21

Jump Start # 1791

Posted on February 21, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1791

2 Kings 18:4 “He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.”

 

Our verse today highlights some of the heroic and good achievements during the reign of King Hezekiah. He turned the tide and the hearts of Judah back to God. The very things that were causing Judah to be disconnected from God were destroyed. Our verse lists four obstacles in Judah’s way and heart that needed to be removed. Some of these very things were instituted by Hezekiah’s father. In this list we read about the bronze serpent that Moses had made.

 

This bronze serpent hasn’t been mentioned since the book of Numbers. Israel was grumbling against God. The Lord sent serpents to bite the people as punishment. Several died. This bronze serpent was placed on a pole, so that those who were bitten could look to that and be healed. This was not intended to become an idol. The people were not told to pray to it, make sacrifices to it, talk to it or burn incense to it. It was an act of faith. Look to the serpent and trust that God would heal them. It worked back of Numbers. The serpent problem passed and so did this bronze serpent most of us would assume. But here it is in the days of Hezekiah.

 

After Moses, was Joshua. He took the people into the promise land, which meant they carried this bronze serpent with them. Then came the four hundred years of Judges. Saul-David-Solomon’s reign cover about 120 years total. The kingdom divides. Several kings. More years. We come to Hezekiah and it has been 600-700 years since Moses. That old bronze serpent is still around. It’s old, very old. It belongs in a museum, but Judah didn’t have museums. The people started worshipping it. They gave it a name. The very thing that God gave them to help them, now took them away from God.

 

There is something about old historical items. Religiously, they are often called relics. Those relics, are thought to have powers, when they don’t. Some treasure those old things more than they ought to. What was useful and helpful in generations past, came cause another generation to stumble.

 

Hezekiah broke in pieces the bronze serpent. I expect some old timers got mad at Hezekiah for doing that. Some probably thought a part of Judah’s history was now gone. Some may have thought that the younger generation has no appreciation for what earlier generations had accomplished. Hezekiah saw through all of that. This Moses piece was being worshipped. It was hurting the nation. The bronze serpent no longer served a purpose. It was time for it to go.

 

What Hezekiah did, some brethren ought to do today. It’s time to toss some old ways that are no longer working and it’s time to see if there are things that are standing between us and God. Most church buildings could use a good spring cleaning, just to ditch all the old papers and class booklets that are gathering dust and not being used any more. Pass them on to those who can use them, or toss them. But there is a greater   item from our past that seems to hang around and that is some of our traditions. One must be very careful when approaching this subject. This gets folks nervous and scared.

 

First, one has to see and understand the difference between what God authorizes and what is traditions. Confusing the two has opened the door for progressive change that no longer follows the Bible. “Our traditions,” some holler, are really the first step at gutting the pattern given to us by the Lord and His apostles. Be careful what you identify as a tradition. Because you call it a tradition, does not mean that it is.

 

Second, some are converted to our traditions and cannot fathom life any other way. This can be just as dangerous as tossing out God’s pattern. Our traditions, the way we do things, can become “Scripture” in the eyes of many. And in this simple way, the way we do things becomes that old bronze serpent that now becomes an item of worship. What worked for folks in 1970 may not work today. The hour we meet. The number of times we meet. The format of our Bible classes. The number of Gospel meetings in a year. The standard VBS format. The number of songs sung in a worship. The order of the worship. Are they still working? Are they still useful? Or, have they become a bronze serpent that no one dares change, after all of these years.

 

I was with a church recently, and they ended their service with a song. We sang that final song and services were over. I stood there for a moment. I’m used to always ending with a closing prayer. This place didn’t do that. It seemed odd to turn and talk to people right after that last song. It seemed like something was missing. Was there? No. My traditions clashed with a church that found a different way of ending services. Is one way better than another? No, and why do we have to even think those thoughts? It worked for that church. It was great.

 

Where I preach, we flipped the start of our Sunday morning worship. For probably about 100 years, this congregation always started Sunday morning with Bible classes. After that, was the worship. In January, we switched that. We now start with worship and end with Bible classes. We did that for a reason. We are using this first quarter to preach a series of lessons that are based upon our theme. We wanted to expand those thoughts and use the sermon as the basis for the classes. The best way we thought to do this was to have the sermon first. Thus, worship is first, then Bible classes. We were amazed at the outcome and the positive responses from this. People loved it. The numbers have gone up. It took some adjusting. For all of my preaching years, getting close to 40 now, I have always started Sunday with teaching a Bible class. The sermon came later. That took some getting used to. Our folks did great with it. I wasn’t sure if we’d have a bronze serpent among us, someone who complained that the only way to conduct a Sunday service was to begin with Bible classes. That didn’t happen. For our intentions, this has been a success.

