07

Jump Start # 1781

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1781

Psalms 73:3 “For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

We were off to the orchestra the other evening. This was a special performance. The place was packed. Nearly every seat filled. The orchestra wasn’t the main feature. They were playing backup to the pop band America. America—that gave us hits such as Daisy Jane, Tin Man, Sister Golden Hair, All the lonely people, A horse with no name, Ventura Highway—that America. Two of the original three members were highlighting the show. The third member quit decades ago and has since died. I first saw this group in the mid– 70’s. Back then, their hair was long and their voices strong. At this show, their hair was gray and their voices struggled some. But they could play well. It was a great show.

 

The orchestra was in the background and America and their band was at the front of the stage. There were moments and certain songs where the orchestra sat and watched while only the band played. It was here that I saw an interesting contrast. Our verse today brings out a contrast as well.

 

The orchestra is made up of serious musicians who have dedicated themselves to studying music. Most have been to the best schools in the world to learn their art. They play well. We have heard them many times now. The group America, was formed by three high school army brats living in London because their dads were stationed there. They self taught themselves how to play the guitars by listening to records. The serious musicians were watching these aging rock ‘n rollers hold a crowd spell bound. The orchestra couldn’t pack a crowd like that if they were playing Mozart or Beethoven. The orchestra has not made millions of dollars like the band has. One of the band lead singers owns two homes—one here in the states and one in another country. I doubt any of the orchestra members owned two homes, especially in another country. I wonder if the members of the orchestra thought the band was playing shallow and simple songs compared to what they normally played. They may have thought why are people flocking to over 100 shows a year that these old guys are still preforming and the great songs, that the orchestra plays, no one really cares about anymore. What a contrast.

 

Life is like that. A teacher in college may squeak by on a low income, yet the football or basketball coach makes millions. What a contrast.

 

In our verse today. Written by Asaph, a righteous man, who is trying to do what is right doesn’t understand why the wicked are prospering. He notices that. The wicked are fat. The wicked do not have pains. The wicked are violent. The wicked blasts profane and arrogant words, even to God. And, there is the righteous man, struggling. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not right. It so bothered him, that twice in this chapter he confesses that his foot nearly slipped. He nearly threw in the towel. He nearly gave up on his faith. What’s it doing for him? Where is it getting him?

 

That same picture is painted today. Here we are trying to please God and blasting over the airwaves in song and movies are the profane who are immodest in dress and immoral in behavior. They are indecent, irreverent, and arrogant about the choices they make. They flaunt ungodliness before the public and dare any to oppose them. They are rich. They are selfish. And it just doesn’t seem right. For many young hearts, it’s enough to pull them to that side. They toss the towel in on God and join the ranks of the godless. Money. Fame. Riches. It’s all there. While the righteous huddle in church buildings, clinging to their faith, singing hymns and trying to convince each other that they need to keep on.

 

Contrasts—life is full of them. What helped Asaph was going to the sanctuary of God. It was here that he saw the end of the wicked. The “end” has to be more than their death. Earlier he complained that there is no pains in the death of these proud and arrogant ones. So, the end is more than their death. The end must imply what happens when they are before God. Solomon warned young people to follow the impulses of your heart, yet know that God will bring you to judgment. Standing before God is not exclusively a New Testament concept. When Adam and Eve sinned, God punished them. When the sons of Aaron sinned, God punished them. The book of Proverbs often mentions the trouble awaiting those who ignore God. Even in Psalms, the one who proclaims that there is no God, is declared to be a fool. That very word, fool, was used to describe the rich farmer who planned to tear down his barns and build larger barns. He never gave a thought to God or his eternity.

 

In the sanctuary, Asaph saw the end of the wicked. The riches. The fame. The arrogant attitudes. The know-it-all spirit all came crashing down when they stand before God. It was at that moment, too late to do anything about it, that they realized that Asaph had chosen the right path in life. It was then that they realized the massive mistakes and choices that they have made. They filled their lives with stuff and ignored God completely. In the eternal, He will ignore them. They had opportunity to do good with their riches. They had chances to help others. But they didn’t.

