22

Jump Start # 1543

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1543

Mark 8:18 “Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember.”

  Our verse today reflects one of the many times that Jesus was disappointed with His disciples. The journey of faith was long and hard for them. The Pharisees had demanded to see a sign from Jesus. The Lord refused. Jesus and the twelve got into a boat to travel to the other side. Jesus used the occasion to teach and warn about the Pharisees. Their negative influence and false ways would spread like leaven. While Jesus is teaching, the disciples are thinking about eating. They talk among themselves that they did not bring any food. It is here that our verse is found.

 

Jesus then asks the disciples to remember the feeding of the 5,000. He asked how many baskets of leftovers did they have? They remembered. They said twelve. He asked them how many baskets of leftovers were there after feeding 4,000. They remembered. They said seven. He then said, “Do you not understand?”

 

They had Jesus. He could do anything. He could multiply food. He always took care of them. They were worrying about things that they didn’t need to. Jesus was with them. “Do you not remember?”

 

Do you not remember? I wonder if that’s us sometimes. We leave a Sunday with a head full of Bible information. We’ve sat in Bible classes, listened to sermons, taken notes and gained some great insights. But Monday rolls around and we forget these things. It’s not that we don’t know, but like the disciples in the boat, we fail to see the connection to what we learned, saw and understood on Sunday to our world on Monday. We may even ask our preacher a question that is bothering us. With a puzzled look on his face, the preacher says, “We just had a sermon about that.” And we reply, “Oh, yeah, I forgot.” Do you not remember?

 

It’s important that we build bridges from our faith that connects Sunday to the rest of the week. What happens on Sunday isn’t separate from the rest of the week. It’s the first day of a long week. Much to do in the week. Many meetings. Many deadlines. Many things to get accomplished. For the student, there are papers to write, tests to study for and a week filled with things to do. The stay-at-home mom, has a filled week. A generation ago, preachers used to complain about housewives who spent the day watching soap operas. You don’t here much of that these days. Stay-at-home moms are busy. Those that work, their days are packed with things that have to get done. But in all of this, it is easy for us to forget what we learned on Sunday. It’s easy to just stuff that information away and fail to see that I sure could have used that today. What we talked about in Bible classes would have helped my attitude. Or, what I learned from the sermon would have helped me make the right choices today. Building those bridges from Sunday to the rest of the week is the job of each listener. These Sundays, one after another, can sure shape our character and build our faith and make us better people. However, the key is “Do you not remember?”

 

For the disciples in the boat, and generally, the same is true with us, it’s not that we forget. The infor is stuffed somewhere in our head, we just fail to see that it’s that very infor that can help us today. We worry when we don’t have to. We get worked up about politics and elections when we know that God remains on the throne. We allow Satan to track us down and to follow us, forgetting that if we resist him, he will flee. “Oh, yeah, I forgot.” Why are we forgetting? Why do we not remember?

 

So, how can we “remember” to remember? That seems to be the key. How can we get that infor into our faith and into our lives every day? Here are a few of my suggestions. I expect that you can come up with better ones and I’d encourage you to do that. It may be just the very thing to help you get your Sunday into your Monday.

 

My list:

 

1. Take notes on what you learned Sunday. I’ve preached more than 35 years and I still take notes when I listen to someone else. We tend to remember more when we hear, write and see things. When I learn something really good about the text of the Bible, I will write it in the margins of my Bible. I underline words and circle things. Later, when I go through those pages again, I see those underlines and circled words and brief thoughts in the margins. I remember. We tend to forget things. So finding ways to help you remember is important.

 

2. Don’t leave the sermon and the Bible class info at the building as you leave. As you eat your Sunday dinner, talk about those things. Now, it’s easy for the conversation to become a critique of the preacher’s ability, but don’t do that. Talk about the message. Talk about what you liked. Share and discuss things. Take it deeper. Even with mom, dad and the kids at the table, this can be done. Lower the nets deeper and find applications in your own situation that maybe the preacher never presented. Remember.

 

3. Get a copy of the cd and listen to it as you drive to work or school. Each time you listen, you pick up things you didn’t hear the first time. Refresh your memory. Didn’t Jesus do that in our story? How many baskets? He was reaching back into their memories.

