31

Jump Start # 1966

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1966

Nehemiah 13:1 “On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God.”

 

Today is significant for two reasons. The obvious one is that it is Halloween. Children will dress up and go house to house getting candy. That’s been a tradition for generations. But today marks an important anniversary that mostly will go unnoticed because of trick or treating. Five hundred years ago (500), a Catholic monk named Martin Luther nailed a list of grievances against the Catholic system to the door of the Wittenberg church. Little did Luther realize that those things would be reprinted and circulated and spark a movement that today is known as the Reformation Movement. Luther had problems with selling of indulgences and what indulgences supposedly did spiritually to help a dead person’s soul. Luther never intended to break from the Catholic faith. He never realized the trouble he would be in, including having his life threatened. But with the availability of printing presses, Luther flooded the German world with writings that led to a major break from the Catholic faith and the beginning of the Protestant reform. Luther wasn’t the first. Seeds of reform had been spread for a few generations, he had captured the heart of the people and that led to major changes. Luther never intended to start a church that carries his name and the modern Lutheran theology has moved well past Luther’s thinking.

 

Five hundred years ago today, a paper was nailed to the door of a church. Our verse today, one of many throughout the O.T., that speaks of reforming changes in the people of God. The word of God was read and people realized that things needed to change.

 

Here are a few thoughts for us:

 

First, the spark that leads to reform ought to come from God’s word. Looking around at what is going on and looking in our Bibles and seeing that the two do not match, is a cause to get back to the Biblical pattern. Reform. Change. Return. The Biblical word for this is, “repent.” The American Restoration movement is another example of the call to return and do things based upon the Bible. This must always be the drive and the heart of reform and change. Just changing for the sake of changing has no direction nor foundation. Just throwing away tradition, without any thinking or purpose only produces new traditions.

 

Second, reforms begin within the individual. A person realizes that they are not doing what the Bible says and they make changes, reforms, restorations, to become more Biblical. It is in that process that a person realizes others are just like he is. Word spreads. Others look in the Bible. Sometimes things have been done without much thought, evidence or reason. Sometimes things started well, but became corrupt, oppressive and even wrong.

 

Third, it usually takes a few brave souls to begin a change. Josiah was one in the O.T. who did that. Others may feel the need to change, but they don’t know how or are scared of the consequences. Many tolerate and go along with wrong just because they fear what will happen to them if they raise a voice of opposition. Possibly they saw what happened to others, so they remain quiet. Those that lead the spirit of change most often see the principle and the cause as being far more important than their own lives. They don’t want to invite trouble, but they are willing to be sacrificed if it brings the rightful changes.

 

Fourth, the powers that oppose change will do all that it can to squash, silence and destroy the spirit of change. Attention turns to gathering up the leaders of change and stopping them. In Acts, as salvation was being preached in the name of Jesus, Jewish leaders arrested the apostles. Later, Stephen was murdered. Then James, one of the apostles, was executed. The strong arm of control often stops change. People run in fear. This is the story of the Catholic church in the sixteenth century. This is the story of wicked elderships today who refuse to answer honest questions or consider better ways.

 

Fifth, reform survives when it becomes larger than the leaders. The leaders may be persecuted, silenced and even killed, but when the cause has caught the hearts of others, new leaders rise up and the movement for change grows.

 

It is amazing that five hundred years ago, a paper was nailed to a door and it sparked a world wide movement. From that there are two final thoughts for us:

 

First, if there is another five hundred years left, most of what we do and most of us will not be remembered. There are just a handful of names remembered from Luther’s days, and that is mostly known only by historians. Our work will be remembered through eternity by the Lord.

 

Second, there are things that need to be changed today. Too many congregations are drifting without leadership, going no where. Week after week. Year after year. They meet, but there is little movement, growth, life, hope. It is time to awaken up. It is time to repent, reform and be the people of God. Why are churches existing for decades without godly shepherds? The fast answer is that no one is qualified. To that, one must ask, why are people not being qualified? Why are they not being taught? Why are they not being developed? Why is there no movement in that direction? Some congregations are stuck in a 1960’s mindset. Times have changed. The message hasn’t, but how it’s presented, made effective has. Look around at the print media. There has been many changes in the past decade. Look at how the world receives information today. It’s time to catch up. It’s time to use God’s money better. It’s time to find ways to reach people that work today.