 

Leaving the sanctuary, Asaph must have felt good about his faith and his walk with the Lord. Maybe he didn’t have two nickels to rub together, that’s ok, he has God. Maybe he never travelled like the jet set, that’s ok, someday he’ll be in God’s home. Instead of envying the wicked, he must have seen that they were to be pitied. How sad to have so much, but to be so empty. All the stuff money buys, won’t help a soul when it comes time to leave this place.

 

Today, you’ll see contrasts. It may even take your breath away. It might even cause you to envy. But get down to the church house, or open your Bible, or drop to your knees and remember what this is all about. Get your focus. Keep your eyes upon the Lord.

 

Asaph ends Ps 73 with these words, “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge”. But as for me—similar words to what Joshua declared, when he said, “as for me and my house, will serve the Lord.”

 

The nearness of God is my good. Well said, Asaph. Well believed.

 

Roger

 

06

Jump Start # 1780

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1780

John 17:4 “I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”

 

Accomplished. Finishing the job. Completing things. Last night’s Super Bowl game well illustrates this thought. A team with a large lead, that looked like they were going to win the game, lost in overtime. They didn’t finish. Jesus completed what He set out to do.

 

Four times in John’s Gospel, the word “accomplish” is found. Twice it is used to tell us that Jesus had a job to do. He was to accomplish what His Father sent Him to do. Twice this word is used in the past tense to show us that Jesus completed the task. He accomplished what He came to do. This is made stronger when we see one of the seven statements Jesus made on the cross was, “It is finished.” He didn’t say, “I’m finished,” but, rather, “IT.” The “It” is what He came to do. “It” was His mission. He finished what He came to do. Task completed.

 

There are three thoughts for us here:

 

First, Jesus finished what He came to do. Dying on the cross was the purpose of His coming. God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten…The “giving” of Jesus, was His purpose. In Luke, Jesus said, “I came to seek and save that which was lost.” That’s why He came. He completed His task.

 

Some would have us to believe that Jesus didn’t get everything done. There remains more that He intended to do, such as establishing the Kingdom. Yet, if He declared, “I accomplished the work You have given Me to do,” and then He proclaims, “It is finished,” it seems then that He must have established the kingdom. Passages found in Mark 1, Colossians 1 and Revelation 1 all indicate the existence of God’s kingdom before the pages of the N.T. were completed. Jesus finished. Nothing was left undone. Nothing was put on the back burner for another day.

 

Second, there was more that Jesus could have done, but he didn’t. On the way to Jerusalem to be crucified, Jesus cured ten lepers. He welcomed Zacchaeus. Was there more that He could have done? Was there more diseased that He could have cured? Certainly. Was there more lepers that could have been cleansed? Sure. Was there more people that He could have taught and explained things to? Absolutely. But the big picture, the main reason why He came was for salvation of mankind. That one act on the cross, touched more lives, in more places and in more generations than had He stayed one more day and healed more. Sometimes we can get so bogged down with the little things that we forget the big reason and the big purpose of what we are to do. The expression, “majoring in minors” is used to show that. We can have clean church buildings, all our papers neatly stacked, stapled and the parking lot trash free and the grounds around the church weed free, and have everything on the inside dusted, polished and shinning, but forget that the big picture is saving souls and strengthening the faith of the disciples. Mud huts in Africa, that many of us here would view as disgusting, are used to teach and build faith and in many ways may be accomplishing more than what we are doing in our fancy buildings. The same thought extends to our homes. We can have nice large homes that are simply magazine beautiful. They can have amazing curb appeal, and be breath taking on the inside. They can be decorated and furnished so nice. Our homes can be showcases, but have we forgot the most important thing, our families? Neglect, divorce, and problems can fill the hearts of those that live in those beautiful homes. We can pour so much money and time into making things look perfect that we forget the most important thing, raising a godly family. Jesus finished what He came to do. There were more miracles He could have done. There were more questions He could have answered. But He never forgot why He was there. He finished the job.

 

Third, Paul picks up on this idea of “accomplishing” what one is sent to do, when he wrote, “I have finished the course.” Those words are in the language of Jesus. The Lord finished. Paul finished. Again, notice, Paul did not say, “I’m finished.” Rather, “I finished the course.” We understand that language outside of the Bible. We finish a book. That means we read it. We finish college. That means we completed the classes necessary to get a degree. We finish a meal. That means we ate all that we wanted. We finished. Paul finished the course. Was there more people that he could have preached to? Yes. Was there more letters that he could have written? Probably. Was there more questions he could have answered? Yes. Was there more brethren that he could have encouraged? Yes. But, looking at why he came and what he was supposed to do, he had finished the task.

