. Some want to be the in house detective who is always spying and telling on others. Some always say “no.” It’s the only word that they know. Some run around like chicken little, believing the sky is falling and the church will go bankrupt. Some act as if the church prints money in the basement and they don’t believe in budgets. Oh, the differences that can be found among us.

 

Paul and Barnabas. One thing that did happen from their disagreement, they continued to preach. Neither one quit. Neither one gave up. They went different directions and at the end of the day, more people were hearing the Gospel. Good came from the disagreement. God’s kingdom grew and was strengthened because now there were four instead of just two out there preaching. Good can happen. These are the things we must keep before us. You never read in your Bible Paul trashing Barnabas nor Barnabas throwing Paul under the bus. You don’t read that, because that didn’t happen. Their disagreement didn’t ruin their friendship.

 

Older folks must understand that younger people have powerful ideas. They think of things that we older folks never do. Change isn’t always wrong. Younger folks must listen to the voice of experience that age has learned. Older folks have battle scars. They have stories. Their insights and wisdom must be honored. Work together. Work as a team. Work for Christ. That’s the answer.

 

Paul and Barnabas. This story is placed in our Bibles for a reason. Let us learn those reasons and grow and become better because of that.

 

Roger

 

29

Jump Start # 1342

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1342

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

 

Yesterday afternoon I was honored to hold my newest grandchild. She was so tiny and pink and only a few hours into this world. Her little eyes opened, and I looked into them and just smiled. I wondered what her world will be like. Riots in Baltimore, the Supreme Court deciding about same-sex marriage, Iran flexing it’s muscle, Isis stamping out Christians—it’s a scary place anymore. It’s enough to make parents scared today.

 

But I got to thinking about things. My dad will be ninety this summer. When he was born, a Tennessee court was trying the case of evolution being taught in school. The monkey trial was the introduction of pushing state laws about evolution. When my dad was just a boy, a German by the name of Hitler was amassing a large army and preaching his lopsided propaganda that would lead to a world war. He sought to eliminate the Jewish race. Those were troubling times.

 

When I was just a boy it was rock ‘n roll, drugs and open sex. The Playboy generation. The ‘tune in, turn on, and drop out’ generation. Civil rights movements led to riots. There were protests against an unpopular war in Vietnam. A president resigned. Those were troubling times.

 

And here we are now, a new generation is coming on the scene. Some things never change. Lawless people will continue to push the envelope on what is allowed and accepted. Nations rise up and wars take place. Through all of this God’s people continue to serve Him and trust Him. Between my dad’s early days and today there have been many wars, disasters, and dark nights. However, between those same times, God’s people have continued to meet to worship, spread His word and put a stake in the ground for God.

 

It’s hard to imagine what kind of technology and forms of communication my new granddaughter will be using in twenty years. Things change so fast. But some things never change. We will still need congregations so people can meet and worship together. This is God’s design. We will still need folks to stand up and preach God’s word. We will still need talented and gifted men to lead the people of God in the right direction. God’s word will still be premium among His people. There will always be a need for kindness, generosity, love and hope. There will still be the call for moral character and faith in the one true God. Nothing will replace reading God’s word. Nothing will replace the need to remember a risen Savior. Nothing will replace the precious blood that cleanses us from our sins.

 

The world changes. My dad’s days may have truly been like Mayberry. Mine never was. My world is different than my grandchildren’s world. TV shows are different. Music is different. Technology is different. Clothing is different. Yet, deep down, man is the same. He hasn’t changed all that much. Society may allow him to be more brazen and bold in his sin, but he remains the same. He still needs God. He still needs direction from above. He still longs for something beyond what we see.

 

Our verse, written a long, long time ago, sums up where we are. Our world today is so different than Solomon’s. The way we travel, what we do, how we cook our food, the amount of money we make—so different, yet, as our verse declares, the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. This is true in Solomon’s days. It is true in Jesus’ days. It is true in my dad’s days. True in my days and it will remain true in my grandchildren’s days. Some things never change. We will never out grow God. We will never get to the point where we do not need God. We will never do better on our own, without God. That will never happen. God will always and forever be the answer to our problems. God will always be our greatest help. God will always be the right answer.

 

So, this tells us that we each need to focus upon God. We need to know His word. We need to understand His will. We need to grasp what He expects and wants from each of us. Knowing God and including God has to be our greatest efforts and accomplishments. To live without God is to never really live.