 

I use this example to say, that some couldn’t do that. They would be so tied to the way we have always done it, that for them to think of any other way, would be considered “wrong.”

 

That bronze serpent was useful in Numbers. It became a problem in the book of Kings. Someone, long ago should have done what Hezekiah did. You wonder, if they had to dust that old relic. You wonder what that thing looked like after all those years. It was time for it to go. Hezekiah led the way in tossing it out.

 

We must wonder if there are some “bronze serpents” among us that need to be tossed. Maybe it’s time. Maybe there are some things that are no longer useful. Don’t be afraid to stop things if they are not working. Maybe it’s time to do some evaluating of what we are doing.

 

I expect in Hezekiah’s day there were some who thought, “how can we live without our bronze serpent.” Hezekiah showed them. The bronze serpent was gone, finally.

 

Roger

 

20

Jump Start # 1790

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1790

Hebrews 6:19 “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,”

Hope—what a simple word, yet what a powerful force it is. Hope is what keeps the wind in our sails. Hope is what drives us to seek another day. Hope is what lifts the downtrodden and gives everyman a chance. Hope is one of the grand characteristics of our faith. Hope is fueled by our faith. Hope is sustained by our faith. When all looks dark and dreadful, it is hope that shines a single light pointing the way that we should go.

 

It is amazing to see all the hopeless people that Jesus encountered. The pitiful widow who was on the way to the cemetery to bury her only son. Her future now dark and uncertain. Who would care for her in coming days? The joys of parenthood all crushed by the hand of death. Yet, when our Lord passed this solemn crowd, heading to the cemetery, it was Jesus who stopped them. Touching the coffin, Jesus spoke to the dead man and told him to arise. Hope restored. He came to life. A funeral cancelled.

 

There was the Canaanite woman whose daughter was cruelly demon possessed. She sought the Lord for help. The disciples pleaded with Jesus to send her away. Jesus told her that He was sent to the house of Israel, of which she did not belong. Hope and help seem to vanish. If the Lord won’t help, who will? Who can? She begged. She cried, “Lord, help me.” The cries touched the heart of the Savior. The girl was cured. Jesus never saw the girl, but that didn’t matter. Hope restored.

 

There was the woman with the issue of blood. She had gone from doctor to doctor. Not only could they not help her, she was not only broke from all their costs, she had gotten worse. Hope seems to have vanished for this woman. Sick. Broke. Unclean. Without hope. In a massive crowd, she somehow makes her way up to Jesus. She reaches from behind and touches his garment. Immediately. Immediately she is healed and immediately Jesus knew what happened. He turned. She fell at His feet. Instead of brow beating her, He offered her even more hope.

 

There was the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. The text says “in the very act.” Kindly put, they were doing it, when men broke in, grabbed her and pulled her through the streets. I rather doubt that they waited for her to get dressed, put on her make up and do her hair. No, most likely, she had a sheet wrapped around her and that was about it. We wouldn’t go to the mailbox dressed like that. She was pulled through the streets where all could see her. Then into the Temple, unclean and sinful as she was, and thrust before the Lord. The discussion was hostile. Anger filled the air. The Law, they demanded, says she ought to be stoned. No one seemed to be on her side. She was being used as a pawn to trip Jesus. No one seemed to care what happened to her. Jesus wrote in the dirt. The universe has long tried to guess what He wrote. No one knows. Jesus told the accusers to stone her, if they were without sin. Not any sin, but sin in what had just happened. Why did they bring a sinful person into the temple? Why did they not also bring the man? Why did they know what was going on? These accusers were just as dirty as she was. The passion of lust quickly turned to the horror of hopelessness. She may very well die right then. She was guilty. Embarrassed. Ashamed. And without a defense on her side to justify the wrongs that she did, she lay there hopeless. The crowd left. Jesus stayed. He told her that He didn’t condemn her, but also that she should sin no more. Hope restored. A second chance.

