21

Jump Start # 2001

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

Jump Start # 2001

Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

 

This verse has often been used to shame folks who skipped a service. This was not what was happening to the Hebrew brethren. Some had quit. They had given up altogether. They were done. Too much persecution, and too many hardships since they became Christians. Life wasn’t this way as Jews. Go back and simply be a Jew and life would be better. This is what they thought. This is the “habit” of those who were forsaking the assembling.

 

But I want to spin this around. Many of us have been in the habit of assembling for a long, long time. We are always there. Rain, snow, holidays, we never miss. Even when we are out of town, we find a place to worship. It is so engrained into our spiritual DNA that it just wouldn’t be us to not worship with the saints three times a week. We do so, not out of habit, but out of love. It has become a habit, but in a good sense. Our schedules are built around the times we will be at services. We’ll turn down chances to go to shows, concerts and community events, because they conflict with worshipping with God’s family. It has become a priority for us. It’s hard to understand why others don’t do the same.

 

Years and years of this worshipping weekly, what has it accomplished? What has it done for you? Have you ever given any thought to that?

 

First, it has kept us close to the Lord. It’s taken our minds to a spiritual depth many times. We’ve become a people who pray and pray often. We have learned hymns and can sing them by memory and often do. We have come to know the Lord. We understand Him. We love Him. Years and years of praising and listening to His word being taught has brought us close to the Lord.

 

Second, it has given us a greater spiritual depth. We know the Bible. We understand the Bible. We get how it is laid out in our English translations. We know the theme of it. We know the stories. We know the Lord. The Bible has become a dear, dear companion of ours. Many of us can turn to certain books in our Bible without even looking. Our Bibles are marked with notes. There are words that are underlined and circled. We have taped things and written things on the blank pages in the back. All of this has given us a spiritual confidence that now shapes our decisions, attitudes and words. We are a better people because of that.

 

Third, we have come to know and love our church family. For many of us, we see our church family more than we do our physical family. We understand each other and have a precious memories of things we have done together. Friendships that run deep have been forged from these relationships with our church family. We have shared our victories and our defeats with one another. We have laughed and cried together. We know each other’s children and grandchildren. We’ve been to weddings together and we have sat together at funerals. Years and years of worshipping together has bonded our hearts. We couldn’t think of anyone else that we’d rather be with, than our church family.

 

Fourth, years and years of worshipping has given us a great appreciation for the plan and will of God. There are reasons God tells us to do what we are to do. There is a purpose to the Bible. Worshipping God’s way has given us a great respect for God’s pattern. We are not only accustomed to these things we see that they are right. We can now easily recognize things that are not right. We frown in displeasure at those who do not respect the word of God. There are those who are never satisfied with God’s way and are always wanting to change things. Often the changes are not Biblical, helpful, nor necessary. We recognize the selfish and carnal motives behind many of these changes. It’s simply not right. So, we turn aside from them and continue to walk with the Lord and His people.

 

Fifth, worshipping year after year has opened our eyes to the many times God has answered prayers, supplied growth and mended broken hearts. We’ve prayed with the rest of our church for those who had serious problems. We’ve seen those problems conquered and we recognize God’s hand in all of this. These things have encouraged us and helped us to realize that God is good and that He is among us.

 

Sixth, worshipping year after year has thrilled our hearts even more to be with God. Death is nothing to be feared. It’s the passage way to be with God. What lies ahead is so amazing for all of us. Worship has reminded us of these things. It has strengthened our resolve to continue on, even when it has been hard. We have seen that in our own lives. After funerals, we are among God’s people in worship. Sometimes the tears come. After struggles, such as the loss of jobs, feeling lonely because the kids have moved away, the process of aging, we are still among God’s people, worshipping. I see some walking in slowly with canes and walkers, realizing these people once assembled with babies in their arms. Now, years later, they are moving slowly, yet they are still moving with the Lord. Amazing!

 

Worship has been good for us. It has put Jesus before our eyes. It has reminded us that we are not alone. It has shown us opportunities to serve others. It has changed our attitudes, our behavior and even our will. We understand that we are the people of God. What an honor that is. What a blessing to worship.

 

Worship has been good to us!

 

Roger

 

20

Jump Start # 2000

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

Jump Start # 2000

Ecclesiastes 12:12 “But beyond this, my son, be warned; the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.”

This is a special celebration Jump Start, number 2000! Who would have thought? Amazing! Milestones, anniversaries, records—they are important. We recognize these in several industries, especially in sports. The most home runs. The most touchdowns. The fastest horse. The most victories. Banners adorn college arenas marking great seasons that brought national championships. And, today, we recognize our 2,000th Jump Start.