 

Do you not remember? I wonder how many things said on a Sunday could help us on a Monday if we only remembered? Remember the hymns we sang. Remember a prayer. Remember the encouraging words someone spoke to you. All of these things can help us on a Monday morning. We can feel so strong on Sunday and so weak on Monday. That shouldn’t be. Build those bridges between Sunday and Monday.

 

Find a quote that you like from a Sunday and write that down. Carry that with you. Do that with a passage that was read on Sunday. Do that with a hymn that was sung on Sunday. Carry Sunday into your Monday.

 

Do you not remember? That doesn’t have to be said of us. We know. We just need to connect the dots from what happens on Sunday to what we are doing on Monday. I think if we did this more, we’d have better weeks and we’d find that we are learning more and more and it’s staying with us. That in turn, changes our attitudes, character and heart.

 

Sunday into Monday…do you not remember?

 

Roger

 

 

Our verse today reflects one of the many times that Jesus was disappointed with His disciples. The journey of faith was long and hard for them. The Pharisees had demanded to see a sign from Jesus. The Lord refused. Jesus and the twelve got into a boat to travel to the other side. Jesus used the occasion to teach and warn about the Pharisees. Their negative influence and false ways would spread like leaven. While Jesus is teaching, the disciples are thinking about eating. They talk among themselves that they did not bring any food. It is here that our verse is found.

 

Jesus then asks the disciples to remember the feeding of the 5,000. He asked how many baskets of leftovers did they have? They remembered. They said twelve. He asked them how many baskets of leftovers were there after feeding 4,000. They remembered. They said seven. He then said, “Do you not understand?”

 

They had Jesus. He could do anything. He could multiply food. He always took care of them. They were worrying about things that they didn’t need to. Jesus was with them. “Do you not remember?”

 

Do you not remember? I wonder if that’s us sometimes. We leave a Sunday with a head full of Bible information. We’ve sat in Bible classes, listened to sermons, taken notes and gained some great insights. But Monday rolls around and we forget these things. It’s not that we don’t know, but like the disciples in the boat, we fail to see the connection to what we learned, saw and understood on Sunday to our world on Monday. We may even ask our preacher a question that is bothering us. With a puzzled look on his face, the preacher says, “We just had a sermon about that.” And we reply, “Oh, yeah, I forgot.” Do you not remember?

 

It’s important that we build bridges from our faith that connects Sunday to the rest of the week. What happens on Sunday isn’t separate from the rest of the week. It’s the first day of a long week. Much to do in the week. Many meetings. Many deadlines. Many things to get accomplished. For the student, there are papers to write, tests to study for and a week filled with things to do. The stay-at-home mom, has a filled week. A generation ago, preachers used to complain about housewives who spent the day watching soap operas. You don’t here much of that these days. Stay-at-home moms are busy. Those that work, their days are packed with things that have to get done. But in all of this, it is easy for us to forget what we learned on Sunday. It’s easy to just stuff that information away and fail to see that I sure could have used that today. What we talked about in Bible classes would have helped my attitude. Or, what I learned from the sermon would have helped me make the right choices today. Building those bridges from Sunday to the rest of the week is the job of each listener. These Sundays, one after another, can sure shape our character and build our faith and make us better people. However, the key is “Do you not remember?”

 

For the disciples in the boat, and generally, the same is true with us, it’s not that we forget. The infor is stuffed somewhere in our head, we just fail to see that it’s that very infor that can help us today. We worry when we don’t have to. We get worked up about politics and elections when we know that God remains on the throne. We allow Satan to track us down and to follow us, forgetting that if we resist him, he will flee. “Oh, yeah, I forgot.” Why are we forgetting? Why do we not remember?

 

So, how can we “remember” to remember? That seems to be the key. How can we get that infor into our faith and into our lives every day? Here are a few of my suggestions. I expect that you can come up with better ones and I’d encourage you to do that. It may be just the very thing to help you get your Sunday into your Monday.

 

My list:

 

1. Take notes on what you learned Sunday. I’ve preached more than 35 years and I still take notes when I listen to someone else. We tend to remember more when we hear, write and see things. When I learn something really good about the text of the Bible, I will write it in the margins of my Bible. I underline words and circle things. Later, when I go through those pages again, I see those underlines and circled words and brief thoughts in the margins. I remember. We tend to forget things. So finding ways to help you remember is important.