 

Biblical hope is so different than wishing. We often confuse the two. When people in the house have the flu, we say, “I hope I don’t get the flu.” We really mean, I wish I don’t get it. I hope my Purdue wins the Big Ten. What I really mean is that I wish Purdue wins the Big Ten. Wish, hope. What’s the difference? Wishing is wanting and it’s often not based upon anything. It’s just a guess. There are no absolutes. Biblical hope is based upon God’s promises and they are sure and true as our verse tells us. Hope will be, it’s just a matter of time. God said it, and that’s it. You can take that to the bank. It will happen. How do you know? God said so.

 

This is why hope is an anchor. It holds us in the storms of life. It keeps us from moving off center. Without hope, people give up. My friend Harmon, took me to the site of a mine cave-in in Ohio. Rescuers worked hard to reach the trapped miners. They couldn’t do it. To this day, eighty of them are buried in the rubble. Hope was lost. When there no longer remains hope to turn a sour marriage, a person gives up. Lawyers are called. Divorce papers are drawn up. All hope was lost. Hope is so important medically. It can make the difference in recovery. Those with faith and those with hope, do better. Doctors notice that.

 

We don’t put stock in lucky numbers, four leaf clovers, shooting stars, astrology, fortune cookies or any of those other superstitious tricks. Our hope rests in the resurrected Christ. He is our proof. He is our assurance. He is the exclamation point of the Bible. We shall live on in Christ. We shall be raised one day. We shall see the face of God. How do you know that, some say. How can you be so sure? It’s not crossed fingers. It’s not wishful thinking. It’s not cute positive phrases that we’ve memorized. It’s in Christ. Our hope lies with Jesus. He was the first and we shall follow. He did and so shall we.

 

That thought, that hope, keeps us going. When we don’t feel like it, we get up and keep going. Why? Because of the hope we have in Christ. We others cast doubt and some stand in the way and when it looks easy to stop, we keep going. Why? Because of the hope we have in Christ. We cannot stop living, breathing, preaching, praising and praying for Jesus. It’s in us and now nothing will stop us. When arrested and told to stop preaching. Peter said, We can’t help but preach about the things we have seen and heard. Ordered not to preach anymore, they continued to preach. There was a hope that was a fire within them.

 

No school, no government, no peoples can keep us from believing and living for Jesus. It is our hope. It is Christ who lives in us. We shall see the King someday.

 

You can tell who has hope and who doesn’t. Some play at religion and their faith. Others live it. Some are always on the outside looking in. Others are basking in the warmth that hope offers. The hopeful are sure. The hopeful are confident. The hopeful cannot, nor will not be stopped.

 

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness…

 

Roger

 

17

Jump Start # 1789

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1789

Romans 2:21 “you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?”

 

Consistency is one of the thoughts that comes from our verses today. Paul, in writing about the Jews, shows how they were good to say one thing but they failed to listen to what they were saying. They didn’t do what they were telling others. They didn’t practice what they preached. Their words and their own actions didn’t match. They talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk. Very pointedly Paul says, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

 

There are some lessons we can take from Paul’s words:

 

First, it is easier to tell others what to do than it is for you to do it yourself. It’s easier to preach a sermon than it is to live what you preached. Telling others is a lot easier than fixing your own life. We can often see what others need to change more than we can see what we need to change. We find safe and ready excuses to keep us from changing, all the while, expecting the other person to drop what he is doing and make immediate changes. I suppose this is why judging is such a problem among Christians. We are so quick to pull out the radar gun and point it at others but never look in the mirror ourselves at our own failures. There is a place for judging. But too often, it is out of place and our critical words are not offered to help but rather to crush and destroy.

 

Second, talking is always easier than doing. That’s true in about all areas of life. We can talk a good game, but putting that in practice, that’s tough. Consider the subject of dieting. Easy to talk about it. Tough to do it, especially when you have a donut in your hand. The same goes for saving money. It’s easy to map out a savings plan on paper, but the impulsive buying at the store, kills that budget. It’s easier to talk about what we need to do than it is to do it. Churches can be like that. They can spend quarter after quarter studying every aspect of evangelism. They can have all the answers in case someone asks a question. They learn how to answer every “ism” from Calvinism to Premillennialism. Some even have role playing just to practice. But sooner or later, break from huddle and play the game. Just go do it. Evangelize. Invite. Engage in conversations. Talking is easy. Get to doing it. Making plans can be the same way. Plan this. Plan that. Map everything out. Sooner or later, you have to start doing things. Talking is always easier than doing.

