29

Jump Start # 1363

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

Jump Start # 1363

Titus 3:14 “Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.”

 

This is one of the last things Paul wrote in his words to Titus. It was something for Titus to put on his “To-Do” list. This is what the people need. This is something that must be done.

There are a few thoughts here:

 

First, Paul refers to the brethren as “Our people.” That is a special and unique expression. Peter often used the word, “Beloved.” The term “brethren” is used numerous times in Scriptures. But “Our People,” has a special ring to it. We belong to one another. We are connected. We might say, “Our house.” We often pray, bless  “Our daily bread.” Our time. Our work. Our. Brethren are our people. I like that. We understand “our people,” regionally. People from different regions often have a hard time understanding the way people talk and their mannerisms. Here in Indiana, we speak a form of “Hoosier hick.” We have our expressions that are understood by Hoosiers but if you are not from here, they don’t make much sense. All regions are like that. I’ve been to Texas several times. Will be traveling there again very soon. In Texas, a person can say, “Bless your heart,” and then say whatever they feel like. For instance, in Texas, you could say, “Bless your heart, you were just born ugly weren’t you?” Not only will the person not be offended, most times, he’d agree with you. He’d reply, “I sure was.” “Bless your heart, you married ugly didn’t you.” The reply, “Yep, she’s ugly clear to the bone.” Say those things in Indiana and you best be running because someone is going to hit you.

 

Our brethren—that’s us. We are the spiritual family of Christ. Sure we have warts and scars and we can be a bit odd but these are our people. We love them to death. They are the best people on the face of the earth. We understand each other, like each other, and wouldn’t have it any other way. Our people!

 

Second, there are pressing needs that only good deeds can take care of. Our people have pressing needs. The idea of pressing means important. These are not things that can be put on the back burner. These are not the things that we hope to get around too sooner or later. No, they are pressing. They are priority one. They need to be attended to immediately. Paul doesn’t tell us what those pressing needs are. We can understand from our times and our people what some might be.

 

A discouraged heart needs attention or it will quit.

A troubled marriage needs attention or it will end.

A broken heart needs attention or it will be crushed with pain.

A prodigal coming home needs attention or he might return to the far county.

A question needs attention or a person might feel that they do not matter.

A troubled teen needs attention or he might go off the deep end.

 

When there was a complaint among the disciples in Acts 6, the apostles looked into the matter. They came up with a solution. It wasn’t ignored. It wasn’t tossed to the side. Jesus was often interrupted with pressing matters. A dying girl. A leprous hand. A stormy journey across the sea. Jesus never said, “Quit bothering Me.” He looked into pressing matters.

 

Congregations have pressing matters. It frustrates “our people,” when those things are not dealt with. Some folks move slow. Some folks think slow. Some folks don’t understand “pressing.” Leadership must take charge and deal with pressing matters.

 

Third, these pressing matters would be taken care of by “good deeds.” Our brethren were the ones who were doing the good deeds. The passage ends with a reminder that we are not to be unfruitful. In John’s Gospel, Jesus said that the branch that did not bear fruit was cut off and thrown into the fire. It was expected to bear fruit. In the parable of the talents, the one talent man got into trouble because he had only buried what was given to him. He had not done anything. God expects His children, our people, to be fruitful. The discouraged needs the encourager. Those with questions need those with answers. Those that are hurting need those who can heal. Those that are troubled need those who can see better days ahead. Busy doing good deeds. Busy serving others. Busy helping our people.

 

Now, to do this well, one must be willing to give up some of his time. He must be willing to think about others and not just himself. He must use what he can to help others.

 

Fourth, our people must be taught to engage in good deeds. This tells us that these things are not natural. These things do not just happen. We must learn. We learn by looking at Jesus, the one who truly had the heart of a servant. We learn by studying Scriptures. We learn by looking at others.

 

I wonder how many congregations have set aside a series of classes to teach others how to engage in good deeds? We may think that people will just know. They don’t. They must be taught. They have to learn. It may be that some pressing needs are not met because others are not doing good deeds because they don’t know what to do. What do you say to someone who has lost a loved one? What do you say to a young mother whose husband has left her? What do you say to someone who is thinking about quitting? Do you shout at them? Do you pound Scriptures down them? Do you hand them a sermon CD? Do you run and tell the shepherds? What do you do? Learn. Be taught. Understand.

 

Hebrews tells us that we need to consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. There is that phrase again, “good deeds.” Stimulate one another. Teach one another. Our people need some help here. Our people will get it once they understand.

 

Much to chew on in this one simple passage. How are you doing with it? Are you meeting the pressing needs of others?

