23

Jump Start # 1878

Posted on June 23, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1878

Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

 

Within the N.T. system, especially the church, God has a means of accountability, support and help. Everyone matters. This verse today is just one example of how a congregation helps their own wounded. We shouldn’t abandon anyone. We should never shoot our own wounded, yet that’s exactly how some feel. A mistake was made. Someone chose Satan over God. A sin was committed. Regret, guilt and truth caused this person to stop and turn back toward God. Like the prodigal long ago, sense was found and forgiveness was offered by the Lord. But in some cases, the person still does not come back to the congregation they left. They have made great recovery with the Lord, but not with the church. Why?

 

Too often, the person feels the church will not be as forgiving as God was. The penitent one fears all the questions, finger pointing, blame and wagging tongues. God is good, but the people can be a real mess. So, the person stays away. They try to journey on without the church. What most times happens is that the person will either return back to the world or they will find a compromising church that accepts them but does not teach all the truth.

 

Our verse today is layered with lessons that we must never forget. How shameful it is when someone wants to do right and come back but they fear the church. Something is terribly wrong when that happens. Churches that act that way are just as wrong as the choices the person first made when he left the Lord.

 

Let’s see some things here:

 

First, Paul’s words involve a Christian who is caught in any trespass. It doesn’t matter the sin. Christians make the wrong choices sometimes. Backseat driving would say, “You shouldn’t have been with the wrong people.” Yes, that’s true. “You should have been stronger spiritually.” Yes, that’s true. Saying these things, AFTER the fact, only worsens how someone feels. We sin. We all do. Some are caught up in a trespass. Their sin pulls them away from Christ.

 

Second, attempts are made to bring back those who have wandered off. “Restore such a one,” means that you do not give up on them. You don’t cut your losses and write them off. Nor does it mean that you forget about them until they come back on their own. A caring church wants everyone to go to Heaven. The wayward was not restored on his own. Rather, spiritual brethren led him back to God.

 

Third, Paul instructs those “who are spiritual” to do this work. Not everyone who sits in the church building is spiritual. Obviously, the person who was caught in the trespass wasn’t thinking very spiritually. This work isn’t for everyone. Not everyone will do this in the proper spirit nor with the right motives. The wayward is not brought back kicking and screaming against his wishes. He is not threatened into right behavior. Strong armed tactics are not to be used here. Not everyone is good at plain talking with the right spirit. The “spiritual” ought to be the shepherds of the church. If they are not spiritual then they should not be in the role of leading the church.

 

Fourth, Paul adds the reminder that all of this is to be done in the spirit of gentleness. That word is found often with correction. You are not beating this person verbally or emotionally. You are gentle. You don’t allow little boys into a store with a lot of glass items on the shelves. Something will probably break. They are not the most gentle. We must be gentle with the person’s feelings. We must be gentle with their family. This implies the road of restoration takes some time. Patience and learning are a must. One who is in a hurry or who wants to “fix” this quickly, will run over people’s feelings and often make things worse. Gentle. Carefully. Talking and a whole lot of listening. Explaining and building faith. It does little good to get the person back if he hasn’t learned what happened nor made any changes. Without some real changes in his life, he will make the same mistake again. So, the process of restoration involves much more than just getting a person back, it is getting them to see and to learn better.

 

Fifth, Paul concludes with, “looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.” The spiritual one who is helping the wayward Christian is listening to himself as he talks. He realizes that the two could switch seats and it would be the spiritual one who messed up and made the mistakes. It’s hard to talk to someone about their marriage, without thinking about your own marriage. Do you listen to your own advice? It’s hard to talk to someone about purity and not think about your own purity. Looking to yourself—makes you realize that you are not above making the same mistakes and the same wrong choices. Often, the one who is now spiritual once sat in the very seat where the wayward now sits. Wrong choices. Wrong friends. Wrong thinking. But, someone restored. Someone cared. Someone was gentle. And now, that former wayward person is spiritual. And now, he is helping find others who made spiritual mistakes that he did years before. He knows what it is like. He knows what it took to get back. Open and honest communication will help the person to return.

 

The perception that some have is that the church is perfect. It’s not. It follows the perfect One, Jesus. What hinders the wayward person is that now everyone will know what he did. Everyone will know the mistakes and sins he committed. Everyone does right but this one guilty person. That’s not the case, but that often is the thinking.