 

Third, consistency is hard. When we are not consistent, people notice. This is where the charge of being a hypocrite comes in. It is easier to be a Christian on Sunday than it is the other days of the week. It is also easier being a Christian when around other Christians, than when you are by yourself or surrounded by those who are not Christians. It’s easy to think about God at worship. It’s hard to remember when at a ballgame, in the middle of a meeting at work, or engaged in a political discussion with someone. When we forget, we often make mistakes. It is during those moments that we say things that we shouldn’t. We forget. Then we have to apologize. Our lights didn’t shine so bright during those moments. It is at those times that our influence and impact with others takes a hit. A month of church services can be lost in a few minutes of inconsistency. Someone sees us losing our temper at work or sees us being dishonest in selling things, their impression of us changes. They wonder about everyone else at church. Are they all like this? It’s hard to bounce back when you have been inconsistent. It hurts the most at home. Kids are smart. They see things. They see us in worship but then they see us at home. Sometimes those images are not the same. Sometimes they wish the person at worship came home rather than the other person we appear to be. I knew a man who served as a shepherd in the church and he often came home and literally beat his wife. Those hidden secrets came out. It sure changed my impression of him. I couldn’t move past the idea that he could stand before the people of God and teach and then at home strike his wife. Inconsistent and wrong.

 

 

How does one remain consistent? How does a person act the same all the time? It was Wesley who said about preachers, “some are so noble that they should never leave the pulpit; and some, once they leave the pulpit are so vile that they should never return to the pulpit.” He was driving at consistency.

 

Consistency is a faith issue. That’s where it begins. A person believes in Christ and loves the Lord. The devotion is not to the church, but to Christ. Everywhere he goes, he is a Christian. Every day of the week, he is a Christian. There is never a time and never a place when he can forget that he belongs to Christ. That spirit and that behavior may cost him a sale. It may cause him to lose a job. It may lead to losing some friends. But even if it does, he belongs to Christ. Always!

 

From that, a person must always be thinking spiritually. Always. Set your mind on things above—is more than a great motto for a church bulletin, it is the way it is for the consistent Christian. He is always thinking spiritually. Every action. Every person. Every move is measured by those thoughts. He considers his influence. He considers his reputation. He considers how to shine his light for the Lord. He considers consequences. Little, if any thing, is done spur of the moment, spontaneously. He is thinking. Before he raises his hand in a Bible class to offer a comment, he has thought through what he wants to say. He makes sure that his comment won’t hurt others. Before he sends texts, hits the like button on Facebook, he is thinking about how that will be perceived, first by Christ, and then by others. He is the same on Sunday as he is on a Friday night.

 

The opposite of consistency is someone who is two-faced. They may be one way to some and a different way to another. The chameleon is a great example of this. Sitting on something dark, his skin looks dark. Next to something light and he turns lighter. He is always changing to blend in with the surroundings. That works great for chameleons, but it’s a terrible way to live as a Christian. It won’t work. It will backfire and he will be so miserable. Too much guilt to do what his worldly friends are doing, but too much world in him to do everything that the Christians are doing. He is a man without a country. Miserable on both ends. He is inconsistent.

 

Do you listen to what you are saying? Are you walking as you talk?

 

Consistent—the Jews weren’t. Are you?

 

Roger

 

16

Jump Start # 1788

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1788

2 Timothy 3:6-7 “For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Our passage today is found in a long descriptive characteristic of false teachers that Timothy was being warned about. Every line, every word in Paul’s portrait of these wicked men illustrates where they missed it. They did not have the faith, heart nor love as Christ did. The verse before ours, Paul plainly states, “avoid such men as these.”

 

There is a line from our verse that I want to give some thought to: “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” A few things here.

 

First, some simply do not get it. They don’t understand the nature, purpose or will of God. They don’t understand what the Gospel is all about. They don’t understand what the church is all about. Some have read the Bible just enough that they think they know it all. For many today, either they have picked up something from the internet, watched a TV show or just heard word of mouth and now they have become experts. It’s like a conversation I overheard the other day at a fast food place. I came for a quick bite of lunch. Two young men were discussing the Bible. I was listening. One proudly stated, “There were over 30 Gospels and the church chose which ones to put in. Have you read any of the other Gospels?” This guy was skeptical, aggressive and sure. The other guy, I guess, believed in the Bible. Like a boxing match, he was against the ropes. The challenger was throwing punch after punch against inspiration, the cannon of the Scriptures and even the authority of the Scriptures.