 

Roger

 

28

Jump Start # 1362

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

Jump Start # 1362

Ephesians 5:23 “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church. He Himself being the Savior of the body.

  Our passage today comes from that powerful Ephesian section about marriage. The roles of the husband and wife are identified and the role models that they should follow, Christ and the church, are paralleled as well. This section however, is really not about marriage. It is about the church. The relationship between Christ and the church is what this section is about. The husband and wife reference is used to illustrate Christ and the church. We often get this reversed and backward.

There are two powerful thoughts that we find between Christ and the church.

First, Christ always loved and was good to the church. He gave. He saved. He sacrificed. He blessed. He showed. There is nothing that God asks of us that Jesus did not do Himself. He worshipped. We are too. He prayed. We are to do that. He followed Scripture. We do that. He was a servant. We are to be that way. He put others before Himself. We need to do that. The man who is serious about his marriage will look to Jesus.  He won’t find the apostles tripping over each other, bringing ice tea to Jesus. What he will see, is Jesus washing the feet of the apostles, including Judas’. The husband, looking at Jesus, realizes that he is to serve. He is to bless his wife. He is to make her feel loved, wanted and appreciated. Christ was good for the church. The husband is to be good to his wife.

 

Second, the church honors Christ. Any church today that forgets Christ, has no purpose or reason to stay in business. The business of the church is Christ. They are to worship, honor, serve, follow and praise the Lord. This has a way of getting fuzzy with some. We can put more emphasis upon us that we do Him. We can complain, get bored, and fuss about how we feel, while forgetting how He feels. Worship is a gift that comes from the heart. The church can never do enough for all that Christ has done for us. What an example for the woman who truly wants to do as God expects in her marriage. She, like the church, is to give, share, honor and love her husband.

 

It’s easy to point the finger to the other person in the marriage and declare that he’s not doing his part. We can decide to just stop being nice until they get on the ball more. Selfishness, neglect and busyness can hurt a marriage. The best relationships do not just happen. The more time, work and energy that is poured in the relationship, the better it will soar. This is true of our relationship with the Lord and our relationship at home.

 

There are three things that God expects from every marriage.

 

First, God expects all people in the marriage to be faithful to each other. Faithful, in body, mind and emotion. Some may never have an affair with the body, but the flirting that they do at work and the facebook conversations would certainly make one wonder about all that. Jesus tells us that fornications come from the heart and defile a person. Long before the clothes come off, there are thoughts, words and actions that were going the wrong direction. Faithful—in all ways. This is part of our “I Do’s” that we promise to one another and that God hears. This point alone kills pornography. Filling the mind with dirt from the gutter will only poison the marriage and ruin anything that is good and right.

 

Second, God expects all people in marriage to stay in the marriage until death. This is a life long commitment. This isn’t a seasonal thing. This is an arrangement until a newer model comes out. There is no trading up when it comes to marriage. God designed it. He invited man to it. Beginning a marriage with a “pre-nup” agreement is a disaster waiting to happen. There is no “pre-nup”. We are staying with this until the very end.

 

Third, God expects all people in the marriage to honor Him. Marriage is about honoring God not finding myself, being happy, or making someone else happy. The purpose is to bring honor to God. In doing this, one will find the greatest joy and happiness in a marriage. Honor God by worshipping together. Honor God by serving others together. Honor God by bringing children up in the Lord. Honor God by following Him, including Him in your daily life and loving Him.

 

Across this land there are too many church buildings filled with women and children while the men are at home in bed or off hunting. He has no time, interest nor concern in the things above. It’s up to the wife to introduce God in the hearts of the little children. Dad can’t be counted on for that. He’ll teach them how to burp, throw a ball, catch a fish but nothing about God. This will cripple the family later on. This is much more than “going to church.” When that daughter wants to date, what clothing she wears, who she hangs out with—those are times that dad and God must take a stand on the same page and shine. It’s time for dad to lead. But those who have ignored God will find themselves on the wrong side of those issues. Mom will stand alone. Mom and dad will not be on the same page. It will hurt their relationship and it will affect the children.

 

Sometimes we must slow down a bit and see how we are treating the other one in the marriage. We can be so busy that we have just taken things for granted. Marriage can be one of the greatest helps in our spiritual journey. Someone to pray with, talk to, study the Bible with, go to worship with and journey through life on the same page is an enormous blessing. Dads and moms need to teach very early the value of dating and marrying someone who walks with the Lord. Forgiveness, love and that godly example that Ephesians gives us, takes on a special meaning when everyone is a Christian.

 

May God help us in our marriage.

