09

Jump Start # 1492

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1492

Titus 3:1-2 “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing consideration for all men.”

  Our verse today comes from the pen of Paul. He was writing Titus, a preacher. Here he gives a list of things that Titus needed to preach on. These are the things that the apostle felt the brethren needed to know. This list opens a window that so many of us have wanted to know and see. What was worship like in the first century? What kind of sermons were preached? Here, we get an indication.

 

Paul’s list includes eight topics. These are reminders. These are things that they ought to have known, but needed to be encouraged about. We forget. We get busy. We put the important things on the back burner. From these topics, we assume that Titus preached his sermons.

 

There are some thoughts from this:

 

First, the list is practical Christian living. Doctrines concerning resurrection, deity of Christ, fulfillment of prophecy are not in this list. Neither is contextual sermons. Paul didn’t list, “Teach Isaiah.” Those things are important. But here, we find the very application of our Christian lives. Our relationship with others seems to be a running theme through all of these topics. And topical, seems to be what these things are. There are some who downplay topical sermons. There is a thought that going through a book of the Bible, verse by verse, or chapter by chapter, is far superior preaching. Some even look at topical preaching as fluff and simplistic. I find those thoughts odd when I see Paul’s list here. There is a place for contextual studies and preaching but at the end of the day, how one lives their faith is most important. Here in this list are the concepts of subjection to others, obedience, attitudes such as gentleness and peaceable. Very topical. Very practical. Very needed, both then and now.

 

Second, it would be good if one looked at their congregation and came up with a list of what these folks need. This would be a great exercise for the shepherds of a congregation. Our people need to be reminded of what? Paul’s list makes one wonder if some of the brethren were becoming rebels, or rising up against the government. The response is to be subject, obedient, peaceable, gentle and not malign anyone. This list sent to Titus, would not be the same that the Corinthians needed. Each congregation has a unique makeup and problems that need to be addressed.

 

Third, Paul included in this list, “Be ready for every good deed.” That topic seems to come up often in this short book. In chapter two, Paul wrote, “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Then, later in the third chapter, “Our people must learn to engage in good deeds…”  Paul was sure interested in the brethren doing good deeds. Idle Christians, lazy Christians, are not a asset to the world or the kingdom. Get busy. Get busy doing things for others. Serve others. Devote your life to helping others. Shine your light that God has given you.

 

It seems helpful for the leaders of a congregation, the shepherds, to give a list of things that they feel need to be preached to the preacher. Let the shepherds and the preacher work together as a team. Help one another in the work for the kingdom. Some of us preachers like to preach about what we like to preach about. That may not be what the congregation needs. The team concept goes a long way in developing unity, peace and love within the congregation. Everyone has a role. The preacher and the elders are not two separate avenues within a congregation. They ought to be so close together that there is a wonderful spiritual partnership in growing and developing the congregation. When the elders and the preacher are not on the same page, conflicts and mixed messages can result.

 

We are not told how Titus felt when he read this passage. Did he sigh and think, “I don’t want to preach on these things?” Did he ignore what Paul said? Was he thankful for the suggestions and then got busy working on ways to present these ideas?

 

Practical Christian living is so important. The issues that keep folks up at night are not the differing theories of Christ’s return. People are worried about their kids and their jobs. They feel stretched and strained. Their schedules are full and life seems to be racing on. Priorities get mixed up. We don’t have much time for one another any more. Our souls are given quick little bites here and there and we hunger for more. We worry about safety. Fear is what keeps people awake at night. Worry is what keeps folks awake at night. Faith building lessons that deal with the storms of life will help us.

 

Looking at Paul’s list of what he wanted Titus to teach and preach, comes the thought, what do you need to be reminded of? That’s not the same as asking, “What do you want?” A study of mid-evil Christianity is fascinating to me, but not very useful today. What do you need? Have you thought about that? Have you looked at your life as Paul looked at that congregation? Paul came up with a list. I believe the list was determined by knowing what was going on. What list would you have for yourself?

 

Once you make such a list, then you now know what you ought to be studying and working on. Your list are the things that will help you the most. Give it a try and see what you come up with.

 

Remind them…we need to do the same.

