17

Jump Start # 1809

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

Jump Start # 1809

 

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

It is interesting that this verse plainly states that Christ indwells within Paul. Folks have no problems with that statement. They love it, quote it and refer to it often. However, quote a passage that states the Holy Spirit dwells within the Christian, and people get all excited. They talk about the Spirit doing this and that for them. They talk about certain feelings they have when the Spirit is in them. Some would take these feelings over plain Bible verses. What’s the difference? What’s the difference between Christ dwelling in us and the Spirit dwelling in us?

 

A person does not lose accountability nor free will with Christ or the Spirit in them. If they did, then they would not be responsible for what they chose and they would not sin. We know, from the Scriptures that neither one of those is right. We are always responsible for our choices. And, we can sin.

 

Having the Spirit in you does not mean that God speaks to you like He did the apostles. That’s the common idea in most modern books today. Modern authors claim being led by the Spirit is nothing more than direct divine guidance, like God leading Israel through the wilderness. You might be guided to find a parking space. You might be guided to find a new house. You might be guided to find the love of your life. One would think with all this guidance going on, why do we even need the Bible. The impression we get from many modern writers is that God guided just about everyone in the Bible on a daily, personal basis. You’d think that, but when you actually read your Bible, you’ll find a different story. Few had God directly speaking to them. When God did speak, it wasn’t about parking spaces, buying homes or what to name their pet. It always involved His will. It involved fulfilling His promises. It involved the fulfillment of prophecy. It involved the spread of the Gospel.

 

Modern writers make one huge blunder which deceives the readers every time. When we read about the apostle Paul in our Bibles, we must remember that Paul wore three hats. He was a Christian. He was a preacher. He was an apostle. When I read, I must learn from the context, which hat Paul is wearing. We cannot do everything that Paul did. When he is speaking about the revelation he received from God, he is talking about his role as an apostle. We are not apostles. God does not reveal to us like He did to Paul. Lifting Paul verses out of context, without making this distinction, will lead people to believing that they can do anything and everything that Paul did. “He was a Christian, like me,” but he was more than a Christian. He was also an apostle. So, Paul saw visions. Paul had angels speak to him. Paul received revelations from God. Paul could do miracles. Paul could command churches what to do, because he had the authority of God. What Paul wrote was the Lord’s commands. You and I can’t do all those things.

 

It is also important to note, in our Bibles, when God spoke to someone, they always knew it was God. God never used feelings or divine nudges to express His will. People knew when God spoke. God declared Himself when He spoke. People today, misunderstanding the role of the Spirit, believe that God guides them and leads them. When questioned about how they knew it was God, it comes down to a warm feeling inside of them. Something you don’t read about in the Bible. When pressed, “How do you know those feelings are from God and not Satan,” there isn’t any substantial proof or evidence. They just know, they say. It’s feeling based. I’m all for praising God. I don’t think we do that enough in a day. But to think that God provided a parking space right in front of the store I was going to, is based upon what? My wishes? Maybe, if truth be known, God would rather me park far away and get more exercise. Maybe God wanted me to walk and pray. There is no way to know which one God wanted or even if He wanted either one. Maybe He wanted me to stay home and save my money. Feeling based religion cannot know the answers to these questions. What God wants somehow is exactly what I wanted. Very interesting how that works out in their faith and minds.

 

Our verse, where Paul states that Christ lives in him, is based upon faith. Our faith is built, supported and founded upon the word of God. This section of Galatians is dealing with sin. Paul is saying that he died to sin. That was his choice. He even states, “If I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.” A lot of personal pronouns in that sentence. I destroyed. I prove. I rebuild. Those are all choices. God wasn’t preventing Paul from going back. Paul’s faith is what kept him going.

 

Christ dwelling in Paul was a relationship. It indicates that Paul was living and choosing to do things God’s way. These were his choices. His faith, built upon the Scriptures, is what kept this relationship going. How is this any different than the Spirit dwelling in us? It’s not. It’s a relationship. It’s built and sustained by faith. The Spirit is not going to violate divine principles or teachings from the word of God. Not only is Christ and the Spirit in the Christian, but the Christian is in them. How can I be in Christ, when I’m down here and He is up there? By faith. By relationship. By choices.