 

 

Roger

 

27

Jump Start # 1361

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

Jump Start # 1361

Luke 16:1 “Now He was also saying to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions.’”

  Our verse today is the opening of the parable of the unjust steward. Dishonest, caught and facing the consequences, the unjust steward cuts a deal with those who owed the master money. They too were dishonest. He is praised for his shrewdness. He didn’t just roll over and give up, he came up with an idea to survive. For that, he is praised and the disciples were to learn from him.

This parable is often hard to understand. It’s troubling because of the number of bad people in it. Many of the Lord’s stories were raw, and saw the ugly side of life. In the good Samaritan, the injured man is ignored by two people. His injuries were not the result of a fall, but of violence and theft. In the story of the prodigal, the rebellious son was broke and without friends in the far country and when he returned home, his older brother refused to have anything to do with him. That family had problems. The parable of the wise and foolish virgins does not end well for the five who ran out of oil. The door was shut and they were not allowed in. Poor Lazarus was ignored by a rich man who could have helped him. Poor Lazarus died.

 

Jesus’ illustrations were not fairy tales. Not everyone lived happily ever after. Not everyone was good. Not everyone did what they were supposed to do. Not everyone got the message and turned around by the end of the parable. There is a darkness to many of the parables. There is a reality to many of the parables. Going all the way back to the Proverbs, there seems to be a contrast between the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the fool. There is a pain in the parables

 

As a parent, this is a hard lesson to teach to children. Not everyone is going to be nice. Not everyone is going to apologize. There are bullies. There are people who are mean. There are some who will try to take advantage of you. There are some who do not care. There is an ugly side to life.

 

It also reminds us that not all problems are easily solved or solved at all. Unlike TV shows that ends with everything worked out and back to where it should be, life isn’t always like that. The rich man never helped Lazarus. The rich man’s brothers were going to follow the same selfish path that he traveled. It didn’t look like that problem was going to be solved. We are left wondering about the elder brother of the prodigal. Did he ever ‘get it,’ and eventually join the celebration, or did he remain outside, stubborn, unforgiving and hard in his heart? Some problems just do not seem to be solved.

 

We also see God in all of these parables. He’s the master. He’s the father. He’s the shepherd. He’s the groom. He’s the one who forgives and accepts. He’s the one who calls for the books. He’s the one who shuts the door. He’s the one who asks the questions. God is always there, as He is in our lives. He’s there. Often we may not recognize it because things aren’t going the way we want them to be. When Lazarus died, the angels were there, sent by God, to carry his soul to Abraham’s bosom. God is always there. He is involved in our lives. He is blessing us. He is watching us. He is counting on us to do right. He knows. He sees.

 

The parables are also mirrors to our lives. In the parables we find ourselves. So often, Jesus used the parables to specifically address an issue or a question at the moment. When challenged about associating with the riffraff, such as the publicans and sinners, Jesus told the parables of lost sheep, lost coins and lost sons. The elder brother of the prodigal was pointed directly to the Pharisees who accused Jesus. They were that elder brother. Refusing, avoiding, condemning, just like the elder brother. When Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus it was pointed to the Pharisees who were lovers of money. The context plainly states that. They were the rich man. Cold, selfish, and headed to torment because of their indifference to others. We get the most out of the parables when we put ourselves right in the story. We have been that rebellious prodigal. We can be the forgiving father to others or we can be the unforgiving brother. We stand in their shadows as we read the story. The intention of seeing ourselves, often not in a very pretty sight, is to move us to change. It is spoken so we can be helped. The parable of the sower illustrates the various kinds of hearts, one of which represents our heart. It shows us a picture of ourselves that we may or may not want to see.

 

The parables were a powerful and wonderful way of teaching. They are a avenue to see ourselves and to see what God wants.

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

26

Jump Start # 1360

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1360

Psalms 56:8 “You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?”

  I would like to share some personal insights with you about my weekend. It was a time of contrasts, tears and holding hands. It will fit well with our verse for today.

 

On Saturday, I was honored to conduct a wedding. It was outdoor, picture perfect weather, great crowd, and very beautiful wedding. As the bride was heading toward me, walking with her father, I looked over at the groom and he had tears rolling down his cheeks. It was so sweet. As the bride stood close, I saw that she too, had tears. They held hands. They said their “I Do’s”. They kissed. Those tears turned into beautiful smiles as they were congratulated by family and friends. What a great day that was!