 

Roger

 

08

Jump Start # 1491

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1491

1 Timothy 5:18 “For the Scriptures says, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,’ and ‘the laborer is worthy of his wages.’

  Our passage today takes us to a very delicate and little discussed topic, the pay of those who preach. The immediate context concerns elders who are described as “worthy of double honor.” Because they preached and taught, they were worthy to be financially paid by the congregation.

 

Paying the preacher…you won’t hear many sermons on that. Most preachers feel awkward about talking about these things. It can leave the impression that the preacher is begging for a raise. There is a business side to preaching and I don’t like it. It is necessary and even Biblical, but it leaves me very uncomfortable. The shepherds I work with know how uneasy I am about this but I have found few avenues to openly discuss, study and talk about this. Among fellow preachers there is sometimes some talk. So, let’s open the door and talk about a few things.

 

First, the preachers I know, myself very much included, are extremely thankful and grateful to be able to be financially supported by a congregation. This is a blessing. If I had to “make tents” as Paul did, there wouldn’t be as much time to do the things we do. It is an honor to be considered worthy to receive wages from a congregation. We are, I am, blessed.

 

Second, my generation of preachers has seen salaries explode. Growing up I remember our preachers having to drive school buses to help make ends meet. There was the stigma, “You only work 3 hours a week,” that wasn’t fair, funny, nor honest. Those comments hurt a lot of preachers. Those that continue to say that are ignorant and clueless to what their preacher is doing. I’d ask them to follow him for a week and better yet, give the preacher a week off and let those who make that claim do the work for a week. He’ll change his tune. Salaries for all Americans have exploded. I remember my grandfather, just two generations ago, telling me that he made a dollar a day. A dollar a day. We would be insulted to make a dollar an hour today. The attitudes of most brethren have changed through the years about what they ought to pay the preacher.

 

There were times, not too long ago, when preachers were given country hams and eggs as compensation for what they did. Most were happy to take that home to their families. I was once given a new Bible. The one I was using was worn and I think folks felt sorry for me.

 

Most preachers have funny stories about compensation. There is that odd handshake that some treasurers use. It happens at the end of special meeting, the last night, folks are leaving and the treasurer comes and shakes the preachers hand. In his palm is a check. It’s like a secret. It’s an odd moment. Just hand the preacher the check. I was at one place and on old guy brought me the collection plate. He said they always gave the visiting preacher whatever was contributed that day. I got it all. Had I known that I could have put in a big check and told my wife, “You won’t believe what they pay.”

 

Some churches gave the preacher a raise every time his family grew. More kids, meant more money. On the churches side of things, they knew he would have more expenses and they were taking care of that. On the preacher’s side of things, it looked like he got a raise simply because they had a baby in the family. Had there been no baby, there would have been no raise. Few companies operate that way. They pay a person based upon what they do. It doesn’t matter if they are single, married or have kids.

 

Then there is the question I’m asked from time to time, “What’s the going rate these days for preachers?” I don’t know how to answer that, because I don’t know. We are not unionized and there isn’t a starting salary for the rookie preacher. Size of the congregation, experience of the preacher all play a role in determining his salary.

 

Our passage is special for at least three reasons. First, it joins two O.T. passages together. There is a quote from Deuteronomy (“not to muzzle the ox”) and a quote from Leviticus (“laborer is worthy”). These two quotes are merged in one sentence. Peter did this in Acts as well. Some fuss about joining verses like that, but here God did it through inspiration. Second, these verses were considered “Scripture,” that special word that is used to describe God’s writing. The word “Scripture” is used of Paul’s writings. What was quoted was Scripture. Thirdly, we find a principle here that the one who laborers is worthy of being paid. He shouldn’t feel ashamed or made to beg for what God rightly says ought to be done.

 

 

Now, some additional thoughts. There is a huge trust factor between elders, the preacher and the congregation. Folks shouldn’t wonder what the preacher is doing all week. His work ought to show. His sermons, his classes, his writings, his studies ought to indicate that he is busy, serious and doing a good work. There are lazy preachers. The internet makes it easy to find and reuse someone’s sermons. It’s easy to do nothing all week and then put together some simple thoughts on a Saturday evening and preach on Sunday. Such men ought to be ashamed. The laborer is getting paid because he has labored. Planning, studying, developing lessons and classes takes effort, time and serious thought. It’s easy to buy a class book and just follow along without any real effort. Preachers do not have time clocks. Most spend the day in empty church buildings. This has led some congregations to ask the preacher to record his hours. That seems to be a trust factor. An honest hard working preacher needs to be paid. That’s the point.