 

We walk by faith. That faith is encompassed by the word of God. We belong to Christ. In a simplistic example, I am an American. My choices reflect that. When the anthem is played, I put my hand over my heart. When the flag enters a room, I stand. I honor the privileges of this country. I believe in this country. My life reflects that I am an American. I also am a Christian. My faith, my choices reflect that. I treasure the Bible. I love what God loves. I want to be with other Christians. I seek to please God. My life reflects that I am a Christian. I belong to Christ. He is in me and I am in Him. The same is said about the Father and the Spirit.

 

Ownership, is what our passage is about today. The Corinthians were told, you are not your own. You were bought with a price. That’s what it means to be a Christian. It is no longer I who live, but God lives in me.

 

Don’t get excited in the wrong way about the indwelling of the Spirit. Don’t be looking for things to happen that cannot happen. Don’t expect God to keep you from making wrong choices. If that’s your choice, it will happen and you will face any consequences that come with that.

 

Your life, by your choices, reflects God dwelling within you. The life I live, Paul says, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me. What a wonderful statement!

 

Roger

 

16

Jump Start # 1808

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

Jump Start # 1808

Colossians 4:7-8 “As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in te Lord will bring you information. For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you ay know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.”

I have a young preacher friend who is thinking about moving. He is thinking about moving to work with another congregation. It will mean selling his house, moving his family to another state and starting fresh with people that he doesn’t know very well. It’s hard and often scary knowing what to do. All of us who have preached have had to think about this. Standing before the final decision is that one special Sunday service, that we now call “the try-out.” In times past, and many congregations still operate this way, after a couple of phone calls and dates settled, the preacher and his family show up bright and early on “Try-Out” Sunday. It’s often the first time anyone in the congregation has met him or talked with him at any length. Everything rides on that “Try-out” Sunday. The preacher must give thought to what he will wear. Too flashy, gives the wrong impression. Too drab, leaves another impression. His wife worries about what she will wear. The kids are threatened to be on their best behavior on “Try-out” Sunday. The preacher tries to find what sermons will show what he can do. Nothing too controversial. Biblical, but applicable. Smile a lot. Connect. Shake a million hands. Try to remember at least one person’s name. PRESSURE, PRESSURE, PRESSURE. While the preacher is doing his best, realizing he may nor may not “get the job” based upon how well he does on “TRY-OUT” Sunday, the congregation is running his entire family through the gauntlet of critical eyes. Is he preaching too long? Is he too loud? Is he good looking? Where is his family sitting? Who are they sitting next to? You’d think, the church was buying a horse. One of these days, I’d expect some to raise the lips of the preacher and look at his teeth, like folks do when they are looking at a horse. I wonder how many of us would like to have our entire family at the interview process when we got our jobs? Somehow, we just don’t think about and what we put the preacher through.

 

All the while this is going on, the preacher and his family are looking at the congregation. How many are paying attention? How many are zoned out? How many are in and out of the auditorium? How many come back Sunday evening? How interested are these people? Why should I move my family here?

 

The idea of “Try-out” Sunday is not found in the Bible. Most today would not like what was done in the days of the apostles. As with our verse today, the apostles sent preachers to work with congregations. Paul was sending Tychicus to the Colossian church not only to report about what he was doing but to teach, encourage and help them. What if the Colossians didn’t want Tychicus? What if they didn’t like his style of preaching? What if they thought he was too tall? Tychicus was coming and that was it. Paul knew what was best for the church. Today, we don’t have apostles, nor, thankfully a board of directors that move preachers around. The relationship is determined between the preacher and the congregation.

 

Here are a few suggestions:

 

First, BEFORE “Try-out” Sunday, the shepherds of a congregation ought to have some face to face time with the preacher that they are interested in. Lots of sermons can be listened to even before he shows up with our modern websites. A relationship and an understanding is formed. Let the preacher have a detailed tour of the church building. Let him get a feel for what is being done. Show him what the church is doing. Talk. Talk. Talk.

 

Second, have an understanding of what the finances are going to be. Don’t waste each other’s time by going through the dreaded “Try-out” if you are not even close in what the financial package is going to be. This may mean another visit by the preacher to talk about details.

 

Third, by the time the “TRY-OUT” Sunday comes, and it is important for the congregation to have input in the process, the elders have met so many times already and have had so many phone calls and emails that they feel very comfortable, confident and good about the future preacher. He will be more relaxed because he has already developed a relationship with several by his many visits.