 

2. Don’t leave the sermon and the Bible class info at the building as you leave. As you eat your Sunday dinner, talk about those things. Now, it’s easy for the conversation to become a critique of the preacher’s ability, but don’t do that. Talk about the message. Talk about what you liked. Share and discuss things. Take it deeper. Even with mom, dad and the kids at the table, this can be done. Lower the nets deeper and find applications in your own situation that maybe the preacher never presented. Remember.

 

3. Get a copy of the cd and listen to it as you drive to work or school. Each time you listen, you pick up things you didn’t hear the first time. Refresh your memory. Didn’t Jesus do that in our story? How many baskets? He was reaching back into their memories.

 

Do you not remember? I wonder how many things said on a Sunday could help us on a Monday if we only remembered? Remember the hymns we sang. Remember a prayer. Remember the encouraging words someone spoke to you. All of these things can help us on a Monday morning. We can feel so strong on Sunday and so weak on Monday. That shouldn’t be. Build those bridges between Sunday and Monday.

 

Find a quote that you like from a Sunday and write that down. Carry that with you. Do that with a passage that was read on Sunday. Do that with a hymn that was sung on Sunday. Carry Sunday into your Monday.

 

Do you not remember? That doesn’t have to be said of us. We know. We just need to connect the dots from what happens on Sunday to what we are doing on Monday. I think if we did this more, we’d have better weeks and we’d find that we are learning more and more and it’s staying with us. That in turn, changes our attitudes, character and heart.

 

Sunday into Monday…do you not remember?

 

Roger

 

19

Jump Start # 1542

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1542

Matthew 25:13 “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”

 

This week we have been looking at the final judgment. We shall all stand before God and give an account of ourselves. That thought is scary. It’s one thing to give an account of someone else. It’s one thing to give an account for our schools or church. But before God we must give an account of ourselves. The Lord has given us talents and opportunities and reasons to believe. He knows what we have done. But at the judgment we must face God.

 

Our verse today comes from the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. The Lord used a series of three parables to describe His return and our responsibilities toward Him. In the first parable, where our verse comes from, five of the virgins were called foolish because while they slept their lambs used up all the oil that they had. They had not anticipated having to wait as long as they did. With the shout that the groom was coming, they hurried off to purchase more oil. They came to the place of the wedding and the door was shut and they were not admitted. They missed it. They were not ready. Our verse sums up the principle taught here, “be on the alert.”

 

Be on the alert or be ready, carries over to the judgment. Can a person ever be ready to be judged by God? How can a person feel good about the coming judgment, knowing that our thoughts, our words, our actions, even the way we have treated others, will have an impact upon how we are judged. How can we make it? We know what we have done. We know that we shouldn’t have said those things under our breath, but we did. We know that we could have done better in worship, but we didn’t. We know that we’ve complained. We know that we let a bit of gossip fly. There have been thoughts that have been anything but holy. There have been times when we have not prayed. We’ve let anger take hold of us. We know that we have not been the sweet darlings that others may think we are. And not only do we know these things, but God does. That’s what really bothers us. He knows. There is no excuse that we can hide behind. There are no fingers that we can point to blame others. We know and He knows.

 

How can we be ready for the coming judgment? How can we face God knowing that we’ve broken His heart so many times? How can we feel good about walking into the church building when we have disappointed Him and disobeyed Him? Will He throw the book at us? Will He declare, “I never knew you”? Will He explode, “Depart from Me”? We are in trouble.

 

Some, just put it out of their minds and hope for the best, whatever that might be. Others, get busy engaging in good things hoping that will tip the scales in their favor. So many have a concept of “balance theology.” They see the judgment as the good and the bad placed in the balance. They know that there are wrong and bad things there, but as long as there are more good things than bad things, then the balance leans in their favor. So, come Sunday, we got to get to church. Why? It’s the balance thing. We must put some things in the good column. It’s amazing how many think this way. It’s the only way that they know how to deal with the wrongs in their lives. Make sure the good outweighs the bad.

 

The problem with balance theology is that it makes salvation based upon works and not faith. Doing more good than bad leads to the thought that God has to give us Heaven because of all the things we have done. Balance theology also winks at wrong. It’s ok to have wrong in your life as long as there is more good. That’s not Biblical. God doesn’t look at things that way. Wrongs are never to be tolerated. They are to be repented of.

 

Balance theology isn’t it. You won’t find that taught in Scriptures. That being true, we still have this great dilemma of how can we face God when we have not done what we should have? How can we be ready to face God? How can we have any hope and any confidence of Heaven?