 

Now, all of this brings us to this thought. Why are we here and what are we supposed to be doing? Are we majoring in the minor things? Are we finishing what we are supposed to do? Certainly, there will always be more things that we can do, but the main reason, the big picture, are we getting that taken care of?

 

Here is a short list of some things I would think that we need to be finishing:

  • Getting our hearts and lives ready for Heaven
  • Showing our family the way to Heaven
  • Leaving spiritual footprints for others to follow
  • Leaving this place better than we found it
  • Helping the next generation to carry on faithfully with the Lord

 

That’s our task. That’s why we are here. That’s where our attention needs to be. This is what we need to be finishing. Are there other things that we can do? Yes. We can always preach another sermon, teach another class, invite another person to services, have another family over for dinner. Those things we can keep doing forever, but the main purpose, the course that we must finish, are these big picture things. On the other side, once we cross over into the next room, after we die, it really won’t matter if we fertilized our yards regularly, rotated our tires on time, always changed the furnace filter when we were supposed to, kept the bird feeder filled, changed the water in the church baptistery every quarter, stocked the supply room and hundreds of little things that are simply little things. Jesus could still be on earth today healing people. That’s not why He came. He completed what He was sent to do.

 

Once we understand what we are supposed to do, then we can get about the job of finishing that. I wonder if most have no idea what they are supposed to do. They find what they want to do, or what they like to do, but so few actually understand this is what I am supposed to do. This is why I am here. Knowing that, we can finish our task.

 

Jesus accomplished what He intended to do. He finished what He was sent for. Have you?

 

Roger

 

03

Jump Start # 1779

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1779

Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in Heaven.”

 

I have been reading a book about the Pharisees. In the days of Jesus, the Pharisees were subdivided into seven factions, each unique and ideologically different than the others. One of these groups were known as the “Bloody Pharisees.” I doubt that was officially how they were named or known, but it became a common way to distinguish them. The men who made up the Bloody Pharisees would never make eye contact with another woman. As they walked the crowded market streets, they closed their eyes when a woman approached. They did this to prevent lust. The problem is, with closed eyes, they walked into walls, fell down into ditches and tripped over tables in the markets. They often became “bloody”. The appearance of blood became a badge of honor and a sign of piety for them. When you saw someone with a bloody forehead, it was a statement that he had refused to look at a woman. The “Bloody Pharisees” would not wipe the blood off of their faces and foreheads. It was their mark of righteousness. They became proud of the blood on them. All of this makes me think of the English rock group Queen who had a line in one of their hit songs, “You got blood on your face, you big disgrace…”

 

It would probably do our country much good if more closed their eyes rather than looking lustfully at the opposite sex, especially on the internet and in the movies. But these “Bloody Pharisees,” as noble as their intentions were, lost the purpose when they tried to carry their righteousness before others to be noticed, as our passage states today. Jesus gives three examples of practicing righteousness before men.

 

  • Blowing a trumpet before you give to the poor
  • Praying in public places to be seen by others
  • Putting on a gloomy face when you fast

 

Jesus was not discounting giving, praying or fasting. Great things to do. Just drop the pretentious “look at me” attitude that kills the good that these things do. When you give, Jesus said, do not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing. Just do good. Don’t tell. Don’t brag. When you pray, go in your closet and close the door. Do not use meaningless repetition. Don’t think that long prayers are better than short prayers. When you fast, don’t look like you are fasting. Wash your self, anoint yourself.

 

In all three examples, Jesus uses the word “secret.” Concerning giving, Jesus said, “your Father who sees in secret.” Concerning praying, He said, “your Father who sees what is done in secret.” And with fasting, “but your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret.” God knows. That’s what matters.

 

Giving, praying and fasting all have connection to God. We do these things because of God. God knows. You don’t need to brag to God. You don’t have anyone to compare to when you are focused upon God. Do what you can, the best you can, with your eyes on the Lord.