 

As times change, so ought our way of looking at how we pay the preacher. We don’t give the preacher live chickens at the end of his Sunday sermon. This preacher wouldn’t know what to do with a live chicken. Today’s world makes us think about insurance, both health and life, retirement and taking care of the preacher’s wife, if something were to happen to him. More and more brethren are realizing the check the preacher gets is before taxes and without any benefits. Here at the holiday times, most get off a few days for the holidays. That’s not included for most preachers. They are given two or three weeks vacation and that’s it. No holidays. If he wants to be gone on Thanksgiving to go visit family back home, he must use one of his vacations. We don’t think about that. There was a time, not too long ago, that just about all office equipment that the preacher needed was purchased out of his own pocket. He used it, he ought to buy it, was the common thought. Today, that thinking has changed. Congregations realize that computers and printers are expensive. If they want quality work, then they need to provide the tools to get the work done. Also changed, and it needed to be changed, was those interview questions about whether or not the preacher’s wife was going to work. That never comes up in the business world. Why would churches ask that? Because if she worked, then the church wouldn’t have to pay the preacher as much. Really? Isn’t the laborer worthy of his hire.

 

Here’s something else to consider. In most work places today, if one employee discusses their salary with another, that’s reason for termination. No one really knows what others are making. But our preacher has his salary listed right on the bulletin board for everyone to see. Have you ever thought about that? How would you like to walk into work and on the bulletin board was your salary listed. From that, they look at the car you drive, the size of your house and think, “are we paying him too much?” Put yourself in your preacher’s shoes for a moment.

 

God bless the hard working preacher and the wonderful congregation that appreciates his work. There is a love that is formed and a great relationship develops. Most preachers I know would never ask for a raise, never. Some have not gotten a raise in years. They love what they do, and would do it for free if they could. They are dedicated to the Lord. They do so much that most never know about. What happens during the week is rarely noticed. There are so many studies, phone calls, emails, visits. They do these things because they want the church to grow. They do these things because it is right. Some of my best friends are preachers. All of them are godly, great and feel blessed to do what they do.

 

Thank you for letting me share these thoughts. My intention is to just have you give some thought to why and how you pay your preacher. Put yourself in his shoes for a moment and maybe there can be some adjustments. Maybe there can be a better understanding. Maybe you can see his world. Your preacher may even had you this Jump Start. Don’t read between the lines. It’s so hard for him to open the door for you to see his world. Love him. Support him. Stand with him. Together, march onward to wonderful, wonderful Zion.

 

Roger

 

 

07

Jump Start # 1490

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1490

Proverbs 30:25 “The ants are not a strong people, but they prepare food in the summer.”

  We don’t think about ants very much. About the only time we give them some thought is when we see them in our house or they are crashing a picnic. Here in this section of Proverbs, the ants head the list of things that are small on the earth but are exceedingly wise. Earlier in Proverbs, in the sixth chapter, ants are used as an illustration for the lazy person to learn some things. Ants have no pecking order, yet they seem to work together and work hard. One doesn’t find a lazy ant. Ants seem to always be on the move. I’ve never devoted much time to ant-ology (if there is such a thing) and I don’t know many different kinds other than the dreaded fire ant, and the red ant, but God saw the wisdom in reminding us of that tiny little creature.

 

It’s amazing that God uses something so small to teach his people. Ants are part of God’s creation. I suppose they got on the ark with the rest of God’s creation. This tells us first of all, that if we open our eyes and turn on our spiritual radar, we can just about see a lesson anywhere. Thinking spiritually and making applications are the key. There are lessons all about us. There are lesson not just coming from the pulpit on Sunday morning. The person who is always looking and always thinking spiritually, will find himself growing and growing in faith. Who would have thought that a little, bitty ant could teach us big folks something?