 

It helps being honest. It helps being truthful. We struggle. Some days are better than others. Some days we are pretty strong and hitting on all cylinders. We could spit right in the devil’s eyes on those days. But, there are other days. Wrong choices. Wrong attitudes. We messed up. We cussed when we were angry. We had a drink with some friends. We gossiped. We lied to get out of trouble. We got pulled over by the police. We got in trouble at work. Our spouse doesn’t want to talk to us because of something insensitive we said. We looked at porn. The righteous are not always angels. We need Jesus. There are things we are ashamed about, embarrassed about and promise to never do again. I’ve got my list. Admit it or not, you have your list. The forgiveness of Christ has cleaned that dirty laundry. God’s grace has allowed us yet another chance. We learn. We do better. We press on.

 

It doesn’t help those who are weak and new to believe that we are perfect people. We are not. Sometimes that false idealistic view makes some believe that they can never live up to that. Why try, they proclaim. I can never be as good as they are. I’ve heard that. The truth is, it’s Christ who is perfect and good. We are all journeying together. We need each other. That’s the heart of this verse. It’s not you go and get fixed and straightened out then you can come and be with us. That arrogant spirit destroys this passage and it’s not even correct. That arrogant spirit comes from those who are not as spiritual as they believe and are in the need of God’s mercy and grace as much as the wayward one.

 

It is so easy to stand beside the prodigal’s older brother and refuse to go into the celebration. His mean spirited heart was cold and closed. He was just as lost at home as the prodigal was in the far country. The prodigal returned. We never know if the older brother ever did.

 

To keep that from happening to us, follow Paul’s words in this verse. That’s the answer. Seek out. Be spiritual. Restore. Be gentle. Look to yourself, because the same could happen to you. A caring church is a restoring church. A caring church has plenty of band-aids for all the hurting hearts that are trying to do better.

 

How does one change the temperature of a congregation? It starts with one. It starts with you. Be the loving person who cares. Put down the sword. Tone down your words. Say a prayer. Go help someone come back to the Lord. You may need it next time!

 

Roger

 

22

Jump Start # 1877

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1877

Jeremiah 6:17 “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’”

Our verse today, shows the rebellious and stubborn spirit of Judah towards God. The Lord was trying to prevent disaster, but they were bent on staying the course of their idolatrous and rebellious ways. The verse before has God declaring, “Ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls.” That sounds wonderful and inviting. You’d think the nation would rejoice to hear such words. But, no. That verse ends with, “But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

 

The following verse, our verse, has God appointing watchmen. Their role was to stand upon the walls of the city and WATCH. If they saw trouble coming, they would blow their trumpets and people would run to shelter. Today, we have tornado warnings. We hear them and we should take cover. Some don’t. Some ignore them. In Jeremiah’s day, the people responded, “We will not listen.” Trumpets are blowing and we are not listening. How foolish.

 

There are some people who refuse to listen to anyone, including God. They don’t care what the Bible says, they are going to do what they want to do. They do not come from the standpoint of ignorance. The person who doesn’t know may get into the same trouble, but the reasons were different. One person just didn’t know. The other knew, but he chose to ignore the warnings. Some think that they are as smart as God. Some will not be told what to do by anyone. They become their own god.

 

It’s hard to deal with people like Jeremiah is describing. They won’t listen. They won’t take advice. They won’t stop and consider things. They are bent on doing what they want and they will. In the family, such attitudes are found among two year olds and teens. But you’d think a person should learn better by the time they are an adult. Many never have.

 

You see this illustrated in many ways. There is the guy who drives like he is at a NASCAR race. He is driving way too fast, moving in and out of lanes quickly, riding the bumper of those who are not moving fast enough. No one is going to tell him how to drive. While he thinks this is fun, he is a danger to others on the road. His selfishness, arrogance and ignorance will get someone injured. But, he doesn’t care. He only thinks about himself.

 

In a marriage, this is the person who is so absorbed into what he wants to do that he acts more like a single person than someone who is married. Little thought is given to what the rest of the family wants to do or what is best for them. It’s all his way. He won’t listen to anyone. He believes he’s a real man, but truth be known, he lacks a heart and compassion. He ruins every relationship he touches.