 

There are some elderships that operate more like hands-on deacons than shepherds. The elders are consumed with cleaning the building, mowing the church yard, counting money, paying bills, while the members drift, die and are lost spiritually. There is no thought into what classes are taught. Little thought is given to where each member is at spiritually. Out of touch and clueless to what is going on, churches crash among the rocks of life because no one is at the helm. It’s time for change. It’s time to let deacons be deacons and elders shepherd the people of God. It’s time to know what’s keeping people up at night. It’s time to know what is bothering people. Those are the things that need to be addressed. It’s time to know where the green pastures and still waters are to lead the people of God. God’s people need to be moving. They are given shepherds not baby sitters. It is a time for reform, change and restoring God’s way of leadership in the church.

 

There are things happening all around in many congregations. People are opening their eyes to what should be and are seeing Biblical patterns return. The business model of corporate America doesn’t work well in the church. A reform is taking place in many congregations. Things are looking up. Things are healthier and better. There is a real hope among many folks today.

 

What a great time to remember all of this.

 

Roger

 

30

Jump Start # 1965

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1965

Hebrews 11:23 “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

Our verse today sets the tone and the example for what would happen later in Moses’ life. Moses would grow up and refuse to be an Egyptian. He would refuse to be the grandson of Pharaoh. He refused the passing pleasures of sin. He refused the treasures of Egypt. He stood up against Pharaoh and demanded the release of the Hebrews. His parents were not afraid of the king’s edict.

Back in the first pages of Exodus, where this story is found, the Hebrews were multiplying rapidly. The Egyptians feared that they would be outnumbered and overtaken by the Hebrews. The order was given to kill all male Hebrew babies that were born. The midwives ignored that. The edict or law came that all Hebrew males that were born were to be thrown into the river. Moses’ parents were not afraid. They ignored and disobeyed the law. We love the conviction, faith and determination of this couple.

From this we see several lessons:

First, there has always been oppressive laws against the people of faith. This wasn’t about taxation. This wasn’t about freedom of speech. This had to do with murdering innocent children. This had to do with limiting the size of the Hebrew nation. Throughout history, governments have set forth to limit or even destroy the people of God. This is something that God’s people face. The darkness hates the light.

Second, following your faith and your convictions often puts one at odds with others, especially those in charge. Many would like to remove all reminders of God. They would like to outlaw prayers, close church buildings and become secular. They hide behind the word “offended,” even though what they do offends people of faith. We are faced with going along with what we are told, or doing what our faith tells us to do. When Peter was told to no longer preach the name of Jesus in Jerusalem, he replied that he could not keep silent.

Third, refusing to go along with the King’s edict comes with consequences. A person of faith has to understand that. You may be ridiculed. You may not be included, invited or accepted. You may be bullied. You may be pressured. You may lose your job. Things may become harder because you took a stand with God. Peter faced prison. Paul was hunted down.

Fourth, there is a great comfort knowing that you stand with the Lord. Hebrews 11 ends with the horrific stories of mockings, scourgings, imprisonment, killed by the sword, sawn in two, destitute, afflicted and poorly treated. Those words paint a picture of defeat. It seems the enemy won. But it didn’t. Do not fear the one who can kill the body and do no more, is what the Lord taught. These heroes reign victoriously with the Lord. Their faith conquered what the sword could not. They lie in sweet rest with the Lord. They gave their lives for what they believed in, just as the Lord had given His life.