 

Fourth, prepare the church by understanding their role. We are not buying a horse. We are looking at this person being one piece of a giant puzzle that will help all of us get closer to the Lord, grow in faith, and become Christ-like. His job is not to solve all of our problems. Some won’t ever be solved, because the people involved don’t want to solve them. His job is not to do our job. He doesn’t represent us. He is not our ambassador. His job is to preach and teach God’s word. We are to work with him. We will bring friends to services, and he will teach them. We will have questions, and he will help us find the answers. Together, we will strengthen the kingdom in this area. He is not working for us, but WITH us. He will be one of us.

 

Many have grown up in a congregation and they continued to be a part of that congregation. Your parents, grandparents are all there. It’s the only place you have really known. It’s not that way for most of us preachers. Our kids are moved away from their grandparents. We don’t know all the histories and stories that everyone knows. Street names, community names, school names, all so familiar to us, are not to the new preacher. I still experience this. Where I live, there are three communities, Jeffersonville, New Albany and Clarksville. They touch each other. It’s hard to know one from the other. In conversations I sometimes will say something about New Albany, and the person I’m talking to will correct me, “That’s Clarksville.” They say it in such a way, that it leaves the impression, ‘You are really an idiot for not knowing the difference.” It’s as if you spit on their mother’s grave. For those who have lived here forever, it’s very clear that New Albany is not Clarksville. From an outsider, they are two communities side by side. No need to get huffy because you misspoke about one. Folks need to realize things like this for someone who has moved in and does not know the history.

 

TRY-OUT Sunday, it’s part of what we do. I’m not sure a better way around it. It is necessary. But it could be a lot less tense and a lot less pressure if folks put some effort into it and looked at it as a good thing. Having leaders that you trust is important. If they have done their homework, taken time and have had multiple meetings already, that ought to put the congregation at ease. Our shepherds are looking out for our best interests. They have a proven record. They wouldn’t do anything to hurt us.

 

Years ago, at a place I was “Trying-out” after the Sunday sermon and the pot-luck, we were taken back to the building. A chair was placed in front of the Lord’s Supper table for me to sit in. All the men filled the auditorium and started firing questions. While this was going on, my dear wife was taken to the basement, and the women were doing the same thing with her. It was painful. It was an exercise in stump the preacher. After it was over, I told someone that I didn’t know that the church was hiring my wife. I asked how much she was going to be paid. He looked puzzled. I don’t think he got what I was driving at. I passed on that place. Wasn’t a good fit from the very beginning. And that’s what you want. A good fit. Like a hand in a glove. Natural. Obvious. Good. Healthy. Everyone glad for it. When that happens, God will be glorified and great things are about to take place.

 

Paul sent Tychicus. One wonders, with all the preachers out there today, who would be sent where if the apostles were still doing this. The preacher and the congregation. When it’s right, it’s healthy. When it’s not, it smells.

 

My advice for those trying out—be yourself. Do your best. Pray. Listen to your wife. Breathe!

 

Roger

 

15

Jump Start # 1807

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

Jump Start # 1807

Ephesians 5:11-12 “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.”

 

SEX. How about that for an opening word. That makes a person wonder, “What’s he going to say about sex?” The Bible says plenty about it and the world is even saying more about it. The world is beyond blunt. It’s in your face. It’s crude. It hold no punches. This is the stuff your kids are hearing at school. This is the stuff that sells sit-coms. Nothing is off limits. Nothing is too sensitive or delicate these days. Sexual innuendos are everywhere. They fill songs. They are in commercials. They are in shows. They are in the language of the people today. It seems that society is stuck on this topic. It’s everywhere.

 

That brings us to our verse today. The mind of the Christian and the mind of the world are moving rapidly in opposite directions. Preachers today do not connect better by sounding like MTV. Gutter talk has no place in holy worship. Keep it in the gutter and maybe it will get washed down the sewer. Parents don’t try to be hip (I don’t think anyone uses that word anymore). It bombs every time. Don’t dress like you are a teenager. Don’t talk like you are a teenager. If you want to connect with the kids, earn respect by being your age. You are the parent, not BFF (that stands for Best Friends Forever).

 

Our verses today remind us of the call in Romans to not to be conformed to the world. Three things from these passages:

 

First: Don’t do what the world is doing. Paul said, “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness.” Darkness means wrongness. In this same context, the apostle said, “Do not be partakers with them” (v. 7). Stop joining them in wrong. You put your light out when you do that. You kill your influence when you do that. No one takes you seriously anymore, when you are doing things that you should not be doing. Paul says in this section, “you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Your walk and talk ought to be the same.