 

What hope is there for someone who refuses to listen? Is there any possibility of changing? Is there any chance that things will get better? There wasn’t in Jeremiah’s days. The stubborn nation was taken into captivity and the city was ruined for a generation. A lot of people talk tough and act as if they have all the answers and know everything about everything. Proverbs warns against answering a fool. A person can try to defend what they believe, but most times it doesn’t go very far with these folks. They aren’t interested in a discussion, they want a platform to rant about all things that bother them. The list is usually very long.

 

Our passage brings forth another thought for us. God has set a series of watchmen in our lives. The first line of defense or help is the word of God itself. It warns us. It helps us. It keeps us safe. Do we listen to it? Do we pay attention to it?

 

In the home, the role of the father is to lead his family to Heaven. The father is a line of defense. The righteous man who shakes his head no at his daughter’s outfit. She may have a meltdown, but he is blowing the trumpet. Are we listening? He should rally the family to get to services. Do we hear the trumpet?

 

Next, God has arranged within the congregation, shepherds who are to watch out over the flock. They are looking out for our wellbeing. They see who is not doing well. They see danger coming. They blow the trumpets. They warn. Do we listen?

 

As important as leadership is in the congregation, the church needs to learn the lesson about following. Leading only works if there is someone behind you following. If the leaders are out there showing the way, but the flock has remained behind, sitting in the grass, refusing to get up, the leadership has failed. The reason why these certain men are in the roles of a shepherd is because they are qualified, experienced and trusted. They are there to keep us safe. The trumpets are blowing. Are we listening?

 

For centuries, the blowing trumpet was the signal in battle. A certain sound meant to move forward or charge. Another sound meant to pull back or even retreat. The young bugler was the line of communication between the commanders and the soldiers. In the heat of the battle, with all the noise going on, the unique sound of the trumpet could still be heard. It told the soldier what he was to do. Those that did not listen, often were found on the battlefield dead.

 

The trumpet keeps us safe. The trumpet signals danger is lurking and it gives us time to prepare. How interesting, the scene of the coming of Jesus is issued in by the archangel sounding the trumpet.

 

The trumpet blows, do you hear? Will you hear? Jeremiah’s people made up their minds that they would not listen. Shame on them. That was a dumb decision. It cost them their city and their lives. Will we do the same?

 

Roger

 

21

Jump Start # 1876

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

Jump Start # 1876

1 Timothy 6:20-21 “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’ – which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith.”

 

Our verses today are the final words in 1 Timothy. As Paul writes, “O Timothy,” you can just see the heart of this old apostle reaching out to the young preacher. The miles that Paul has traveled has taught him things. He has seen so much, good and bad. He is sharing what works with Timothy. It is good for younger preachers to spend an afternoon with an older preacher. Past all the stories and the tall tales, there is some sound and good advice. Those old men of faith have put miles on their feet and heart and they know things that can help. This is how these verses are presented.

 

Three thoughts come from these verses:

 

First, guard your faith. Paul states, “guard what has been entrusted to you.” This may involve Timothy’s role of preaching. It isn’t his, it belongs to the Lord. It has been shared or entrusted to him. He is to take care of it. He is to protect the pure message of Christ. Paul had done that and now it was Timothy’s turn.

 

In writing to the Corinthians, Paul said, “for I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you.” The Lord gave this to Paul and Paul carefully gave it to the Corinthians. It was entrusted to him. Paul’s words to Timothy are, “guard what has been entrusted to you.” Protect it. Don’t let anyone tamper with it, steal it, tinker with it, change it, modify it, adjust it, or make improvements to it. Guard it. Watch over it. It’s been entrusted to you. This is your job. This is your commission. This is your duty.

 

Years ago, my family was in St. Louis at a holiday parade. As we were walking back to our hotel, we saw an armored car unloading money at the Federal Reserve. The street was blocked and guards with weapons surrounded the truck. We couldn’t get close. We were told to walk on the other side of the street. Those men were “guarding what had been entrusted to them.” In that case, it was a truckload of money. In Timothy’s case it was the Gospel.