Fifth, Moses’ parents remind us that the easy way, the way of compromise, the way of selling out, is not the path to take. There are things more important than comfort, joy and life that is free from trouble. If happiness is our main goal, then we will have little room and little patience for adversity. We will find our selves going along with darkness, blending in with darkness and tolerating darkness, just to make things better for us. There comes a time to draw a line in the sand and stand with the Lord. Later, as Moses was making his choices, he understood that he could not be with the people of God and remain in Egypt. It was an Egyptian palace or living in a tent in the desert. It was riches, or having to be fed by God every day. It was power of man or power of God. Too many want to be right with God without leaving Egypt. They want to stay in Egypt, live in the palace and find a way to please the Lord. Moses shows us that cannot be done. We must leave Egypt if we want to be with the people of God.

Maybe this is why James warns about friendship with the world and John tells us not to love the world. A person cannot please God while living like Pharaoh in Egypt. There comes a time when you must make a decision who you are with. There comes a time when you must show your true colors.

As we near the holiday season, these reminders are important as we gather with family and friends. No one is won to Christ by watering down the message, blending in with the world, and making Christ no different than anyone else. Now a person can stand for Jesus and be obnoxious, draw attention to himself and live with a martyr complex. This is not the road that Moses followed. This is not what the Lord tells us to do. It’s not about us. It’s not about drawing attention to us. It’s having a faith that stands for the Lord. It’s making your ambition, pleasing the Lord.

Moses’ parents were not afraid. They ignored the kings’ edict. They did what was right. May we have the same courage, faith and conviction in our times today. To God, be the glory.

Roger

27

Jump Start # 1964

Posted on October 27, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1964

Joshua 24:15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

 

We love the confidence and conviction of Joshua that comes from this verse. His statement is oft quoted in sermons. We will serve the Lord! It is the front of this verse that I want us to consider today. “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord…”

 

First, Joshua understood that everyone serves some god. If it was not the Lord, then it would be the gods of the River or the Amorite gods. He didn’t present any other options. He didn’t say, “atheism” is an option. No god. He didn’t say, “serve yourself.” We are part of something much larger than we are. Joshua understood what the world denies, it’s either the Lord or Satan.

 

Second, Joshua was not implying that these other gods were equal to the Lord or that they were even real. He was wanting the nation to make a commitment. Which direction are we going? Who are we following? The 10 Commandments made it clear that there were to be no other gods. Joshua is not opening the door for disobeying those commandments. Who was it that took them out of Egypt? Who was it that kept them alive for a generation in the wilderness? Now, who are we going to serve?

 

Third, the Bible isn’t just for folks who want to follow God. The Bible is for everyone, whether or not they read it, believe it, or follow it. The “whosoever” passages found throughout the N.T. are just that, for whoso ever. Some have this idea that if I want to be religious, then I ought to follow the Bible. But if I decide not to have faith and God in my life, then the Bible doesn’t apply to me. They are mistaken. Jesus said that the person who rejects Him and does not receive His sayings will be judged by that very word (Jn 12:48). We will all stand before God. We will all be judged by God. God’s word is for all.

 

Fourth, “if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord,” as this passage begins, there are consequences that come with that decision. I am not on my own. I am made by God. I am responsible to God. I can’t walk away from God without some serious and eternal consequences. It’s a choice that I make, but it’s a choice that comes with responsibilities, blessings and consequences.

 

Fifth, God’s word is written in such a way that everyone can understand it. God spoke the language of the people. He communicated, not in feelings, but in words. Words that have specific meaning and definitions. Words that can be studied, memorized and taught to others. One doesn’t have to have a “pre-Bible” course in order to be able to understand the Bible. It’s not like “pre-law,” or, “pre-med.” The common fisherman was the first to hear the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. The simple medieval laborer could hear and understand the message. The thought for many centuries was that only elite and educated could understand the Bible. The clergy, alone, it was taught, had all the insights and understanding in God’s word. So powerful was this thought, that it was against the law for a common person to even have the Bible. But all of that changed. The mass producing of the Bible during the reformation days put God’s word into the hands of many people. They could read it. They could understand it. Access to the Bible opened the door for faith and commitment to God.