This journey begin in 2010 as a little experiment to challenge folks to read the Bible every day. I never intended this to last this long, nor to have the large readership that it does. Everywhere I go, I meet people who have read Jump Starts. I have a file folder full of emails that have been written through the years concerning these Jump Starts. Originally, when all of this started, back in 2007, I expected to stop after number 30. This is why I simply put numbers on them. They’d be easy to remember. I didn’t expect them to last very long. But immediately our people were sharing them with others. The base of readers started exploding, so I continued to write. Everyday, from my home, I’d start the day with writing a Jump Start. It takes about 30 minutes to write, and send these out. My intention was to have something on your computer when you got to work. You could read it, have a thought, and then get about your day. The readership kept growing, so, I kept writing. We started putting theme books together on a variety of topics. There are now 22 theme books. One of my marvelous deacons built a great display case for our Jump Starts that is in the lobby of our church building. When he built it we had about 8 theme books. The case displays a dozen theme books. I thought that was plenty. Boy, we were wrong on that.

And, this special day brings to memory my dear, dear friend, Jim Babcock. Every milestone number, he would call me up and we’d have a great talk about these Jump Starts. He’d ask, “How much longer are you going to write?” My answer was always, “until the bucket runs dry.” Dear Jim is now on the other side. I wish he were here today to celebrate this but I know he’d rather be where he is.

I’ve noticed through the years, that these writings have become more and more personal and in some ways an online diary. I’ve talked about myself and what’s going on in my family, my travels and even my past. So many have said, “I can just see you saying those things.” Or, “you write like you talk and you talk like you write.” Someone recently asked me if I had one favorite Jump Start. I remember several being written with tears in my eyes, the fond memories of dear family and friends. But I don’t. I do know that there has been some that I felt were rushed and not well written. I remember those more than the other ones.

On this special celebration Jump Start, there are several “Thank You’s” that I must acknowledge.

First, to the Lord who has given me an opportunity and a talent that I didn’t know was there. Many of these Jump Starts have found their ways into church bulletins, been transformed into Wednesday night invitations, and some have even become sermons. There has been many people who have been touched by these simple writings. We have connected with each other and hopefully closer to the Lord because of these things. Had the elders where I preach asked me to write a daily devotion when I first moved here, I probably would have resisted that. But it just came about and so much good has been done. That has always been the driving purpose of this, to help at least one person.

Second, an enormous thank you goes to the Charlestown Road congregation. They continue to be in the forefront of getting the message out. It’s an amazing congregation that is led by the best shepherds. They have supported me and helped me in this project from the beginning. Jump Starts come to you free, but there are costs behind it. This church has covered that for years. Our theme books are all printed and mailed free of charge to you. This church has been behind all of this. They are just good folks who love the Lord. They are never satisfied with just doing what we’ve done in the past. This is why Jump Starts was such an easy thing to try here. Thank you!

Third, a huge thank you goes to our readers. Some of you have been reading these for years. You have supported me by encouragement. You have shared these with others. You have grown our readership, which is the largest it has ever been. I still do not know how many actually receive this. So many have their own little groups of people that they send Jump Starts to, and, several congregations are sending these to everyone in their membership. I’d expect the daily distribution to be close to 3,000. Someone recently told me that he believed the number more accurately to be around 5,000, but I really don’t know. That’s a lot of people. That’s a lot of people who read these Jump Starts. I thank each of you for taking the time in your day just to read these thoughts. I hope you find comfort, hope and help in reading these. That has always been the purpose. Thank you. Thank you for reading these.

Now, the question I’m asked often, “how much longer are these Jump Starts going to last?” I can honestly say, I do not see another 2,000. For now, I have two more theme books in my mind that I’d like to write about. As long as folks keep reading and our readership stays where it is at or continues to grow, I’ll keep writing. But all things come to an end, including me, someday. Because of the internet, these writings will last longer than I will. I suppose, whether I wanted them to be or not, they have become my legacy. In my files, I have articles that were written more than one hundred years ago. They still teach, encourage and help, long after the writer has switched rooms. That will be my story someday. But for now, we write.

Our verse today reminds us that the writing of books is endless. There’s always new books. I’m a lover of books and have surrounded my life with books. Books are useful, helpful and can encourage us. But there is always one book, above all books, that we must treasure, know and love. That book is the Word of God. There is no author as great as God. There is no book that surpasses the Bible. It is indeed a book of life. It gives us true hope in Jesus Christ. Through the Bible, we come to know God. We learn of His wonderful compassion, His amazing power and His great desire to save all of us. God’s book is what needs to shape our character and define our lives. We believe because of the Bible

There are a couple of old sayings I’ve always liked about the Bible:
Carry the Bible when you are young and it will carry you when you are old
A Bible that is falling apart belongs to someone who’s life is not falling apart

2,000! Amazing to me!

Thank you,

Roger

19

Jump Start # 1999

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

Jump Start # 1999

Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.”