 

But there is more to it than just making sure some guy doesn’t rip pages out of the Bible or starts to quote his opinions as “Scripture.” We need to guard our faith. We may protect the Gospel but we can be careless about what we believe. We fill our curious minds with all kinds of wild rumors that float around the internet, spending more time chasing what skeptics say than we do in building that faith and feeding that faith by reading the word of God. Guard your faith. Your faith is the final line of defense between you and Satan. The difference between you and the world is not your humbleness. It’s not generosity. It’s not kindness. The world can manifest all of those things. The final line between you and the world is faith. Without faith, Hebrews tells us, it is impossible to please God. Generosity without faith won’t please God. Kindness without faith won’t please God. We must believe. That faith must be protected and guarded.

 

How?

 

Second, our faith is guarded by avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the arguments of knowledge. We can guard our faith by sidestepping some discussions. There are some places that we do not belong. Worldly and empty chatter—sounds like a lot of TV shows, Facebook stuff, Hollywood magazines stuff and things that are just not profitable. It’s worldly. That’s the basis of it. It’s empty. There is nothing to it. There is no value in it. We can get pulled into conservative talk shows that discusses the same things over and over and they can get a person paranoid, scared, and all excited about things that are beyond us. North Korean drones, Russian involvement in elections, this scandal and that scandal and on and on it goes. Worldly. Empty. Not helpful to my faith and not good for my soul.

 

Paul includes in this list of things to avoid, “opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge.” Other versions use the word “Science” for knowledge. Paul is not thumping science nor knowledge. This is something that is falsely called that. It shouldn’t be called that. It’s not that. Intellectualism, often isn’t very intellectual. Paul reminds Timothy that this “knowledge” opposes. It doesn’t enhance. It doesn’t support. It doesn’t further help what he has been entrusted with. These things oppose. These things are the very things that Timothy has to guard against. They will tear down what he has been entrusted with.

 

Religion classes in most state universities fit this description. They are taught by professors who do not believe in Biblical authority, inspiration and some even question that Jesus was the Christ. They see Christianity as a reform movement of Judaism. They see the Bible, especially the O.T., as edited fables and stories from other cultures. The miracles are explained away. The prophecies are altered to mean very little. And as all of this is going on, other world religions are introduced as just as reliable, truthful and helpful as what we read in the Bible. Our young people are fed a steady diet for a semester of arguments opposing what they once believed. Here Paul tells Timothy to “avoid” such things. And too often we sign up for the very thing that Paul is warning against. Got a college student? Fortify their faith this summer in the basics of inspiration, Biblical authority, and the uniqueness of the Bible. Talk to them about these classes. Help them see through the fog of error. Find answers to their questions.

 

Third, Paul reminds Timothy that some have “gone astray from the faith.” The some, would be Christians. They didn’t guard their faith. They didn’t avoid worldly and empty chatter. They drove right down the street where knowledge opposed what they believed. The result is that they gave up their faith. They left it. They went astray. This sad story is repeated over and over today. We feed our souls junk instead of the pure word of God. We let our guard down. We watch a show that we think is about the Bible, but it really is just another attack upon God and His word. We read a book that points out the problems with the Bible. We listen to friends who merely repeat what they were told. Their message is negative about the Bible. We get confused. Instead of trying to find the answers, we feed our doubts. We don’t guard what we know is true. Satan gains a foothold. He chips this away. Then he chips that away. Before long, there is nothing left. And then, we leave. The declaration is, “I no longer believe those things.” Why? How? What changed? They didn’t guard and they didn’t avoid.

 

Some have gone astray. They won’t keep the faith. They won’t finish the course. They won’t make it to Heaven. They no longer believe. They no longer are on God’s side of things. They have joined the ranks of the enemy. And, much too often, they become “experts” in what is wrong with the church, Christians, the Bible and God. Their weak and shallow faith are not much proof that they ever understood those divine concepts.

 

To avoid means to stay away from. There are some things that are not worth our time to read, watch or listen to. It also means, avoiding “those” who are putting out this stuff. That sometimes even includes family members who believe they know what is best.

 

Guard. Avoid.

 

An old preacher telling a young preacher. Paul didn’t want Timothy to become a causality that crashed upon the rocks of unbelief. Guard and avoid—that’s the key.