 

These tiny little ants, that most would think are near the bottom of the intelligence chain have got something that most of us smart ones can’t figure out. And that is how to do what you need to do without a boss. Ants don’t have bosses. Ants don’t have presidents. Ants don’t hold elections. There is no such thing as a “queen” ant as there are among the bees. You don’t see ants running fast, trying to be first in line. They march in single file. You don’t see ants fighting each other. When there is something larger than one ant can pick up, you’ll see two or three ants working together. They seem to have an amazing team effort. That’s hard for us adults. Everyone wants to be the quarterback. There isn’t a long line of folks wanting to be the waterboy. We hang our plaques on the wall so everyone can see what we have accomplished. We give awards, trophies and have banquets for the best among us. We push, shove and race our way to the front of the line. Those ants seem to get along better than we do. Most work places would fall apart if there wasn’t levels of organization, supervisors and managers who must tell others what to do. Ants aren’t that way. Ants remind us, especially in the church, that we are all the same.

 

Here’s another thing, most folks don’t think too highly of ants. We step on them. We blast them with bug spray. We aren’t too kind to ants. I have never known anyone who had a pet ant. Some had those glass cases where they could watch ants dig their tunnels, but that’s about it. A visit to the local pet store and you’ll find food for all kinds of animals. I doubt you’ll ever find ant food. You don’t find leashes to take an ant for a walk. I tend to doubt that ants have much self esteem in them, but if they did, these things don’t seem to bother them. They just go on doing what ants do. Now, we on the other had, get all bummed out when we are ignored, not included or not part of the inner circle. We like pecking orders as long as we are near the top somewhere. We worry what others think about us. When someone is whispering near us, that gets our mind racing. We wonder if they are talking about us. That’s just the way we tend to be. I don’t think ants get jealous of other ants. But we sure can be jealous of one another. If you compliment one guy, but not another, then he’s all upset. Many kids sports have now gone to not keeping score. No one wins and no one loses. This is done to keep everyone happy. Ants don’t have to do that. Maybe we can learn something from ants.

 

God made ants. I’m not sure why. It seems to me that there are some things He could have not made like skunks, mosquitoes, and snakes, especially snakes. All of them have a place and a role in His creation. While I may never understand some of those things and I may think life would be so much better without them, God didn’t. This world isn’t about me. The universe doesn’t rotate around me. There are things that others need, that I may not. There are things that I do not understand, yet that does not mean they are not helpful, necessary, nor good. If there was a catalog for things to order for this world, I probably would have left the ants out. But they seem to pick up the crumbs that I drop. They seem to be nature’s trash men. They serve a function. More than that, our God made them. That’s enough right there.

 

One final thought about ants, they remind us how blessed we are. Jesus didn’t die for ants. He died for you and me. Ants don’t sin. We do. We need Jesus. God made Heaven for us, not ants. We have a living soul, ants don’t. The Bible’s attention is upon us. We ought to be thankful that God cares so much about us. He loves us. He wants us in Heaven.

 

Ants aren’t a strong people, but they know how to prepare for what’s coming. In some ways, ants are smarter than some of us. We could learn something from God’s creation.

 

Roger

 

04

Jump Start #1489

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1489

Revelation 22:1 “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

  Our verse today comes from the last page in the Bible. John has been shown a marvelous tour of Heaven, God’s home. It is through John’s words, that our eyes can see the same things by faith. We need to be reminded of these powerful images in a world that seems to be getting darker and scarier every day. Violence, hatred and uncertainty fill the air. There is an escape. There is a safe haven. There is a place where evil can not breech. It is God’s home, Heaven.

 

There are some thoughts to be considered.

 

First, John was shown these things. Multiple times throughout Revelation, the expression, “And I saw,” is found. John isn’t just told about these things. John didn’t hear these things from someone else. He saw them. He was taken there and beheld these things. Similar to the opening lines of 1 John, “what we have seen with our eyes…” is the same thing that is taking place here. We know by faith. We know because one of us got to see it. We know it because God’s word is true.

 

Second, the water of life was a river. I live near a river. I cross it often. It’s big, wide, and very, very dirty. It’s the mighty Ohio. I wouldn’t dip a cup in it to drink from it. UGH. The river John saw was clear, clear as crystal. That’s inviting. It sounds pure and clean. It’s the kind of water you would want to wade in. It sounds refreshing.