 

Sixth, every person is responsible for their own decisions. Joshua was speaking to the nation, but individually, they had to decide. Joshua chose to serve the Lord. Others may have made different decisions. No one was going to make the decision for them. The same remains true today. In a home, mom and dad may decide to have nothing to do with the Lord. Sundays are for sleeping in. The Bible isn’t opened. Prayers are only offered at Thanksgiving time. But those children grow up and move out. And they may, on their own, decide to open that Bible, read it and follow it. They may become believers. This story is repeated over and over. It may be found within a marriage. A wife decides to worship and follow the Lord. The husband doesn’t. He doesn’t stop her, but he simply doesn’t go along with her. Each person must decide on their own.

 

Finally, Joshua was willing to let others know where he stood. He declared his faith in the Lord. He wasn’t ashamed nor embarrassed to announce to the nation where he was with the Lord. Me and my house, we will serve the Lord. A stake was placed in the ground. He is where we stand. That wouldn’t go well today in many circles. You can hear someone saying, “I don’t want to offend those who disagree.” “We shouldn’t push our faith upon others.” “Stay neutral.” Not Joshua. He proudly stood under the banner of the Lord. Maybe if more were vocal, others would be persuaded to do the same. Maybe some on the fence would get off the fence if they saw and heard others making a stand for the Lord. We can be so fearful of offending others that we forget that we may offend the Lord by hiding in the shadows. There are times when being silent is nothing more than being a coward. Certainly there are consequences that comes with standing up for what is right. Not everyone will agree. Some will take pot shots at you. Some will try to defeat you. And, some will wish that they had the nerve that you do.

 

There is an old saying, “if you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.” I think of Peter declaring to the authorities that we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard. Or, Paul stating, “I know whom I have believed,” and, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel.” The fear of being accused of being narrow and offensive may have kept our mouths silent. Satan never silences his mouth. His people are loud and in your face. They try to silence the people of God.

 

Put that stake in the ground. Stand tall. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

 

Roger

 

26

Jump Start # 1963

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1963

James 1:6 “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”

I was listening to the Mama & Papas, “California Dreamin” in my car the other day. Part of the song grabbed my attention and made me think of our verse today about prayer. In the song, it says, “Stopped into a church I passed along the way. Well, I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray…” I pretend to pray.

 

I’m not going to try to figure out what the song writer meant nor analyze any deep or hidden meanings in this song, but I wonder why someone would pretend to pray?

 

Our verse, one of many in James that discusses prayer, reminds us of the importance of faith in our prayers. Pray believing. Pray knowing. The surf, as James uses to illustrate, is subject to the wind. Which ever way the wind blows, the surf follows. The wind controls the surf. Doubts are like that. We are blown by every question, every worry, and every fear. We hear this and off we go, questioning what we ought to know. We hear that, and we begin to wonder about things. “What if none of this stuff is true?” “What if, when we die, we find out there is no God?” “What if there are missing books of the Bible?” “What if God doesn’t hear us?” Tossed here and tossed there, and not sure about anything. We can feed our doubts and follow our fears. And all of that will have an bearing upon our faith and our relationship with the Lord.

 

I pretend to pray. Here is some thoughts about that.

 

First, someone may pretend to pray, because he has been told by others to pray. His life is a mess. He doesn’t know what to do, so someone advises him to pray. He pretends. He bows. He mumbles a few words. He doesn’t really know who he is talking to or what he is supposed to say. He isn’t expecting much other than to tell this person, “Well, I prayed and nothing happened.”

 

Second, someone may pretend to pray in order to impress someone else. They bow before they eat to look good. They are pretending. They are doing this for a show. They want the person that they are with to think that they are spiritual, when they are not. They will pretend to be spiritual. They may attend worship services, but they don’t really worship. They open a Bible, but they don’t really apply it. It’s all a show. It’s necessary to marry someone, they have been told. It’s necessary to get in good with a family. There is nothing there.