 

The answer to all of this is the grace of God. We are saved by the grace of God. It is not our perfection, our works, our goodness or more good than wrong that opens Heaven’s door to us. It’s the grace of God. Salvation is a gift. Paul thanked God for this indescribable gift. Our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus is what catches the eye of God. He saves us because of His choice. It is His gift. So we will stand before the throne of God, a bit battered and banged, forgiven and believing and having confidence because of the promises of God. Are there conditions to God’s grace? Certainly. If not, then everyone would be saved, including those who didn’t want to be saved and those who did not believe. The conditions include faith. That faith is active and leads to doing whatever God says. God wants us to walk with Him. That implies effort on our part. But the hope remains in the grace of God. It is because of God’s grace that you and I, not always good, can have Heaven. God was patient and forgiving to bumbling Peter. Peter who lacked faith. Peter who said things he shouldn’t have said. Peter who got scared and denied the Lord. Peter who looked the Jewish leaders in the eye and declared that we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard. Peter, who was called on the carpet by the apostle Paul for being a hypocrite. That Peter. That Peter was saved by the grace of God. It wasn’t having more good than bad. It wasn’t having the perfect alibi for his mistakes. It was Peter who believed. It was Peter who always came back to the Lord. It was Peter, who, by the grace of God, was forgiven and saved. Peter is a lot like us. We have some great moments spiritually. We have had some not so great moments spiritually. Our hope is not in ourselves, but in God.

 

Paul could say that his future included a crown of righteousness. Why? Perfect Christian? Hall of fame material? No. He kept the faith. He finished the course. He fought the good fight. He stayed with it and God’s grace is what saved him.

 

Paul wrote to Titus: “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

 

We are saved by grace through faith. This is how we can be ready to face God. It is the only way. Keep holding to God’s unchanging hand.

 

Roger

 

18

Jump Start # 1541

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1541

Romans 14:10-11 “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’”

  This week we have been looking at the concept of God as a judge. He is called “the righteous judge.” We will be judged according to His word. At the judgment the books will be opened, Revelation tells us. If our names are found in the book of life, we will enter into Heaven.

 

Our verse today, from Romans, identifies three things that will happen when we are judged by God.

 

First, we will all stand before the judgment seat. There is no exemptions here. No one gets a pass. The great down to the small shall stand before God. We are accountable to God.

 

Second, every knee shall bow. This is done in reverence. We bow our heads when we pray. This shows respect. This acknowledges one in authority. Every knee. That includes those who are defiant and will not submit to God today. That includes those who have spent a lifetime telling others that there is no God. That includes those who have loved God for a long, long time. Every knee. That includes my knees and your knees.

 

Third, every tongue shall give praise to God. Every. Tongues that lied, will give praise. Tongues that cursed, will give praise. Tongues that have never praised God, will give praise. Tongues that have preached, will give praise. Tongues that have defended God will give praise. Every tongue.

 

In Philippians we find a similar verse to what we read here in Romans. There it says, “so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (2:10-11). What the Philippian passage implies is that the bowing and the tongues confessing will take place at the same time. All creation will honor the Lord. That is special and unique for many reasons.

 

First, all creation has never been together. It’s been impossible. Different generations make that impossible. Geography makes that impossible. Time zones make that impossible. This is like the Revelation passage that Jesus is coming and every eye will see Him. That seems impossible to us. One side of the globe sees the sun, but at the same time, the other side of the globe it’s night. Obviously, God can take care of that little detail. All creation together at one time. All creation gathered by God. Everyone who has every lived. Everybody. The famous people that you studied in history. Family members that you discovered in your genealogy but lived long before you were born. Those names you read about in the Bible. Everyone. The good, the bad and everyone in between. People you have forgotten about. People that you worked with. Former neighbors. That’s just hard for us to grasp. Everyone.

 

Second, all creation has never bowed and confessed Christ before. Some have. Many haven’t. Many refuse to. Many don’t believe. Many are blindly following other gods. But not at this event. Not at the judgment. Every knee…every tongue. The tongues of kings and presidents confessing Christ. The tongues of rock stars confessing Christ. The tongues of movie stars confessing Christ. The tongues of scientists confessing Christ. The tongues of bad men confessing Christ. The tongues of family members, who never confessed, now, confessing Christ. My tongue. Your tongue. What a sound that will be.