 

Can you and I fall into the trap of being like the “Bloody Pharisees?” Is it possible that we brag too much about how many Bible studies we are holding, how many we are baptizing, or how large the congregation is, forgetting that it is God that gives the increase. The American business model infiltrates and colors our spiritual thinking. We immediately assume that larger is better than smaller. More is better than less. Big is it and small isn’t. It is interesting that when you read the seven churches listed in the first pages of Revelation, you cannot put a finger on which one was the largest. Which one had the most growth in the past five years? Which one baptized more? Which one was adding on? Which one was debt free? What we do find and what matters to God is what was in the heart of that congregation. How faithful were they to God? How serious were they about the work in the kingdom? How passionate, committed and loyal were they? Those things are not based upon the size of the building, the number that attend on Sunday, but the hearts of the people that follow Christ.

 

It’s in our nature to show off. Little kids do that. Teens that date do that. We do that at high school reunions. Golfers will tell stories about the long putt that they hit. Fishermen will tell about the enormous catch they brought in. We brag about the size of our TV screens, the options on our cars and the square footage of our homes. “How big is your lot,” we ask others, hoping ours is the largest. Preachers can get into this as well. “How long have you been at this church?” “How many books have you read this month?” “How many…” Why does it matter? Are you asking that to seek accreditation and approval? Are you hoping that whatever the preacher says, you can top it? What if you can? Does that make you better?

 

Bragging reminds me of a puff fish. I don’t know much about them, but when they are “puffed” they look enormous. Sticking our chests out, swelling our heads and boasting  is our version of the puff fish. The Pharisees that Jesus addressed, much like the “Bloody Pharisees,” were more concerned about what others said than what God said. Having others say, “Wow, look at that,” was more important than the “well done, good and faithful slave” that they ought to be seeking from God. The approval of others does not mean that God approves. Impressing others isn’t very impressive.

 

Be yourself. Find what works for you and do it. Put God first and foremost in all that you do. Think about Him. Do things for Him. Others may not think much about you. I expect the “Bloody Pharisees” saw other men with no blood on them and assumed that they were lustful heathens. What a mistake that was. Jesus didn’t walk around with blood on His forehead. He didn’t walk into walls and fall down ditches because He closed His eyes. In fact, Jesus, talked to Mary and Martha. He talked to the sinful woman who was caught in adultery. He talked to the Samaritan woman. Don’t forget, there was the bent over woman that Jesus talked to. There was the Gentile woman that Jesus talked to. There was the widow who was heading to the cemetery to bury her son. Jesus stopped and talked with her. Then, at the resurrection, there were women. Jesus told them to go and tell Peter. The point is, Jesus not only had numerous conversations with women, there is no indication that He did this with his eyes closed, yet the Bible declares that He was without sin. Jesus had His eyes opened and He wasn’t lustful.

 

The “Bloody Pharisees” must have thought that Jesus couldn’t have been the Messiah. He has no blood on his forehead. He isn’t closing his eyes. Yet, how wrong they were. And so are we, when we judge others righteousness based upon what we are doing. So, you don’t go to an all day Bible study. Does that mean you are not as spiritual as those that do? Be careful. So, you don’t read what others are reading? Does that mean you are not as spiritual as others? So, Mr. Preacher, you are holding more meetings than other preachers. Does that mean you are better than they are? NO. Because others openly tell everyone what they are doing, we feel inferior. We feel less of a Christian. We, sometimes feel compelled to counter. “Here is what I am doing.” And with that, the bragging wars begin. Grab a towel. You might need it to wipe off some blood from your forehead from telling others how great you are. The hymn, “The Great I AM,” is about God and not us. You’d think, the way some act, that it’s their own song and theme.

 

Just do what Jesus did. Just be righteous. You don’t have to meet the expectations of others. Don’t fall into the trap of having to brag. Be yourself. Be holy. Be like Jesus. You’ll never go wrong if you do that.

 

Bloody Pharisees. I’m glad that I didn’t see any of those folks. I think I would be laughing if I saw a guy walking into a wall. I once walked into a glass door. I didn’t see it. I banged my head. It hurt. My eyes were open. I didn’t feel righteous. I felt like an idiot and I was embarrassed. My dear wife was with me. She probably thought it’s time to put me in the home.

 

Keep your eyes open and keep them on Jesus.