 

Second, instead of going along with wrong, expose wrong. Let it be known why you don’t do what they are doing. The answer is not, “I can’t because I’m a Christian.” That sounds like you wish you could. That sounds like, remove the Christianity from me and I’ll be there. It’s not, “I can’t. It’s “I won’t.” I won’t bow down is what the three Jewish boys in Babylon were saying. I won’t is what we need to say. How do you expose darkness? The best way is to shine some light. Don’t be ugly. Don’t destroy. You are trying to convert. Stand where God stands. People who love darkness, are often loud, aggressive, and seemingly have all the support and facts on their side. They don’t. There is never a time that darkness is right. There is never a way that wrong can be right. NEVER. Your best defense, is the word of God. You don’t need a Bible machinegun that spits out 45 verses per second. Use just a few. Be confident. Don’t be intimidated. Often, those in the wrong will attack you instead of what you are saying. Remember, no one was ever killed by thunder. It’s lightning that does the killing. A lot of noise and a lot of accusations and a lot of thunder doesn’t make one right. Use common sense and Scriptures. That’s it. Expose.

 

Thirdly, it is disgraceful to even mention what was being done in secret. Don’t try to figure out what Paul was hinting at, because it’s wrong even to talk about it. You don’t have to know the slang names of every drug on the street. You don’t have to know what the latest wrongs are. There are many things that pure minds and pure people have no business talking about. Talking about these things in secret will get some to thinking about the things in secret. The next thing you know, some will be trying the very things that Paul said don’t talk about.

 

Our words are to be seasoned with grace, not disgraceful. Our words are to build up, not shame and cast doubt upon things. Our words are to strengthen souls. There are some topics that may need to be studied one on one and not taken publicly. There are some things that just not fitting, proper or right to say before others. Steer clear of wrong. Don’t even get next to it. Don’t talk about it. Don’t participate in it.

 

One wonders why Paul had to say these things. I think I know. He knew some brethren wouldn’t understand. They would walk right up to a poisonous snake and give it a kick. They’d walk right up to the lion, Satan, himself, and try to debate him. Some times we can act pretty dumb. Is it any wonder why some get so mixed up in their thinking and their behavior. They’ve forgotten whose side that they are on.

 

Stay away from darkness. Don’t go along with darkness. Don’t speak about what is being done in darkness. Turn on the lights. Let everyone see what is wrong. Let the Gospel message ring out.

 

Years ago I ask a preacher one Sunday what he was going to preach on. His answer was classic. He said, “Sin.” He then said, “Sin—some are for it and some are against it.” That’s still true today. Which side are you on? Is your life showing that?

 

Roger

 

14

Jump Start # 1806

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1806

Revelation 3:4 “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white; for they are worthy.”

 

I referred to this passage Sunday. It has been something that has stayed with me. It’s something that I have seen and I know the answer, but I still can’t understand it. Sardis is the church that had a name. They were known to be alive. They weren’t. Christ states that “You are dead.” A lifeless church. A dead congregation. Their name didn’t match what they were really like. What others thought about them wasn’t the way it really was. God knows. They were dead. Faith gone. Going through the motions. Few goals. Just keeping house. Little concern. No improvement. No hope. Stuck. Stale. Stinkin’. That’s Sardis.

 

All except for our verse today. There were a few who were not dead. There were a few who the Lord called worthy. Unlike the rest, they were doing things right. They had hope, faith and joy. They were trying. They put their all into what they were doing. The faithful few.

 

Here is what’s so amazing about all of this. Most of us have read these verses dozens and dozens of times. We are not comparing the dead at Sardis with Ephesus. Nor are we comparing the dead at Sardis to what was going on at Philadelphia. There was death at Sardis but there was also life. We are talking about what was going on at the same place. The dead and the alive were at the same place, at the same time. We are not talking about a before and after picture. Same time. Same place. Same worship services. Same songs. Same prayers. Same preaching. Same leadership. Same classes. Some were dead and others were dong well. It’s not that the dead were kept from these spiritual things. It’s not that the dead were not fed at all. Everyone in the congregation had the same opportunities, the same chances.

How is it that some at the same time and in the same congregation can be dead, while others are doing well? This is what’s hard to understand. We are not talking about some who were under privileged and never had the same opportunities as the others did. They did. Something didn’t work for them. Death and life within the same congregation. That has to be a concern for those that preach. That has to be a concern for shepherds in a congregation. How can some be doing well while others are dying?