 

Every generation has had spiritual giants and heroes. Those are the men and women who lived by faith. They made a difference in the lives of others. They walked as they talked. They lived for the Lord. These men and women became the backbones of congregations. They changed family histories. They left a legacy that surpassed their own generation. We live among such people today. They are pointing the way to God. They are ignored by the media. They are viewed as being old fashioned and out of touch, but they are indeed in touch with the God of Heaven and Earth. These spiritual heroes can be found on Sundays worshipping with the people of God. They demonstrate Christ in their lives. The times that they live in have not led to them giving up on God. Bad times and hard times are nothing new to the people of God.  There have been famines in the land. There have been giants on the horizon. There have been fiery furnaces and dens of lions. There have been Egyptians and Babylonians and Romans and yet the people of God have continued to march with their God.

 

This generation must continue to do so. We will continue to march toward Zion, no matter what the courts declare. We will continue to march no matter what others say. It is to God that we go. It is to God that we believe. Since the days of Abraham, the people of God have looked for that heavenly city. We will continue to look, until someday we are there.

 

The future is bright when you look into the sweet and innocent eyes of a young baby that you know will be taught the ways of the Lord by her godly parents. That’s the hope. That’s the future. That’s what we are counting on.

 

Welcome, Miss Eleanor!

 

Roger

 

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Jump Start # 1341

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1341

1 Corinthian 16:13 “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

 

One of the characteristics of Paul’s writings is found in our verse today. In our modern concepts we would call these “bullet points.” He lists short phrases of action that he expected brethren to follow. He doesn’t explain them, prove them or give much detail. He simply states them. You find examples such as our verse in many of his letters, especially Romans.

 

Our verse today contains four statements. They are similar and are connected, yet each one is special on it’s own. These four statements call us to attention and makes us focus upon what is important. Alert, standing, acting, being strong—positive admonitions. Powerful statements. Qualities of faith.

 

Today, I want to focus particularly on the third statement, “Act like men.” We use the expression, “Act your age,” or, “grow up.” Paul is calling upon the maturity of our faith. The opposite of acting like men is to act like babies, or immature. Throwing fits. Shouting. Having to have your way. Crying about yourself. Shallow thinking. Not seeing things through. Not finishing things. Having to have someone hold your hand. Threatening to leave. Needing attention. These are the qualities of immaturity.

 

Immature Christians hold back the work of a congregation. Instead of putting attention upon saving the lost, the attention must be diverted to the immature who cannot get along, cannot do what they are supposed to do and who do not want to go along with everyone else. We all come into this life immature. Parenting is to help us grow up. The problem is when immature parents are raising immature children, it’s a disaster. Some never grow up. Their bodies do, but not their emotions, minds and heart. They quit things easily. They get their feelings bruised. They can’t seem to advance. Spiritually, we are born again as children or immature. Our time spent with Christ ought to help us grow up. It doesn’t always happen. The Hebrews are an example of some who should have been teaching others, but they themselves needed to be taught. They hadn’t advanced. They couldn’t handle the deeper things. They remained babies spiritually. The Corinthians were like this. Paul, in the third chapter, said that he could not address them as spiritual, but as carnal, as babes. They were fussing over favorites. They were dividing. They were fighting. They were misusing and abusing the Lord’s Supper. They were a mess. They were acting like children.

 

Act like men. Grow up. Not everything is going to go your way. Don’t quit when it doesn’t. Not every day is going to run smooth. People are going to bother you, bug you and get in your way. Don’t slow down. Satan will throw obstacles to trip you up. Don’t give in.

 

Acting like men allows us to see that we serve and follow the Lord, not the people. The people may let us down, Jesus never does. The people may disappoint, the Lord never does. The people can be vain, shallow and gossipy, Jesus never is. Acting like men gets us to see what the big picture is. It is so easy to get side tracked on little things that do not matter. Acting like men stays the course. Acting like men brings out the best character in us. You know what it is like when adults act like children. They can scream at each other. They pout. They try to get people on their side. They try to undermine others. Oh, the games some will play when they are upset. Too immature to apologize. Too immature to admit wrong. Too immature to forgive. It’s easier simply not to talk to a person again. It’s easier to avoid them, not include them and to be smug in your attitude toward them. Sometimes Christians can act very unchristian when they are upset at one another. Name calling. Evil thinking. Threats. All the actions and plans of the immature. Act like men. That’s what God expects.