 

Roger

 

02

Jump Start #1778

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1778

Psalms 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

  Our verse today comes from that powerful confessionary Psalm of David after he was found guilty of adultery, murder and deception. The sin involved his transgressions with Bathsheba and the cover up that followed. The prophet Nathan was sent to David and he finally admitted his wrongs. God knew. Nathan the prophet knew. It was time to stop hiding and be honest with his moral failures.

 

It is in this atmosphere that David pens these words to God. He wants to be clean. He wants to be right. He wants the fellowship to be restored.

 

Our verse today, “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” is a plea and a prayer that comes with parameters. This statement of David is similar in nature to a hymn we sing, “God give us Christian homes.” God alone will not create in me a clean heart. God alone will not give me a Christian home. David was seeking Godly help but the greatest help would come from within David. It would come from a heart that was ready to turn from sin and follow the Lord.

 

It’s hard to expect God to create a clean heart in us when we stay up watching movies that are filthy or find ourselves roaming around on the internet on sites that are suggestive and prone to lead us to have unclean thoughts. Simply memorizing this verse isn’t enough. There must be action on our part. God will help, but He won’t do it without our cooperation. We must do “clean” things to create a “clean” heart.

 

The same concept is found in that hymn, “God give us Christian homes.” Great song. Wonderful to sing that. But don’t expect your home to suddenly become “Christian,” while you ignore the kids to watch ESPN or are gone playing your hobbies or are always working. It takes a lot of effort to raise your children. They need God. But they need you to show them God. Simply singing that song on a Sunday morning and then continuing on with our neglectful ways will not lead the family to Christ. You must work with the Lord. You must set aside what you want to do for the sake of the family. You must pour yourself into your children, by showing them the ways of the Lord. Teach. Explain. Illustrate. Involve them. This is how our homes become “Christian.”

 

We live in times when we like others to do things for us. We pay some money and someone will come and take care of our yard. We pay some money and our car is cleaned at the car wash. We pay some money and our groceries are delivered to our door. I’ve seen ads where you can pay some money and someone will walk your dog and clean up the dog messes out of your yard. Pay some money and let someone else do all the hard and dirty work for us. There is a growing desire for these services in our times. However, you cannot pay someone some money to create that clean heart in your nor to raise your children to be godly. That’s not the preacher’s job. That’s not the church’s job. But we feel that way. When things do not turn out well, fingers are pointed at the church. “There weren’t any kids the same age as mine.” Some how that is supposed to be the reason why the kids turned their back on God. Or, “the classes were always about things that I wasn’t interested in.” Therefore, that justifies having a dirty heart?

 

David could make that statement and pray that plea, “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” because he was ready to toss the junk out of his heart. He was ready to gut the insides and rewire his thinking. He learned some painful lessons. He was through with sin. He wanted to be back with God. There was no stopping David now. That determined spirit, that energy directed toward God, along with God’s help would bring David back. He would have a clean heart because he wanted it and was willing to do what he had to in order to get that.

 

All of this brings us back to our part of the equation. How interested are we in what we are asking God? How much effort are we going to put into it? What price are we willing to pay?

 

You want to know God’s word. Great. Are you willing to stick your nose in the book and spend some time really studying? Just wanting that won’t happen.

 

You want to be a strong Christian. Great. There are things you have to do. First, you have to worship with God’s people all the time. Every time those doors are opened, you got to get yourself down there. That’s what strong Christians do. You must get close to strong Christians. Find out what they are doing. That’s just common sense. If you want to lose weight, you hang around those who are in fitness and diets. Sitting at the counter at the donut shop won’t do it. If you want to have some money, hanging around broke people won’t do it. Find out what successful people are doing and then you do the same. Find out what strong Christians are doing and then you do it. What makes your shepherds strong spiritually? Do what they are doing.

 

You want to be an example for others. Great. There are things you have to do. You have to be busy doing good deeds. You have to be visible so others can see you. That’s where the idea of examples come from. You have to do and do and do.

 

Create in me a clean heart. Give us Christian homes. Make me strong. Make me a leader. These things are all possible and achievable if you are willing to do what it takes and work with the Lord. Without the Lord, it won’t happen. Nor, will the Lord do it without our cooperation. But together, you and the Lord, you can become a meaningful strong Christian. Why more do not want this is something I do not understand. Possibly, it’s because they don’t want to do their part. They don’t want to put in the hours and effort it will take. It’s easier to talk about it, complain about those who are doing it and find excuses that justify doing nothing.