 

The next day, Sunday, I preached the evening service. We have a member who was in the hospital and not doing very well. He was supposed to have been married the day before, as well. His first wife had passed away. He moved back here to where we are. He connected with the sweetest lady, whose husband had also passed away a while back. They had known each other for years. They would come into church holding hands. So sweet. I was to do that wedding on the same day as the other wedding. They changed plans and asked me to be the best man. What an honor. Two weddings on the same day. But last week he got ill. Then he tanked. Now he was in critical condition. I really didn’t want to go to the hospital on Sunday evening, because I was tired. I tried to talk myself into going the next day, but my conscience wouldn’t let me. I went. He was very, very bad. The family was there. There were many, many tears. A medical decision was made, and soon after that his heart stopped beating. He was gone. His beloved held his hand as his heart stopped. I still have tears as I write this. He was a good man. He was a man of God. This all happened so quickly.

 

Holding hands and tears. On Saturday it was the beginning of a new journey for a young couple who got married. On Sunday, it was the end of a journey for a soldier of Christ.

 

There are some important lessons through all of this.

 

A church family, like a physical family, often has different emotions and experiences at the same time. One family smiles because a daughter is married. One family cries because a dad passed away. This rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep are often not very far apart as I found out last weekend. The tears of joy and the tears of sorrow are both necessary. One is not more important than the other. It’s easy to make one emotion seem of lesser value than the other, but you can’t do that. Both are important. Both are part of life. A family, church or physical, must be there to encourage, support and help through all these emotions. This can be taxing because of the needs, prayers and expressions of love that need to be shared. This is why we must look beyond ourselves. This is why we must be servants of Christ. The drive home late Sunday night, I kept thinking I was so glad that I went to the hospital. Sometimes our hearts and our bodies tell us not today, we’ll serve tomorrow. Our heads know otherwise. Our heads realize that folks need us now.

 

Our passage tells us that God not only recognizes our tears but that He stores them in a bottle. Saved tears. There are a lot of things that people save. Some have become hoarders or pack rats because they save everything. Many people have a certain night stand drawer, or kitchen drawer, that is just stuffed with stuff. There are newspaper clippings, those funeral home cards we pick when we go to a funeral, rubber bands, paper clips, pencils, rulers, ribbons, thumb tacks and odds and ends that we just know someday we’ll need, if we can remember where we put it by then. I have a jar of coins that I empty my pockets into when I come home at the end of a day. I have in my garage a jar of nails, screws and metal thing-of-a-bob, that I just might need sometime. Some write a journal, detailing their travels, events and feelings on a daily basis. But of all these things, I have never seen a bottle of collected tears. First, they wouldn’t last. Tears evaporate. Second, why would we want to save them. Tears of happiness are one thing, but those sad tears. Tears when we have hurt someone or disappointed them. Tears that came because of sin. It’s hard to see someone cry and that not get to you. One of the first movies that ever made me really cry was “Brian’s Song.” There is a scene in which Chicago Bears running back, Gale Sayers tells the team about the coming death of his dear friend and fellow running back,  Brian Piccolo, and then the music plays. Then the tears flow. So sad. God has saved our tears in a bottle. God remembers. He remembers your hurts, your pains, your failures. Tears from injuries. Tears of sadness. Tears of joy. Tears of remorse. God has been there. You may have felt very alone, but you weren’t. He knows and He cares.

 

There is a line from the new Avenger movie, “A thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts. It is a privilege to be among them.” The value of life isn’t in how long it lasts, but in the difference it makes and how it touches our lives.

 

This day, you will run into people who are on top of the world. They are excited and things are going very well for them. A new house. A new baby. A new job. A new degree. A new car. Happy, smiling and hopeful. Rejoice with them. Thank the Lord for their blessings.

 

There will be others also who feel like the bottom has dropped out of their lives. A death and now a funeral. A marriage that is over and now a divorce. A friendship that is toxic and now must end. The sorrow of loss. The guilt of sin. The disastrous feeling of failure. Imagine what the prodigal felt when he first came to his senses. Sitting in the mud with pigs and dreaming of eating hard, dry pods, reality finally comes home to him. Look at himself. Look how low you’ve sunk. The sin of addiction, any addiction, will do that. The misery. The failure. The tears. Those tears that God has placed in a bottle. Those tears that lead to hope. Those tears that make us remember that God hasn’t given up. Those tears that remind us that God is looking for us, even today. Weep with those folks. Pray for those folks. Let them know that God hasn’t given up on them.

 

Tears and holding hands…the contrasts of life.

 

Roger

 

22

Jump Start # 1359

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1359

Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

NOTE: Two announcements for our Readers.

  (1) Monday is a holiday and there will be no Jump Start that day.