 

Roger

 

20

Jump Start # 1875

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

Jump Start # 1875

2 Samuel 12:14 “However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”

One of the difficulties in life is learning to see the big picture. We often only see things from the moment and only from how things impact us. A teenager wants to save up enough money to go to a concert later in the summer. He takes on a summer job. He is trained and begins to work. Two weeks after he has started working he fails to show up. He doesn’t tell anyone. He doesn’t call his boss. He just quits. When pressed why, he has made enough money for the ticket to the concert. Failing to see the big picture, he didn’t see what his choice did to the company he was working for, nor the time they put in to train him, nor what a continual pattern of this will do to him in the future.

 

David, from our verse today, failed to see the big picture. His choice involved layers of sin. He lusted after a married woman, sent for her and had a sexual encounter. She became pregnant. Her husband was called in from the battle front to disguise the sin. When that didn’t work, he was sent back to the fighting, carrying the very papers that called for his death. What David hoped was all secret and swept under the rug was exposed and revealed by the prophet that God sent. In a cutting rebuke, the prophet declared, “…you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.” You have helped the enemy. Helping the enemy is called being a traitor. David failed to see the big picture.

 

There are several lessons for us.

 

First, we must decide whose side are we on. A person can’t walk on both sides here. You are with God or you are not. You are 100% in or you are not. We can’t be with God on some things and not on other things. David’s actions didn’t connect with the righteous and holy God that he claimed to follow.

 

Our language…our jokes…our modesty…our attitudes—what do they show our friends who are not Christians? Are we remembering to let our light shine, even at ball games and concerts? Do we hide our faith when with those who do not believe? Whose side are you on?

 

Second, we must realize that little things are big things. David’s wrong choices involved more than the execution of a brave and loyal soldier. Others died that day along with Uriah. David’s commanders must have questioned and wondered about those strange orders to pull back during the fight. Would David order the same to them some day? Is this how he handles those he doesn’t like?

 

A congregation seeks spiritual leaders. A man who everyone feels fits the job, won’t do it. He doesn’t want what comes with it. He likes coming home and staying there. He is asked. He says “no.” He doesn’t realize the big picture. The church limps along without godly leaders. Others see that he won’t step up and they follow his example. The church suffers. In time, the church begins to die. The atmosphere is discouraging. Nothing is getting done and no one wants to step up. The big picture was never grasped.

 

Third, doing things that helps the enemy hurts God’s cause. The prophet told David that he had supplied reason for the enemies to blasphemy. That reason would involve stealing a man’s wife. That reason would involve killing your own troops. This is the way the heathens act. We’d expect this from someone who did not know God. But David had God. David had the Ten Commandments. Credibility was shot because of David’s choices. Our choices, our words, our attitudes can kill any positive influence that we are trying to have with others. The enemy was watching. The enemy sees you under stress. They hear what you say when you are upset. They notice how you talk to people when things are not right. They see how honest you are. The enemy is watching. The enemy is noticing how serious you take what you believe. Is it just convenient to you? Do you do under the table deals that are not honest, just to make a few extra dollars? The enemy knows. The enemy sees if you go by the rules or if you bend them to your favor.

 

The enemy makes a judgment about your faith. In David’s case, at this occasion, the answer would be, “he’s not serious about his faith. Look what he has done.” The enemy also makes a judgment about the church you attend because of you. They assume everyone is just like you. Now, what would that assumption be? Would they think that they are all dishonest? They will do anything to make a buck? The enemy also makes a judgment about God based upon you. This is why our passage mentions blasphemy. They were not blaspheming David, but rather, God. To blasphemy is to take that which is sacred and treat it as common. God was nothing, in the eyes of the enemy. The God of Israel was no different than the pagan gods. The great king of Israel was immoral, lied, and killed his own people. Why follow that God when their own gods were doing the same?

 

Your friends may wonder, why should I go to church services with you, when you act and talk just like they do? Obviously, going to church hasn’t changed you and obviously you don’t believe what is being said there, so why should a person even go? You have helped the enemy without even realizing it. By your actions, someone may have been prevented from becoming a Christian.

 

Serious stuff to consider. What we do is bigger than we are. Our choices influence and impact others. Even after we are dead, some, especially in our families, will remember how we conducted ourselves. Our example may help them walk with the Lord or we may have given them reason to blasphemy. David thought no one would know what he did. He was wrong. What is said and done in your home may be spoken openly by the next generation.

 

Encouraging or hurting. Helping or standing in the way. Glory to God or reasons to blasphemy. David never saw that nor thought about that. I hope we can do better.