 

Are we to assume that some will be forced against their will to do this? Some would not go to worship without a fight. They’d kick and scream the whole way. They’d fuss and argue about what was said. They’d bolt out as fast as they could. Or, could it be, at the presence of Jesus, everyone will know for sure. Knees will bow out of fear and knowledge that Jesus is God. Denials and doubts will vanish away. He is the Lord. There is a God. They will do this because they now know.

 

What a marvelous sight that will be. Everyone bowing. Everyone. This won’t be like the Babylonian scene where everyone bowed to the statue except the three Jewish boys. Not at God’s judgment. All will bow.

 

This event settles everything. God wins. God is. The arguments will cease. The debate ends. Every person will finally know for sure. Jesus is the Christ and every soul will bow in reverence to Him.

 

Why does God tell us these things now? Why not just wait until it happens?

 

God doesn’t keep secrets. He tells His people what happens. We know what happens at death. We know what happens after death. We know about resurrections. We know about Hades. We know about judgment. We know about Heaven and Hell. Knowledge and especially faith drives out fear and worry. Faith isn’t blind. It is built upon and around the truth of God’s word. God tells us and we believe.

 

God tells us these things because He wants us to be a people who are already bowing and praising Christ. Our lives are lived this way. Our choices and our faith leads us to worship. These things are good and right. We do these things because we believe and we love God. Our knees bow. Our tongues confess.

 

Have you ever literally bowed on your knees in prayer? This is not to be done as a show or a statement that “I’m better than you.” Quietly. On your own. Bowed and prayed. It doesn’t make your prayer fly faster to Heaven. It doesn’t make your prayer better. It’s an attitude, that’s all. You can pray without bowing your head. If you’re driving in your car, keeping your eyes open and not bowing your head is probably a safer way to pray. Our posture doesn’t affect the prayer. But it can affect the praying heart. Humble, honor, reverent is what comes from such things. Ought we have the whole congregation bow? No. That misses the point. That forces the position. Some can’t. Some would be so worked up about things that they wouldn’t pray. If you want to do it, do it on your own. Do it quietly and reverently.

 

We can be bothered that not every tongue today will confess Christ as Lord. We can be bothered that not every knee will bow in honor of the Lord today. But what about your knee and your tongue? Don’t let others bother you. See to it that you are bowing and you are praising God. Your choices reflect this. Your attitude demonstrates this. You heart shows this.

 

Bowing and confessing—you can do it now or you will do it later. It’s best to do it now.

 

Roger

 

 

17

Jump Start # 1540

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1540

James 3:1 “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”

  This week we are taking a look at the theme of God as a judge. We love the saving Jesus. We like the concept of the merciful and forgiving God. The thought that God judges scares us and it ought to. That thought makes us more responsible to Him and more respectful and obedient to His word.

 

Our verse today must be included in the discussion about judgment. Here, in the verse, James reminds his readers to not rush to become teachers without giving serious thought to what comes with that. There is a “stricter judgment” that comes with teaching. James is not talking about school teachers but Biblical teachers, those that teach God’s word.

 

There are a few thoughts from this passage.

 

First, if no one ever became a teacher, we would be in a mess. Teachers remind us of God’s word. Teachers open our eyes to truths and applications that we have not seen. Teachers strengthen our faith and answer our questions. In Ephesians four, where it says that God gave apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastors and teachers—those were all different kinds of teachers. The apostles taught. Evangelists teach. Pastors teach. The backbone of God’s kingdom is knowledge in the word of God. That knowledge is spread from one generation to the next by teachers of God’s word.

 

In James’ setting, he may had in mind those who teach publically, such as preachers and elders. He may have also had in mind those who taught in smaller, private settings. Today, there is a lot of teaching done through blogs, emails and other forms of communication. These words of James still fit. One must be careful what he is saying. One must do his homework and be accurate. One must realize that what is said, written and shared can lead hearts to Christ or it can cause confusion and even doubt. There can be a lot of complaining, especially in blogs, that leads to discouraging hearts.

 

We need brethren who are willing to teach. We need brethren who are serious about their teaching. We need brethren who grasp what this passage is about. James isn’t shutting the door to teaching. He didn’t say, “No one should ever teach.” He wants the teachers of God’s word to understand the gravity of what they are doing. They are leading hearts through their teaching. Stuffing our opinions, and mingling error innocently with doctrine is all it takes to poison hearts.