 

First, we may put too much emphasis upon congregational worship. Sure there existed the same songs, same prayers and same preaching, but something inside these hearts was not the same. While some worshipped, grew and pleased the Lord, others, died. We point fingers too often to the type of songs, the style of the preaching, the topics of study—trying to find a reason and a blame why some die. Be careful with that. For at Sardis, you have some who were doing well.

 

Second, our faith must be lived beyond the walls of the church building. Congregational worship is very important but what about our private worship? What about our faith and walk with the Lord Monday thru Saturday? Ours is not a faith that can be turned on and turned off. It must be in us. Christ must be our life. The death of anything comes about because of disease and a lack of attention to what is necessary. If you don’t water a house plant, it will die. If you don’t feed your pet, it will die. If your pet becomes ill and you don’t take it to the vet, it likely will not do well. The same with children. The same with us. The same with our faith. Faith dies when we ignore it. Faith dies when we no longer feed it. Faith dies when we allow it to be overtaken by the cares of the world and the errors of Satan. Did these dead at Sardis discuss Christ outside of worship? Did they pray at home? Did they make choices based upon their faith? Did they fellowship with other Christians? Did they do the very things necessary to grow faith? It doesn’t matter who is preaching, Sunday worship isn’t a multi-purpose vitamin that gives me 100% of my daily spiritual requirements. That’s not the purpose of worship. If that is all I’m giving my soul, then I am slowly starving spiritually. Do things spiritually. Help others. Read and study and share with others. Have wonderful discussions outside the church building about Christ. Use your faith. Walk by faith. Feed your faith.

 

Third, our faith doesn’t die quickly. A person doesn’t lose their faith by a blowout. It’s generally a slow, slow leak. There are signs. It’s there if you notice them and want to notice them. Less talk spiritually. Less interest spiritually. More sleeping during worship. Less prayers at home. Less wise choices. More worldly talk. More worldly friends. Days filled with the here and now and less on the eternal. Superficial things dominate. A little leak. In time, that leak gets bigger. Now, the one with the dying faith starts complaining about things among brethren. He is moving away and is feeling guilty, so he points out their flaws to make himself feel better. They aren’t friendly he says. The sermons are boring. The classes don’t do much for him. He doesn’t want to be around other Christians. More and more he finds that he has more in common with work friends and neighborhood friends than he does with those he is supposed to be in fellowship with. He is dying and he doesn’t even see it. He puts on a good show. He’ll still be at worship on Sunday, but worship is not what he’s doing. He has less and less in common with those who are spiritually alive. He’s moving the opposite direction. They are pleasing the Lord and he is disappointing the Lord. They are growing and he is dying. Not much to talk about these days. Not much to do together. Death and life—and all in the same congregation.

 

Fourth, what can be done? God provides the answer here in the context of Revelation 3. Nothing is said about finding another church. Nothing is said about changing preachers, getting new elders or a zillion other external things that we most often apply to an internal problem. God has the answers. He always does. Three things that surround the letter “R”.

 

REMAIN: Wake up. Strengthen what remains. Take care of that which is about to die. Complete your deeds. Take action. Do something. I have on several occasions seen a person take their final breath. I watched my mother as she died. I have been there for others. We sit. We watch. We wait for death. Physically, we understand this. Spiritually, we too often do the same. We watch a marriage die. We watch a family fall apart. We watch a faith slip away. There are things that can and should be done. Strengthen what remains. Don’t pull the plug on that faith. Shore up what you can. Get into the book and study God’s word. Get serious. Faith is built and sustained by the word of God. Get that Bible into your heart and soul.

 

REMEMBER: Remember what you have received and keep it. Plug up the leaks. Don’t lose any more ground. You know what is right. You know what you once believed. Remember?

 

REPENT: change. If you continue on the current path, you are headed to the spiritual cemetery. A dead faith will not save you. You can convince yourself that you are doing right by worshipping, but if there is no activity on the inside, it’s not helping you. Repent. Make changes. Make changes in how you worship. Make changes at home. This current path is leading to spiritual death. You will lose your soul. You will be a Christian in Hell. You will be asked, “What are you doing down here?” You won’t have an answer. There is no answer to walking away from Jesus.