 

This river was the water of life. The water of life, that which sustains us and is life giving. It wasn’t in a cup. It wasn’t in a pond or a pool, but there was a river of it. There was an abundance of it. That’s the thought. Pure, clean and abundant.

 

Third, this river flowed from God’s throne. It was divine. It was Heaven sent. It didn’t flow to God, but from God. This is a gift from God. This is what God wants us to have.

 

Our hope is in Heaven. I find, even among the people of God, a fear and a dread about leaving this place. Why? This place isn’t good. It once was good when God first made it, but that’s long since gone. The place isn’t the same anymore. It’s polluted with sin. It’s marred with brokenness. Selfishness rules. The ole’ place just isn’t the same anymore. Wickedness runs untouched. Our attention is to a new land, a new place. It’s Heaven where our hope lies.

 

We love songs about Heaven. Our favorite sermons are about Heaven. There is such a warmth about Heaven. It is the perfect place. It is God’s home. “Won’t it be wonderful there?” is more than a song, it’s a statement.

 

Can you imagine your first five minutes in Heaven? Your eyes close here and then they open and you are there. One of the first things you’ll notice is that you no longer feel ill. You actually feel the best you have ever felt. The health problems that have plagued you for years didn’t come with you. But you look, and what a beautiful place. I’m not really sure what it will look like, but bright, like a sunny day, yet no sun is in the sky. There is no need for the sun, God is there. I don’t know if there were be grass, but if so, green and thick and weed free. The temperature will be perfect. But it’s the people that we are drawn to. Faces that we recognize. People that we know. Family members that we haven’t seen in decades. Folks that we worshipped with for years. All around we witness grand reunions. Parents and children embracing. Friends happily smiling with one another. Families together again. Friends together again. The ‘thank you’s.’ The ‘I love you’s’. We look around and somehow, we know everyone. There are no strangers. Not only that, everyone seems to know us. It’s like we have always known each other. Smiles, hugs and joy fills the air. Can you imagine? The place is so great that you don’t want to be anywhere else.

 

And in this great sea of people, all whom we know, are angels. Real angels. Then we start recognizing people that we have read about in the Bible. Our spiritual heroes are there. Noah, good ole’ Noah, and somehow he knows us. It’s like a who’s who list: David, Daniel, Abraham, Elijah, Job, Joseph, the servant girl who told Naaman about God’s prophet, Paul, Timothy, Peter, the woman with the issue of blood, the guy who was lowered through the roof while Jesus was teaching, the thief on the cross, they are all there. It’s like our Bible just exploded and came alive. All those people. We’ve loved those stories. We loved their faith and courage and here they are and they know us. More amazing than that, they are not separated from us like rock stars. They are right beside us. They talk to us. They know about us. This is unreal, we keep thinking. It gets better. There is no ending of this. There is no, “It’s closing time.” There is no, “you have to come back another day.” There is no one who gets tired. No one sleeps. Our energy level remains high. This is something that we have never experienced before.

 

Then there is Jesus. Right there. Right among us. He comes and stands before us. We bow. We drop to our knees. His hand comes upon our shoulder. He speaks our name. He smiles. We are speechless. Our Lord. Our Savior. Our King. Our Redeemer. Here. Right before us. He knows us. He loves us.

 

Can you imagine? I know I have taken some liberties in envisioning how Heaven might appear to us, but it’s thoughts about Heaven that keep us going. It is thoughts about Heaven that help us in dark times. It’s thoughts about Heaven that warm the soul and fill the heart. Make sure your thoughts are Biblical. Make sure they are true to the pages of God’s word. Don’t build artificial fantasies about Heaven. Don’t fill your mind with the alleged stories written by people who claimed to go there and come back. Stick to what God shows us. John wrote, “And he showed me…”

 

He showed me…why did God show John? He wanted him to know that this is real. He wanted him to know that this is what the future holds. He wanted him to see so you and I could see. God’s home. It can be your home. You must walk with God. You must obey Him. You must trust Him. Read His word. Trust Him.

 

Heaven—it’s God’s home, yet He invites us there. We come, not for a visit. It’s not for a weekend get-a-way. His home becomes our home. It becomes our permanent home. It’s never our place. It’s always His place. But at His place, we are welcomed and we are made to feel that we belong there.