 

Second, this passage shows us that judgment recognizes our responsibilities and opportunities. Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is required.” The teacher will be judged for his teaching. The parent will be judged for his parenting. The shepherd will be judged for his shepherding. The different hats we wear come with responsibilities and accountabilities to God. There is not a separation between my faith and the roles I play. If I am in the role of a manager, how I manage others is important to God. This tells us that I can’t park my convictions, my faith and my religion in the office parking lot and become a task master that is mean, rude, oppressive and not think that God will judge me for that. The way we treat others affects our relationship with God. The way we judge others is the means that God will judge us. If we do not forgive others, then God will not forgive us. Our faith belongs as much in the work place as it does at home or the church house. Stop flipping switches. Stop being a nice lovable guy on Sunday and a cruel monster on Monday. God will judge us for our responsibilities and the roles we play. Those fathers who are out of touch, not involved and uncaring will be judged for that. Those who are too wrapped up in their world to pay attention to those little ones that need guidance will be judged for that. Neglectful and absentee parents do not get a pass because they are trying to “find themselves.” The roles you take on, you will be judged for. Now, a person can just sit at home and do nothing, or they can understand this, be careful with what they are doing and do the best that they can.

 

All of us are leaving impressions for others to see. Our children grow up and they first learn parenting from the way they were parented. This is often why dysfunction is passed on from one generation to another. It’s all they have ever seen. It’s all they know. It’s what they think is right.  But successful homes and spiritual homes often lead to another generation of successful homes and spiritual homes. We leave impressions. Younger preachers learn from older preachers. Up coming shepherds learn from current shepherds. We pass the baton on to the next generation. We leave models for them to follow. Sometimes those models may need updating. Sometimes those models are no longer working. Without the wisdom and the insight to see what God wants in His word, some simply keep repeating generation after generation what was done before. We leave impressions and footprints for others to follow. Do you remember the first preacher in your life? I do. His name was Loren Raines. He seemed old. He always wore a dark suit. I don’t remember any of his sermons. I wish I could. He had us kids on the front rows on Sunday nights and he would quiz us on Bible facts. That’s what I remember. The next preacher was a young scholarly man named Ferrell Jenkins. He was a writer that  published his own material. He didn’t stay long, but he left an impression upon me. Years later, he was one of my college professors. The next two that followed became good friends. It was those next two that pointed me to preaching. Impressions. We have them. You leave them. You leave impressions where you work. You leave impressions as a student. We leave spiritual impressions.

 

The wise teacher is always looking two directions. First, he is looking to the people that he is teaching. He is leaving impressions. The impressions he wants to leave is of Jesus, not himself. But there will be impressions about how he taught. Was he angry? Was he kind? Was he thorough? The wise teacher is also looking upward. He is looking to God. He realizes that God is noticing what he is doing. The wise teacher will do his best to please the Lord and to be faithful to God’s word.

 

Looking upward to God and looking to his students or audience –that’s what the teacher must do. The person who is trying to make a name for himself, will mess up. The one who is building a legacy and an ego will crash. The one who is trying to build faith in the Lord and hides himself behind the Lord, so that only the Lord will be seen, will be one that touches hearts and influences generations.

 

Be careful. Be mindful. That’s what James wants us to know. Some can’t handle this, so they shouldn’t teach. Some are so into themselves that they shouldn’t teach. Some don’t know what they are teaching, so they shouldn’t teach. But the one that is careful and mindful will do fine.

 

My life has been blessed by many godly teachers that took the time to share and instruct me. I expect your life has as well.

 

Roger

 

 

 

16

Jump Start # 1539

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1539

Romans 14:10 “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”

  This week, our Jump Starts are taking a look at the theme of God being the judge. One mistake that is so easy to make is to compare our legal system with God’s. They are not the same. Yesterday we noted that God’s law is not open to various interpretations. Today, we will take a look at why God judges us.

 

I like watching re-runs of Law & Order. My brother, the attorney, reminds me that what actually happens in courtrooms isn’t much like what goes on in the TV show. However, I’ve noticed something that takes place in just about every episode. There is a crime and then someone is arrested. When that person first stands before the judge, he almost always says, “Not guilty.” The show has the police and the prosecutor detailing evidence why the defendant is guilty. His attorney comes up with all kinds of legal maneuvers as to why he isn’t guilty, even declaring insanity if necessary. It’s a battle of the wits to win the decision of the jury. All this makes for great TV show—but it’s not close to what God does with us.