 

Roger

 

19

Jump Start # 1874

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1874

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Our verse today, so well known and at one time, seen on signs held up at ballgames, painted on posts and highway overpasses, speaks of God’s great desire to save us. This verse is what the Bible is all about. This verse is found in prophecy, all the way back to the garden when Adam and Eve hid themselves because of their sin.

 

This verse speaks of a two directional hope. First, and most obviously, our hope. Our hope in that God is giving us a second chance. Our hope in that while we are unable to clean up the mess that sin has caused in our lives, the blood of Jesus cleanses us. Our hope in that flawed and broken as we are, we can spend eternity with God in Heaven. It is that hope that compels us to fall to our knees and change our ways. It is because of that hope that we open God’s word and fill our hearts with His truth. It is that hope that leads us to run toward God in praise and thanksgiving.

 

But there is another hope that is not as obvious, nor spoken about very often. God had a hope in us. God was hoping that someone, anyone, would believe what He had done and follow Christ. How terrible all of this would have been if the entire planet turned their backs on God. What would happen if no one believed? What would happen if God’s only choice was to make everyone perish because no one was interested and no one cared? Did God know? Did God hold His breath, hoping that someone would become a disciple?

 

God’s hope in mankind was not just a dream. There were certain things God set in order so that we would and we could believe.

 

First, God made the life of Jesus believable. Jesus wasn’t a story that fell from Heaven. Jesus came and dwelt among that first century world. He was seen, touched, heard and witnessed. The miracles that Jesus did were visible. He cured the lepers. He raised the dead. He cast out demons. Didn’t anyone have cancer in the first century? How about bad heart values? Why didn’t Jesus cure those things? We don’t read of any specific cases of that. Could it be that those are hard to see with the naked eye? Miracles were not just to heal sick people, they were pointed at Jesus to prove who He was. Blind eyes, deaf ears, crippled limbs—all easy to see and easy to verify. God made the life of Jesus believable. He was God on earth. He was perfect.

 

Second, God made the message of Jesus plain. I was watching a special about the music of the Beatles the other day with my wife. She knows music. The narrator was a music historian and a composure. I was lost in what he was describing and the terms he was using. It was very complicated to me. The message of Jesus was not like that. One doesn’t have to hold a dictionary in one hand with the Bible in the other hand to figure out what is going on. The message of Jesus is plain. God has authority. His message cuts through the fog of our culture. God wants us to be righteous. God wants us to be like Jesus. We are to forgive as Jesus forgave. We are to be pure as Jesus was pure. We are to suffer without threats as Jesus did. We are to walk in love as Jesus did. We are to obey as Jesus did. The message of the Bible isn’t hard. Our issue isn’t understanding it, it’s a matter of doing it. Imagine how complicated God could have made the Bible. Words that only a few could understand. Concepts so detailed and hard that most would have walked away from that. God’s hope was in us. He gave us a clear message that we all can follow.

 

Third, what God expected was doable. This also illustrates God’s hope in us. Not everyone can whistle. Not everyone can hit a golf ball straight. Not everyone can play the piano. Not everyone has a green thumb. Not everyone knows their way around a kitchen. Not everyone is a fixer upper. We are all so different. Yet, God made a plan in which all of us can not only follow, but all of us can make it. When a person declares, “I can’t do what God says,” he really hasn’t grasped what God is expecting. We all can become what God says. The guy who is so talented, can do it. Also, the guy who seems to have very little talent, he too can do it. That’s the hope that God has in you. All of us can walk by faith. All of us can please Him. It’s not too hard for any of us. God is not asking the impossible. Had He wanted us to climb small mountains, many of us couldn’t. Had He wanted us to learn a foreign language, some of us just couldn’t do that. Had he wanted us to come up with a certain amount of money to be saved, there are those who could not do that. But He never expected those things. He wants us to hear that Gospel about His Son, Jesus. Believe it. Obey it. Change your life. Follow Him. Trust Him. Become like Him. This is something that we can do. The big time shaker and mover can do that. The housewife can do that. The college student can do that. The college professor can do that. We all can.

 

God has not put before us the impossible. God is not looking for the few and the good. His call is for all of us. Broken, flawed as we are, God hopes that you will follow Him.

 

What a great thought: Just as we have a hope in God, God has a hope in us. God has a hope in YOU.

 

Roger