 

Remember Jesus? When reviled, He uttered no threats in return. He didn’t stoop to name calling. He didn’t belittle people. He didn’t ignore some. Act like men.

 

It takes thought and right choices to act like men, especially when others around you are acting like children. Sometimes even leaders can act like children. They shouldn’t, but they can and they do. It’s especially important for them to set the tone by being mature in thought and actions. Congregations can act very immature. When they do, it has a negative impact. Things usually blow up and the immaturity is all too well illustrated. It causes some to leave. It causes some to quit. The solution is simply, “act like men.”

 

We must take our lead from Christ. We must learn from Him. This is what must be done. It’s time to grow up and be responsible with our faith. It’s time to lead others with our faith. It’s time to be dependable, productive and useful with our faith.

 

Act like men!

 

Roger

 

27

Jump Start # 1340

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1340

Hosea 1:2 “When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.”

 

Our verse today, directed to the prophet Hosea, is one of the most difficult passages to grasp. The nation of God’s people was broken. Idolatry was just as common as anything. They had broken so many of God’s commands and their heart was not dedicated nor remorseful. It was a sad condition. Prophet after prophet had been ignored by the nation. So when God calls Hosea to the scene, He wanted to prophet to experience what the Lord was going through. The prophet was to love and marry a wife whose heart was unfaithful. There would be children born, but they would not belong to Hosea. The prophet was living in his marriage what God was experiencing through their undedicated hearts.

 

One can only imagine the nightmares that Hosea experienced. He must have wondered many nights where his wife was. He must have thought ‘what have I done to make her turn to others?’ How many tears he shed over his unfaithful wife. How angry he must have been when she did return home. The home of this prophet  wasn’t happy nor pleasant. It was not a dream marriage.

 

A lesson for us in the experiences of Hosea is that we often fail to understand what our sins do to God. It is easy to see only what it does to us. We can ease the wrong of sin but thinking no one got hurt. It’s easy to think that sin only becomes wrong if one gets caught or if there are major consequences. Without getting caught, sin doesn’t seem so bad. A little lie here. A bit of porn there. Crossing the border ethically, morally now and then, not so bad as long as you don’t get caught and nothing really bad happens. Such thinking deadens us to the wrong of sin. It also blinds us to what sin does to God. This is what Hosea teaches us. God is crushed by our sin. God is disappointed by our sin. God is hurt by our sin. It doesn’t have to be major. It doesn’t have to have huge consequences. No one else even has to know, God does.

 

A little wrong can never be right. A little wrong doesn’t make us better. A little wrong doesn’t spice up the marriage, improve our walk with the Lord nor turn us into spiritual giants. A little wrong is like a cancer within us. Ignoring it isn’t good. It won’t go away. Most likely, it will grow and get worse. That’s what sin does to us.

 

The holiness that God demands of us and the obedience and respect to His word that comes with discipleship ought to make us run as far as possible away from sin. But that’s not happening today. Too many are coming right up to the edge of wrong and looking over the side. Some are sticking their big toe over the edge just to see what it is like. Maybe I’m getting too old fashioned but it seems like more and more folks want to run up to the edge of things. Bring up the subject of drinking alcohol and you’ll find plenty of people today who see nothing wrong with it as long as you don’t get drunk. Don’t get drunk, but up to the drunk point, you’ll find more and more young Christians who see nothing wrong with it. Have a prom or a wedding and you’ll find more and more Christians who throw out modesty because it’s a special occasion. Modesty doesn’t count in weddings. Really? Next will come smoking marijuana. As more and more states approve of that, more and more Christians will begin to consider the possibility and the value of it.

 

I wonder what would happen if God allowed us to see and experience the horrors of sin as Hosea did first hand. The nation probably thought a little idolatry would be alright. It might even open doors to the nations nearby. How wrong and how naïve they were. How blind they were. These things were not helping them in their walk with the Lord. Idols were not making them more righteous. Sin never does.

 

God is hurt by our wrong choices. Our relationship with God takes a hit by our wrong choices. No one may know, but it affects us and it affects God. There may not be any major consequences, but God has been hurt by our sin.

 

Another powerful lesson from Hosea is about God’s love and God’s forgiveness for a wayward nation. It was demonstrated by Hosea’s love and forgiveness toward his unfaithful wife. God never gives up on us. He loves us to the end. He is always hopeful for the best. He longs for us to come back to Him.