 

This is exactly the point of our passage. Some have enough knowledge to be dangerous but not enough to make a difference in the lives. Always learning but never coming—shows that the knowledge wasn’t doing much good. The knowledge didn’t change the thinking and it definitely didn’t change the behavior.

 

Even among believers, we must give thought to these words. We sit through years of sermons, Bible classes and have read volumes of articles in church bulletins, and yet, here we are, still slammed with worry, consumed with greed, jealous, hateful at times, and stressed to the max. Are we too, always learning but never coming? The learning ought to change us. The learning ought to have an impact upon us. This isn’t school, where we learn facts to pass a test and then forget it about as quickly as we learned it. This is life. What is taught in sermons and Bible classes ought to shape our hearts, change our thinking and lead to us becoming more and more like Jesus. It is because of our learning, that we should be better people. There should be a direct connection between our learning and our becoming.

 

Second, there is something special about that phrase, “always learning.” That has stuck with me for a long time. What a noble venture that is, to always be learning. Paul was not critical of the learning part. He was pointing out that the learning didn’t do these people any good. Don’t toss the learning. Take the learning and do something with it.

 

Here are a few “always learning” areas that will help us:

 

  1. Parents need to always be learning about parenting. Our kids do not come with manuals. God’s word gives us great guidelines, but there are specifics that parents are looking for practical help. Be careful who you learn from. Make sure it’s Biblically based. Learning about communication is great. Kids speak a different language than parents do. Learning how to get the lazy bone out of them is important. Dealing with attitudes, peer pressure, modesty, dating—tough topics. Always learning is a great thing for parents. Christian parents need a network among each other to help.

 

  1. Preachers need to always be learning. Not just always learning the Bible, which is first, but they need to continually learn about preaching. In so many other fields, there are “continual education” classes. It’s good for preachers to listen to other preachers preach. I do that often. My preference is to do it in person rather than listening to a CD. Watch. Learn. See. How does he begin the sermon? How does he connect with the audience? How does he move from point to point? How does he manage his time up there? How does he end? Is he convincing? Learn. Get better at what you do, Mr. Preacher. Just because you have preached for more than a decade, don’t think you have learned all there is. Talk to preachers older than you are. Learn how to stay fresh. Learn how to stay relevant. Learn how to connect with teens. Don’t stop learning, Mr. Preacher.

 

  1. Shepherds need to always be learning. There is so much for them to know. They have to understand the nature of sheep. They have to know what’s going on among believers. They have to recognize trends that steal the faith of some. They need to always be learning. Learning how to mentor. Learning how to lead. Learning how to connect. Learning how to communicate. Learning how to warn. Learning how to deal with the broken hearted. Learning how to plan and have vision. A church that is led by those who are no longer learning, will soon stall out and become sluggish. Shepherds ought to have their own classes together. They ought to bring in people to teach them more. Learning to deal with the problems of addiction, pornography, homosexuality and now transgender are what today’s elders must deal with. Do you know how?

 

I have seen too many tender hearts crushed by elders who did not know what they were doing. They rough when they should have been tender. They were impatient when they should have been patient. Maybe, had they learned, these things wouldn’t have happened.

 

  1. All of us need to learn God’s word. That never ends. It’s more than the academic stuff, such as how many times the word “believe” is found in this chapter. That’s interesting, good to know, and points to themes, but what is essential is learning and turning. Because of what we know, we turn from our old ways, old thoughts, old ideas, and come to understand God’s way. We become more and more like Christ. We must not allow the preacher to be our only source of learning. We must not allow “church time” to be our only place of learning. Get a plan. Open the book. Get a notebook and a pen. Read. Write. Read. Write. Read and write questions you have. Write words that are important to you. Write things you want to remember. Write other passages that come to your mind. Then write applications. Paul’s words, always learning but never becoming speaks of application. Practical, front porch kind of stuff. This is what we need. This is where change takes place.

 

We are more than life long students, we are disciples of Jesus. We are molded, shaped and conformed to His image. We learn this through the Scriptures. We become this by changing our thinking and our behavior.

 

Always learning is good, if something positive follows.

 

Roger

 

15

Jump Start #1787

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1787

1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Eating meats—nothing to do with diet or health, but everything to do with faith. The culture of the first century world brought many clashes between believers and the pagan community that they were no longer following. Simple things as going to the market to buy food, now became a question of “what is right and what is wrong.” Meats were often first sacrificed to the pagan gods before they were sold in the markets. A person could purchase meat that had been offered to a specific god. This was more than a personal preference, such as supporting your favorite team, it was thought that there were special powers connected to certain gods. This became a huge problem for those new Christians. Should they eat those meats?