 

Third, someone totally misunderstands the nature and purpose of prayer. They think that if they “act” like they are praying that God will be impressed and send blessings their way. They are not serious. They want the goodies from Heaven. They don’t realize that God sees the heart. God knows our intentions. You can’t fool God.

 

 

Pray in faith. Pray believing. This is James’ foundational statement. Pray knowing that God hears. Pray knowing that God answers. Pray knowing that you are talking to God. Remember, there are three qualifiers in this passage.

 

First, James is writing to Christians. These words are directed towards those who have left the world, and are walking with Christ. They have committed their hearts to Jesus. They follow the Lord. These words are not for the guy who has ignored God all of his life until one day his little world is about to collapse around him. He prays, wanting to keep things just as they are. He prays, wanting to avoid trouble. He’s not really interested in following Christ. He hasn’t turned his heart to the Lord. He’s in trouble and he wants out of trouble.

 

Second, James’ words are for a person who has faith in prayer. That ought to be all Christians, but sadly, sometimes it’s not. Later in the book, James says the fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much. The man who prayed is righteous. The man who prayed believes. The man who prayed knows the Lord, loves the Lord and follows the Lord. This person understands that prayer is not a Christmas list of all the things he wants. Prayer is inviting God into our heart and our world. It is about God’s will, not my will. Prayer welcomes Heaven’s help, even if it is not the way he hoped it would be. His trust is in the Lord. He knows that the Lord is good. He knows the Lord welcomes conversation from him. He talks often to the Lord. He seeks the way of the Lord. This is a believer’s prayer, who happens to believe in prayer.

 

Third, he asks. He asks in faith. He understands his position. He doesn’t demand of God. He doesn’t tell God. He doesn’t make deals, threats or barters with God. He asks. He asks knowing that God sees the whole picture and God has a plan. He asks knowing that God sees the future. He asks knowing that God’s glory and the furtherance of the kingdom of Heaven is most important. He asks. This is hard for some. They are used to telling others what to do. They are used to being the boss at work and at home. They shout and people line up. They demand and results happen. With James, the righteous man is asking. He understands that God has a time table and it may not be the same as ours. He knows that “No,” is an answer to prayer. God may have better things in mind. He knows that comfort, peace and safety are not always the best path that God wants us to take. God puts our plate before our enemies. God leads us through shadowy valleys of death. We don’t understand these things. We pray for meals with family and friends, not enemies. We pray for sunny hilltops, not dark valleys. God knows what’s best. God is shaping our character and developing trust in our hearts. It often takes those valleys and those enemies to accomplish that. Therefore, we ask. We ask from what we see from our perspective. We ask in faith. We ask knowing that God knows what’s best.

 

I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray. Interesting line from a great song, but a pitiful way to treat God. Why pretend? That prayer won’t do any good. It falls flat because it wasn’t in faith. Tossed here and there, that person will not understand why God does what He does.

 

Pray believing. Pray knowing. Pray in hope. Pray earnestly, fervently, passionately and in faith.

 

Roger

 

25

Jump Start # 1962

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1962

Jeremiah 8:20 “Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved.”

What an interesting expression we find here in Jeremiah, “Summer is ended, and we are not saved.” It comes from a long and sad section in which the prophet tells the nation of coming doom. The idolatry and apostasy of the nation has led to this punishment from the Lord. Warning after warning has come and the people ignored it and did not see it. The stork in the sky knows the seasons, yet My people, the Lord declared, do not know the ordinance of the Lord. Our verse, ‘harvest is past, summer is ended,’ shows that the people have gone past God’s patience. Time has run out. It’s too late now.

The harvest and the summer, physically, were the times to gather and store crops for the coming winter. Missing the harvest, meant one was not prepared. No food was stored up. Some of us remember seeing our parents or grandparents, canning beans and putting up other produce during the harvest season. If one waited too late, the crops went bad and there was nothing to store up. Jesus used a similar thought in the Gospel of John. He told the disciples to lift up their eyes and look upon the fields. They were white unto harvest. Do not say there are yet four months until harvest. Now was the time.