 

Hosea is a great lesson about us and God. It’s powerful. It’s touching. It makes us take a long look at what we are doing.

 

Roger

 

 

24

Jump Start # 1339

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1339

2 Peter 1:3 “see that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who call us by His own glory and excellence.”

  Our verse today from Peter’s second letter is such that ought to give us confidence and assurance. God has provided. God has provided everything pertaining to life and godliness. God doesn’t leave gaps which we must fill. God doesn’t get us close and hope we can finish it up. God provides.

 

There are a few conclusions that we can make from Peter’s statement here.

 

First, If God indeed has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness then there is nothing more to come. This is hard for many to get in our day. They are looking for something else. They are looking for God to tell them who to marry, where to live, which job to take. Folks are looking for signs from above. They are gravitating towards divine nudges and divine feelings and promptings. It is not uncommon to hear someone say, “I feel that God is leading me to this.” More and more are putting stock in these feelings rather than the revealed word of God.

 

The written word of God is never enough for some. They want something else. They want something more. They want something personal. God never has led people before with an inner feeling. There was a time when God used dreams, visions or spoke to people directly. When He did, the people always knew that it was God. There was never an uncertain or an unclear message. However, those days are declared over. Today, He speaks through His Son. Putting your hope in feelings can lead a person down a crooked path. Feelings change. Feelings come and go. God doesn’t lead us that way. Peter’s audience had everything pertaining to life and godliness.

 

Second, God’s will and message remains the same for every generation. He wants us to seek Him, honor Him, obey Him and walk with Him all the days of our lives. God’s message doesn’t change. It’s the same in peace as it is in wartimes. It is the same here as it is there. It’s the same for Peter’s people as it is for our people.

 

The message of God is the written word of God. This is what was preached. This is what was copied, shared, studied and known throughout the ages. This is what we have learned, memorized, loved and can go back to over and over. You can’t do that with the inner promptings that some claim are happening today. You can’t put your finger on it. It changes from person to person. The meaning changes from day to day. It’s fuzzy. It’s confusing. And typically, it leads to opening doors that the word of God has closed. Dissatisfied hearts can take comfort in believing that God is now allowing and opening doors that have been closed for generations. Enlightened souls, being prompted by divine feelings, now believe that they are on a new mission with God. They are finding things that no one else has ever seen before. New ways to worship. New fellowships. New missions for the church. New ways. New thoughts. It pulls in a young crowd. It’s raw and exciting. No one knows where this will all lead to. All of this is ignoring our verse today. There isn’t anything new. Peter’s people were granted all things pertaining to life and godliness. If Peter’s people didn’t have it, then maybe we shouldn’t have it.

 

Every generation finds new folks who want to push the envelopes with new thoughts. They want to introduce new ideas. They tire of the old ways and want all things new. Radicals among them will experiment with finding ways to make wrongs right. Sometimes this is disguised by claiming, “God has led me to this.” A person can’t argue with God. If God is behind it, as radical as it may seem, then, it must be right. But this “God leading,” is often nothing more than feelings. This “God leading,” ignores the thrust of our verse today. How can God lead us into new areas if He has already granted EVERYTHING pertaining to life and godliness?  Either He hasn’t granted us EVERYTHING, or else, He is not leading us by our feelings.

 

This one verse is important. It says so much. It helps us. It reminds us that we are not missing out. There isn’t something out there yet to be discovered. We are not going to come up short because we didn’t have all the information that we needed. God has granted everything. Nothing is missing. Nothing isn’t known. It’s been there all along in the word of God.

 

Those thoughts ought to calm our spirits and drive us back to the word of God. Those thoughts ought to raise a caution flag to those who claim God is leading them and it’s not from the word of God. This generation is not going to find something that the last generation didn’t know. This generation isn’t going to have some insights that have never been found.

 

We ought to listen less to those who are not serious about verses like this, and put our trust in what God has promised and God has revealed. God is good. He’s not going to leave you stranded on a rock trying to figure things out on your own. Seek Him, Jesus said, and you will find Him. You will find Him where He has always been, in that wonderful revealed word of God.

 

Read it. Love it. Follow it. Know it. That’s the key for this generation, as it has ever since Peter’s days.

 

 

Roger