  (2) Another Jump Start book has been made. It’s entitled, “Shepherding God’s People.” It’s a collection of seven recent articles about the role of elders and shepherding God’s people today. This book may not appeal to some, but it is available and free if you would like. This would especially be good to give to your elders or to use in a leadership study. Contact me (Rogshouse@aol.com) – send me your mailing address and the number of copies you would like.

 

This weekend is the time we remember the fallen soldier, Memorial Day. I have known many who have served. My father is a WW II vet. The greatest price and the greatest sacrifice and the greatest gift that any person can give is their own life. Freedom comes with a price. There are those who want to take away the freedom and our safety and protection is made possible by those sacrifices. Simple things, such as writing and sending these Jump Starts, would be banned and outlawed in many places today. This freedom should never be taken lightly. God bless those who have served our country and have walked with the Lord at the same time!

 

Our verse today is another form of remembering. It wasn’t a national holiday. It was something that people would do on their own. It wasn’t about soldiers, it was about spiritual heroes. They were to remember those who first taught them the Gospel. That’s a good thing to do. The congregation where I am at had it’s 100th anniversary a couple of years ago. That’s an important milestone to remember and reflect upon. There are a couple of old pieces of furniture, an old pulpit and a table that was once used for the Lord’s Supper, that are kept and remembered. There have been many important voices that have spoken from behind that old pulpit. There were many stirring sermons preached that led individuals to following Christ.

 

Our passage today reveals three thoughts:

 

  Remember those who first taught you. Can you remember? Who is the first preacher that you remember? What do you remember about him? Often they wore dark suits and as a child we just assumed that they cut their yard and even went to bed in those dark suits. But what we remember the most is the passion, the commitment, the dedication and their desire to help us know the Lord and walk with Him. They worked long and hard, and back then, most were not paid near what they were worth. Many of their families struggled financially, but they got by with the help of the Lord. Those spiritual giants knew the book. Many could stand up in front of a crowd and quote passage after passage. That’s impressive. More than that, they really knew the Lord. They prayed often. They took their walk with the Lord seriously. Good men. They kept many congregations going. We remember.

 

  Considering the result of their conduct. Other translations state, “considering the outcome of their faith.” The tone of these words imply that they had gone on. They had finished their journey. It’s hard to consider the outcome of one’s faith, when they haven’t yet finished it. The thought is that those first teachers of the Gospel had died. In the book of Hebrews, they may have been persecuted, or simply, executed for their faith. They kept and they finished, as Paul would declare about himself. It’s one thing to start. Just about anyone can start. I could start a marathon. That’s easy. It’s the staying with it until you have finished that is hard. Starting college, not too hard. Starting a new business, easy. Finishing, that’s tough. Those that were remembered here, had completed their journey. They did what the Lord wanted. The “well done” would be spoken to them by the Lord.

 

You and I are still on our journey. Stopping now means quitting. Stopping now isn’t reaching the goal. We must continue on. We must go until the Lord stops us. We must realize that others will be watching us. Some day, someone may consider the outcome of our faith. How we handle every day things is noticed. How we handle the big things is noticed. How we die will be noticed. This isn’t just about us. Our children, especially, will see what we have done.

 

Imitate their faith. There were footprints that these first teachers left. Those footprints led to Heaven. The readers were told to imitate or follow those footprints. Imitate how they worshipped. Imitate how they believed. Imitate how they refused to quit. The devotion, commitment and dedication—imitate those things. Years ago, when I was a puppy preacher, I held a series of meetings in Northern Kentucky, three years in a row. I stayed with an old guy named Victor. He was country and old school, through and through. Victor would tell me that people today are soft. Victor wasn’t soft. I tend to think that is what the Hebrew writer was expressing to his audience. The book reveals many forms of persecution and hardships that they were going through. Some had quit. Some had found a way to avoid those things. They were neglecting, compromising and simply giving up. The reminder of these first teachers, what they went through, the outcome of their faith, was used to keep them on course.

 

We need to do the same. Some of our forefathers, spiritually, donated land so church buildings could be built. Some of them traveled a long way, not in the luxury of air travel, but on horseback, to preach and strengthen souls. In pouring rain, those early preachers in America would travel, often sleeping on the ground, preaching in log cabins and in schools and out in meadows, wherever a crowd would gather. They poured their hearts out. Today, we have fine congregations that meet in state of the art church buildings, the latest technology, copiers, computers, projectors, facebook, twitter, videos and all this stuff, yet it will be the same dedication, hard working, committed soldier to the cross that will make the difference. Don’t forget. Remember!

 

Three simple words from our passage: remember, consider, imitate.

 

It does a soul good to do that. It helps us to remember what is really important. It keeps our eyes upon Heaven.

 

Roger