This verse is fitting for my area. It’s cool this morning. There is talk of frost. There are things that must be done before winter. The thought from Jeremiah and the thought from John are not preparing food, but preparing our souls and our hearts. Like the farmer who doesn’t recognize what season he’s in, we can do the same spiritually. We put things off. We wait for a better time. We look for that convenient season. And before we know it, summer is ended, and we are not saved.

Some thoughts for us:

First, the seasons come and go according to God’s plan of nature, not our time table. We may want more summer to go out and play, but the rainy fall is upon us. These seasons move not by our schedule. The same is true with our health and our lives spiritually. We may be real busy right now in life. Demands at work, kids at home. Just no time. Pulled every direction. When things so down, we say to ourselves, then we will get busy in God’s kingdom. That may never happen. Things may never slow down. Work it in. Find a way. Seek first the kingdom. I can’t wait until the fall, and then decide to harvest. It will be too late.

Second, the harvest passes by often times because we fiddled around too much and wasted time and didn’t recognize the urgency of the day. When the Galatians were told “As you have opportunity, let us do good…” , those opportunities come and go whether we are ready or not. An opportunity to speak to someone about Jesus. They may even bring it up. But we’re busy. We’re juggling too many things. We’ll get too it. Next thing we know, summer has ended. The person is no longer interested, or they are at least no longer interested in listening to you. An opportunity to encourage someone. They are going through a tough time. Maybe they have been in the hospital. You plan to stop by and lift their spirits. But this and that happens, and you put it off. Summer passes. They are not only home from the hospital, but they are back to services and you didn’t do anything.

Third, harvest passes quickly in our families. Those little ones grow fast. Opportunities to show them how to be a servant, to let them see you teaching Bible classes, to have those important lessons around the dinner table, the season will pass very quickly. Next thing you know, they are dating. You haven’t really talked to them yet about purity and how to be on dates. You turn around and there is talk about marriage. There is so much that they need to know. Have they been taught how to be responsible with money? Do they understand leadership in the home? Have they thought about how a marriage can help them or cripple them before the Lord? So much to talk about. But now, summer is ending. Where have you been?

Fourth, the harvest passes quickly in our lives. It seems when we are in school, the clock stops and the calendar turns so slowly. But once school is finished, life flies. You are thirty. Then forty-five. Then sixty. Retirement talk. Empty nesters. Down sizing. Now, there is no stopping that calendar. It turns so fast. We know there are fewer and fewer years ahead of us. What have we done? What have we accomplished? Not, houses. Not 401’s. Not careers. But for the Lord. What have we done for the congregation we have worshipped with. We may have been with a church for decades. Have we done anything? Sure we have picked up things that the church offered. We’ve grown spiritually. But what have we added? What good has our presence done? There was talk once about serving as a deacon and later an elder, but we turned it down quickly. Not the right time we said. Too busy we said. And now, summer is ending on our lives here. What footprints have we left for the next generation to follow? What example of service have we provided? Other than showing up, have we added any value to the kingdom? The harvest is past. Summer has ended. What have we done?

Fifth, unlike Jeremiah’s sad lament for the nation, we still have opportunity. Our harvest is only past when we are no longer here. There is still that opportunity to step up things spiritually. Find that young preacher out there, and encourage him. Find that young family, and shock them by all the good that you can do for them. Find that young heart and mentor them. Blow the dust off your books and get studying and teach some classes. Get out some nice dishes and invite some families into your home. It’s time to stop thinking about stuff and start doing. The air is cool. Summer is passing. There is no going back, not for this year. You may have wasted years, and not been as you should. There is no going back. But you can do what you should with what remains. Make a difference. Pour your heart, time and even money into the kingdom. Someday, we will be finished here. What will be said about your time here? How will brethren remember you? Have you helped any?

The harvest is past. Summer is over. We are lost. Sad, sad words. But reminders to each of us. Those same sad words do not have to be our story. Let’s get busy. We know what to do.

Roger