 

Two chapters in Corinthians, chapter 8 and chapter 10, and a chapter in Romans addresses this problem. It was more than just a personal preference, it effected how others viewed them and how they viewed others. Simply having a meal became a big deal. Would one be condemned because he ate something he shouldn’t have? If one didn’t eat certain foods, why could others? So many layers of issues. So many problems. Finger pointing, guilty conscience and not knowing what to do prompted God to give some very practical instructions that are found in 1 Corinthians 10.

 

  • Don’t ask, but if you know, don’t eat. That takes care of meats sacrificed to idols
  • Don’t be a part of idolatry
  • Don’t do just what you feel like, think about others
  • Just because you have a right, doesn’t make it right

 

Our verse, near the end of this section, sums up these principles, “whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.” Don’t do what you want. Don’t do what others want. Do things with the mindset of God. We should always do things for the glory of God. These words are similar to what the Colossians were told, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (3:17). Honor God by what we do.

 

All of this takes me to a show I watched recently about Ernest Hemingway, the American author. He tops the lists as one of the greatest authors in America. His life, however, wasn’t so great. A drunk, immoral, profane, arrogant and troubled with dark thoughts, he came from a family of suicides and that was his choice as well. His writings were impressive. His life wasn’t. Rich, famous, but a lost soul that was tormented with depression and addictions. I’ve had Hemingway stuck on my mind for a while. What if he had become a Christian? What if Hemingway wrote books about Christ and our walk with Him? What if Hemingway wrote these Jump Starts? My first thought to that is he would not have been rich and famous and few would have read his writings. People are not interested in that, especially today. But just think what great good he could have done for the Lord, had he poured his talents and energy into the kingdom. What if he used his abilities for Christ. What if, as Paul said in our verse today, Hemingway did all for the glory of God? Wouldn’t that have been amazing!

 

But doesn’t that principle stand with us today? All throughout the kingdom we have men and women who have gotten advanced degrees and have years of experience in all kinds of areas. We have some who are brilliant writers. There are some who are gifted in knowing how to market and publicize things. There are those who are wonderful teachers. There are those who are gifted in music. Others have a flare for the drawing and painting. Talented and gifted people fill the kingdom of God. Yet, are we utilizing those talents in the kingdom? Do we pull from those who know how to come up with a great phrase, make it look attractive and promote it? Do we use them to help advertise a Gospel meeting? Those that are so gifted in music, are they using their talents to write fresh hymns? How about turning some of the artsy folks loose in the church buildings and make things brighter and more attractive?

 

Are we doing all for the glory of God with our talents and abilities? We spend years in college learning how to do things, we spend a lifetime using that knowledge to build a career, but do we ever use those talents for the kingdom? Just about every congregation I know is full of amazingly talented people. Is all this ability being used only on the secular world? Take something as simple as a sermon CD or a printed tract. Put a little color and a snappy picture on the front, and it is amazing how it will grab attention. The clothing manufacture, Tommy Hilfiger, once said that he could have two identical shirts side by side on a rack, same shirt, same color, same price, and the one that had his Hilfiger logo on it will out sell the other one every time. Just a simple logo. Marketing. He understood it and used it.

 

We need to open the barn doors and allow talented brethren to use their abilities to enhance the kingdom of God. Putting a picture on a sermon CD isn’t going to bring down the forces of evil, but it may be just the thing that makes a person stop, look at it, and pick it up and then listen to it. Isn’t that the overall purpose anyway? The same with a printed track. Make it attractive. Make it readable. So often, most of this all falls to the preacher. He is busy writing, preaching and teaching. Many do not have the skill set nor the vision to do these things. This is where a church works like a team. Someone writes the material and someone else puts it together, makes it attractive and promotes it. There are people who use Facebook every day in their jobs. Imagine if they used those talents to help the church?

 

Imagine Hemingway being a Christian and writing Jump Starts. Imagine you, doing what you do so well, using that for the kingdom of God. Whatever you do, do for the glory of God—is more than a statement about what we eat, it’s a statement of life. Use your talents for the kingdom. Suggest things. Offer to help. Make some samples and show them to the elders. Work as a team player.

 

Just imagine…

 

Roger