 

All of this comes down to personal responsibility and taking ownership of our souls. The very choices you make will help you or they may lead to more leaks in your faith. It doesn’t have to be death. You are not destined for that. It’s your choice. You have to want to be in Heaven. You have to want to please the Lord. Don’t wait until Sunday. Ask the Lord to help you, TODAY.

 

Death and life in the same congregation.

 

Roger

 

13

Jump Start # 1805

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1805

Haggai 2:3 “Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?”

There is a necessary background to our verse today. The first temple, built by David’s son, King Solomon, was a golden splendor. Large. Beautiful. Expensive. Magnificent. It stood for a long time and served the people of Judah. The heart of Judah turned to idols. God warned them. Prophet after prophet pleaded with the people to turn back to God. Finally, the Lord had enough. He allowed Babylon to sweep into Jerusalem and carry the people into captivity. The result was crushing. The walls around the city were destroyed. The king’s palace and the Temple were destroyed. The articles used in the Temple, including the ark of the covenant, were carried away to Babylon. People died. The city lay in ruins for a generation, 70 years. Then, just as God promised, His people returned. There were a series of returns. The foundation of the Temple was built and then the work stopped. The people built houses and left the Temple in ruins. It took the leadership and voice of prophets to get the Temple project completed.

 

Our verse is found in this setting. The foundation of the Temple was set. It was not going to be as large as Solomon’s. There remained some old people, who remembered the first temple. It’s been 70 years since they saw it, so these people are 75, 80, 90 years old. But they remember. What they see before them is smaller. It’s not going to be the same. In Ezra’s account of this, the Levites and these old men who see what the new Temple will be like, they cry. They weep loudly. Others are cheering because the Temple is being built. The mixture of crying and cheering blended together and was heard far away.

 

There are some lessons for us in all of this.

 

Even today, folks can weep about how things are not the way they used to be. I’ve talked with old preachers and have heard the stories of baptizing dozens after one sermon. Generations before that, preachers were known for how many they baptized in their career. Some baptized 10,000. I heard of one who baptized nearly 15,000 in his preaching career. Gospel Meetings, as they were called, lasted two weeks long. My, those were the good ole’ days folks say. Many remember. They cry today because we’ve shortened up the meetings. We are not baptizing as many. Things are just not the same any more.

 

As life ticks on, things change. In Ezra’s days, Judah wasn’t the powerhouse that it was when Solomon was the king. David had made Judah powerful. Tribute money flowed in from other nations. The kingdom was wealthy. Gold was common and in abundance. Things were different in Ezra’s time. They didn’t have that kind of money. They had just left captivity from Babylon. They were just now a free people. Money, especially gold, was something that they didn’t have. So, Temple number two, was not going to be as large nor as nice as the first. Yet, it would serve God. The Lord reminded the people that His Spirit was abiding in their midst. The Lord was with them.

 

Times change. The Gospel message never does. Maybe things aren’t the way that they once were, but we can make the most of what we have today. Today, more people are reached through technology than ever could before. Because of websites, live-streaming and recorded sermons, one lesson can live on for decades. That could never happen in the past. Today, because of Twitter and Facebook, people who may never walk into the church building can read, watch and learn things about the Gospel.

 

We can stand with the old timers and cry because things are not as they once were, or we can rejoice that things are being done to the glory of God. I choose to stand with those that rejoice. There is no going back. Lifestyles, busy schedules and too many choices today make long, every night meetings impractical. Cry about it, or do something about it. Find other ways. Work with what you have. Make the most of what you have.

 

Sometimes old timers forget that the “good ole’ days,” were harsh. It took a long time to do things. Years from now, those of us that live long enough, will look back upon these days as the “good ole days.” We may be the ones who are weeping when we see things done differently. As long as folks follow the Bible, the methods will change with each generation. We need not to stand in the way of those who are trying their best to do what God says in their generation. I’m seeing fewer and fewer people carrying an actual Bible to services these days. They have the Bible on their phones and tablets. They are using it that way. Is this something to cry about or realize that these folks can do the same and more with their electronic devises.

 

Don’t be so stuck in your thoughts that you think the way you did things is always the best way. As long as it follows the Bible, new ideas, new technology, new methods, may actually be better. Don’t stand around crying and complaining that things are not like they used to be. Rejoice that the Temple was built and worship God as He wants you to.

 

Lessons for all of us. I hope, as I get older, that I do not move from the those who rejoice to those who cry. Let all things be done to the glory of God.

 

Roger