 

Then he showed me…get that glimpse of Heaven in your heart and in your eyes. It will help you. It will lead you to fighting Satan even harder. It will compel you to tell others about Jesus. It will get you through the darkest storms you face.

 

“Then he showed me…”

 

Roger

 

03

Jump Start # 1488

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1488

Proverbs 21:10 “The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.”

  Another mass shooting has taken place in our country. These are becoming too frequent. We will never get used to them, nor should we. It is hard for righteous people to understand the heart of the wicked. Why are some so mean? Why do they hate? Why is violence the alternative that is chosen so often? Why do they kill the innocent?

 

Our passage helps us see a few things. The soul of the wicked desires evil. But that’s not enough for us. We want to know why they desire evil? We want to know why their soul is wicked?

 

Some would simply say because that’s just the way they came. They were born broken and there’s nothing anyone can do about that. I don’t buy that. That’s not true Biblically. We are not “born broken.” We are not born sinners. We may inherit eye and hair colors from family but we do not inherit the guilt of their sin. Sin is a choice. We become sinners when we have chosen to disobey God and fallen to the temptation of wrong.

 

The soul of the wicked desires evil mostly because of the environment and surroundings that he has put himself in. Hanging around wrong people, who are doing wrong things, will eventually lead to you doing wrong things. Filling your mind with hate and evil will eventually turn one into a hateful and evil person. The soul of the wicked desires evil because evil is honored in his environment. Evil is praised and promoted among his peers. Evil is considered good. Evil is seen as a sign of strength. Taking a gun and shooting unarmed, innocent people isn’t brave. When such evil people encounter armed police, they always lose.

 

Talk shows will fill their nightly programs with experts trying to convince us why these things happen. Most don’t have a clue. Few will say anything about the break down of parenting, lack of Jesus Christ in their lives and a failed religion that fosters hatred and violence. Put those three things together and you have a really messed up person who doesn’t value life, who thinks selfishly, and feels hurting others is a way to further his cause.

 

We can’t change the world, but what we can do is shape and influence our family and those around us that we love. Parental responsibility involves much more than getting the kid out of the house in time to catch the school bus. It involves shaping his thinking. Turn off the TV. Get everyone around the kitchen table and do some talking. It doesn’t take long for attitudes to come out. That’s a place to start. But it needs to actually start when the child is young. Getting his way and caving in to his fits isn’t healthy nor productive. That person will grow up expecting everyone to cater to him. Life isn’t like that. Life isn’t supposed to be like that. No, is a wonderful word in the home. Use it. Don’t allow back talk. Don’t allow disrespect. There may be a battle or two, but you, the parent must win. You the parent, are in charge. You the parent are the one God put in charge of that home. Start early.

 

Jesus Christ needs to be in the home, not just the church house. Prayers. Love. Forgiveness. Respect. Repentance. Hope. These are the guiding principles that need to fill our homes. When they are missing or replaced with failed religions that are selfish, violent and twisted, or when they are replaced with nothing, then turmoil and disaster awaits. Influencing your child to be kind and thoughtful and thankful starts early. This is an everyday process. You are molding his thinking to be just the opposite of our verse. Heroes ought to be godly people. Thugs and druggies who may have made a name in sports or the music industries are still thugs and druggies. Stepping on the little guy isn’t the way of Christ. Bullying isn’t the way of Christ.

 

Someday, probably at the judgment, parents are going to be held responsible for what they failed to do with their children. No, they may never have put a gun in their kids hands, but they allowed an atmosphere of hate, selfishness and violence to fill their life without anything being done. It’s amazing to hear a parent cry on TV after their son has been arrested for shooting someone proclaiming, “He’s a good kid.” No, he’s not. He has a wicked soul that is evil. Good kids do not hurt others. Good kids don’t shoot others. His soul is wicked and evil because the parent let the world raise him instead of the parent.

 

Wicked souls become evil because of influence, environment and neglectful parents. Wicked souls become evil because nothing positive, righteous nor good are allowed to intervene, influence and guide them. Wicked souls will continue to cause heartache in our land because people expect the school and the government to come up with solutions. God has the solution. It’s called “Mom and Dad.” It’s called “nurture and admonition of the Lord.” It’s called “Jesus.”

 

May we see what we must be doing and get doing it.

 

Roger