 

First, God already knows. There is no prosecutor in Heaven who is trying to provide evidence as to why we are guilty. God knows. Hebrews tells us, “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (4:13). The Galatians were told, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” (6:7). God knows. Jesus stated that the very hairs of your head are numbered. Have you ever thought about that? How many hairs do you think are on your head? A thousand? A million? Five? I wouldn’t know. I couldn’t even guess very well. God knows. God knows things about me that I don’t know.

 

So, when the Bible tells us that we will be judged by God, it is not a fact finding mission. We stand before the judge and He already knows. He knows the idle words that we have whispered under our breath. He knows the thoughts we have had about others. He knows our motives. He knows what opportunities that we have had given to us. He knows. There is no surprising God. He will not be shocked to learn some dark secret that he have kept all these years. We can hide things. We can keep secrets. We can tell no one, and still, God knows.

 

When Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus, at their death they were separated into torment or Abraham’s bosom. A judging had already taken place. When Jesus died, He declared to the penitent thief that he would join the Lord in Paradise. It is easily assumed that the other thief went to “the other place” when he died. A separation or a judging had already taken place. This separation seems based upon how one stands with God. The faithful, such as Lazarus, the Lord, the penitent thief were determined to go to a place of comfort. The rich man and the other thief on the cross, were determined to go to a place of punishment. Their choices in life and their relationship with the Lord lead to those separations.

 

In God’s courtroom, if we could use that expression, there isn’t a jury of our peers. There isn’t a prosecutor who is trying to nail us. There isn’t a defense attorney who is doing everything to get us out of that trouble. It’s not like that. God knows. No jury. No prosecutor. No defense attorneys.

 

Second, unlike the TV shows, God’s judgment is final. There is no attorney who is going to file an appeal on our behalf. The sentence stands. There is no authority above God. There is no “going to the top.” There is no “Supreme Court” of Heaven. The judgment of God is fair, righteous and final. The foolish talk about sweeting talking your way into Heaven or bribing an angel is spoken by those who do not know the Bible nor understands or respects the position of God. We have a hard time with things being final. There is always “Your boss” that we go up the chain until we get a satisfactory answer. It’s not that way with Heaven. God is not an equal to us. God does not owe us anything, especially forgiveness and salvation. God does not answer to us. God is not paid by us. We need to get those thoughts out of our minds and out of our theology.

 

Third, there are several judgments of God. We are talking primarily about the final judgment, but God has other, lesser judgments and disciplines all throughout our lives. When the preacher steps on our toes with the Bible, that is a form of judgment. Timothy the preacher was told to reprove and rebuke in his preaching. God’s word is sharp and it cuts through our excuses and laziness. It judges us. The admonition of brethren judges us. It is one way that God gets through to us. These lesser judgments can cause us to make course corrections that will affect the final judgment.

 

Fourth, unlike TV shows, where the judge is supposed to be impartial, God is for us. God wants to save us. God doesn’t want any to perish. His righteousness will not allow Him to look the other way. However, consider what all God has done for you. First, He has given you today. Another day. Not just another day at school or the salt mines, but another day to live for Him. Another day to draw closer to Him. Another opportunity to be right with Him. Second, God sent Jesus, the best of Heaven. The Lord came because His Father sent Him. He sent Him to save us. We were guilty but God wants us to be saved. Third, He has given us the Bible, which is His will and His heart. He has shown what He wants. He shows us what pleases Him. He has left dozens of footprints from ancient times of those who walked with Him. We can make it, because of the clear way before us. Fourth, He listens to us in prayer. Through prayer, His will comes into our lives. Fifth, God has given us the church and brethren to encourage us, help us, support us and even kick us in the pants when we need it. All these things God has done for us. God is not sitting idle. He does not remain impartial. He has been involved in our lives. He wants us to believe, trust and obey Him. He wants us to spend forever in His home. Our choice. He can not force us. We can’t live like a sinner and die like a saint.

 

We will all stand before judgment seat of God. It won’t be like TV. It sure makes us think about what we are doing today. It sure makes us think about why we even have a today.

 

More on God the judge next time.

 

Roger