 

The clean heart can begin today. Are you ready?

 

Roger

 

01

Jump Start # 1777

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1777

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

 

We visited one of our grandchildren the other day. He sleeps with a teddy bear that someone gave him as a present. I was told it was a “Build-a-bear” teddy bear. I’ve seen those stores but never actually “built” a bear. A person picks out the color, features and actually designs a bear that they like. I’ve seen car companies that allows a person to build a car on their websites. You pick out the model you want and from that the exterior color, the type and color of seats. You pick out the engine you want, wheels and available options. You build a car.  This idea is also being used in the housing industry. You pick out a floor plan that you like, type of flooring, cabinets, paint and you have built a house for yourself.

 

The idea behind these “build you own” projects is that you are allowed your personal tastes. If you designed a red car and then declared, “I don’t like red cars,” whose fault is that? All of these “build your own” projects have limitations. Cars have only certain engines and colors that come with each model. Houses have only certain floor plans. Even “build-a-bear,” has a selection that you must stay with.

 

All of this got me thinking the other day. What if we could “build-a-church member.” What if I could pick out certain features and build a member to my liking? What would my church member look like? Here we go:

 

  • He would attend every service
  • He would smile, hug and be happy
  • He would love to sing, pray and listen to sermons
  • He would connect with others
  • He would volunteer to help out
  • He would be supportive, kind and easy to talk to
  • He would love the Lord
  • He would be holy, spiritual and follow the Bible
  • His family would be right with him in all of these steps
  • He would be one that you could count on

 

What an amazing thing to build your own member. If you had enough resources, you could build your own church with just the members you designed. Everyone would be just the way you wanted them to be. What a thought.

 

But hasn’t God already done that? Our verse today, is just one of many places that shows what God is looking for in a member. He has chosen what He wants. He wants us to kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving. Those words express our connection and relationships with one another. This is how we are supposed to be with each other. In other places, God tells us to be strong. He tells us to love the Lord with all that we are. He wants us to grow in grace and knowledge.

 

God has designed a member just like He wants. God has built-a-member. In fact, when Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build My church,” that’s exactly what He is doing. The church isn’t a building. He is constructing people, His people. This is how God wants His people, His church to look like. The beatitudes, that begin the sermon on the mount, illustrate the type of material that God has chosen to be us. He has not “stuffed” us with us, but rather with Him. We long for God. We want to be with God. We want to be like God. The Lord has “built-a-member.” It’s all through the N.T.

 

One other thought that comes from this, what kind of member am I? Have I chosen the elements and qualities that God wants in a member? Am I acting like our verse today? Or, as too often is the case, I have my issues, my past, my baggage that prevents me from being kind, tender-hearted and forgiving. Instead of being what God wants, I have settled on something else. It’s not what God picked out. It’s not what God wants. You take your child to a “build-a-bear” store and help him pick out a cuddly teddy bear but what they  hand you is an ugly buzzard that isn’t soft, isn’t the color you wanted and is not close to what you chose. Would your child like that? You “build-a-car” on a website. You go to pick it up and finance it and it’s a two-door, not a four-door which you wanted. The engine isn’t what you picked out. The seats are the wrong color. The exterior is the wrong color. Would you still want it? You sit down with a builder to plan a house. He builds it and the rooms are in the wrong place. There isn’t a fireplace, which you wanted. The kitchen is different than you picked out. Happy?

 

So, God has designed what a disciple of Jesus ought to look like. Here we are. Do we look like what God wanted? Or, instead, do we fuss with one another? Do people have to beg and plead for us to come to worship? Do we ignore the Bible? Are we filled with worry, fear and doubt? Are we what God picked out?

 

My grandson loves his bear. He has a name for it and he sleeps with it every night. It is just what he wanted. I wonder if you and I are just what God wanted? If God held up a piece of paper with a check list of all the things He wanted in a disciple, would we look like that? He has a piece of paper, actually, several pieces of paper. It’s called the Bible. When you read, Paul said, you will know my insight. When you read, John wrote, you will know if you have eternal life. When you read, you can know if you are what God had planned and designed.

 

Build-a-bear…build-a-car…build-a-house…build-a-disciple—

 

How are we turning out? Are we becoming what God planned and wanted?

 

Roger