Our verse today, the third in a series about the coming judgment. The chapter starts with the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. That sets the tone for believers to be alert because you “do not know the day nor the hour.” The second parable, talents, shows the basis of the coming judgment. We are not compared with one other, but, instead, the judgment is based upon what each of us could do. The judgment is about being responsible with what God has given to us. The final story, where our verse is found, shows us that the judgment is determined by our faith and our choices. In many ways, we choose each day to live for Heaven or to live without God, which is Hell. The judgment will not ignore these choices that we have made everyday of our lives. The judgment is not a written test about what we know, but rather, an examination of what our faith led us to do. Too many would like to live like a sinner and die like a saint. That simply won’t happen. The world has distorted and twisted things so badly, that people are convinced that the sinners are the ones who have all the fun. Long ago, Mark Twain is claimed to have said, “I like Heaven for the climate and Hell for the company.” That generated laughs, but it doesn’t make Heaven smile. Christians are perceived by many to be stern, serious, frowning and against everything. Who would want to be a Christian, if that was the case? It’s so wrong. Christians have a blast and they can have that without regrets, shame, guilt or layers of issues that come with sin.

Our verse tells of the coming of Jesus. He’ll come in His glory with all the angels. Just imagine. Imagine being home and you hear a noise like you’ve never heard before. Loud. It didn’t come from the house. What could it be? Did a plane crash? You rush outside and immediately you see the sky full of angels. Hundreds and hundreds of angels. Everywhere you look, there are angels. All about us are people looking skyward. Many are scared. Some are wondering if aliens are invading the planet. But you know. You have known for a long, long time.

You’ve read the verses in Peter, Thessalonians and other places. You know what’s going to happen. You know why it’s happening. You know and you have wondered if you would be alive to see this day. And, here it is. It’s Jesus. You see Him. Others are running around. Some are trying to hide. Some are crying. Some are cursing. Some are declaring that this couldn’t be. But you know. You drop to your knees and look upward with a smile on your face. You’re ready. You’ve been ready for a long, long time. It’s Jesus.

He promised a long time ago that He’d come again. He promised that He would take us to be with Him. And, now, here it is.

Imagine if Jesus came today. Suddenly, nothing else matters. What you have planned won’t come about. That doesn’t matter. You had a vacation scheduled. That doesn’t matter. You have a package that was to be delivered. That won’t happen now, and it doesn’t matter. You have a doctor’s appointment scheduled. That won’t happen now, and it doesn’t matter. You had a plumber scheduled to come out to the house in the morning. That won’t happen now, and it doesn’t matter. There are some important meetings at work that won’t take place. It doesn’t matter now. You haven’t finished the last episode of a TV series that you wanted to watch. That won’t happen now, and it doesn’t matter. You were going to see the latest Star Wars movie but that won’t happen now, and it doesn’t matter. There won’t be a Super Bowl. There won’t be a college football championship game. Some babies wouldn’t be born. Some wouldn’t graduate. Some books would never get published. Some songs would never get recorded. Some projects would never be completed. Some houses would never be finished. Some business deals would never come about. Some trials would not take place. Some criminals would not be caught. Some Christmas presents would not be opened.

If Jesus came TODAY, imagine how everything you have planned would suddenly stop. And, at that moment, nothing else matters. Nothing. Nothing, but you and Jesus. It won’t matter if you have your hair combed, or if you have shaved for the day. It won’t matter if you are barefoot or in your jammies. It won’t matter if you locked your door when you went outside. It won’t matter if you have gas in your car. It won’t matter if you backed up your computer or put all your pictures on Cloud. These things simply will not matter. It’s just you and Jesus. That’s all that matters. Now, everything you read, every Bible class you remembered, all those sermons—everything swirls around in your head. You remember. You know. This is the end as Paul described it to the Corinthians. You know in just a moment you’ll be changed. You’ll put on the immortal. You wonder what that will feel like. You wonder what you’ll look like. You know very soon that all the graves will open and the dead will be raised. You wonder what they will look like. You know that this earth will soon be destroyed. You know.

And all that matters is you and Jesus. Now, will it be like this? I don’t know. But we do know that He’s promised to come. We do know that the living will be changed and the dead will be raised. We do know that He’s coming with all the angels. We do know that when He comes, He’ll take God’s people. We do know that the world will be destroyed with fire. We do know that there will be a judgment. We do know that everyone will be ushered into eternity.

And we do know that all that really matters is you and Jesus. Do you believe? Do you follow? Do you obey? Do you please Him? Do you worship Him? Do you think about these things?

You and Jesus. He’s coming…what if it were today?

Roger

18

Jump Start # 1998

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1998

Luke 23:34 “But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.”

 

The words of Jesus, while dying on the Cross, in a time of extreme pain, pulls the curtain back to allow us to truly see what Jesus is made of. It’s one thing to talk a good game, but when the moment comes, so often, the true character comes out. With Jesus, here at the cross, it’s love, grace and forgiveness. Even to the end, this is who Jesus is. Under the worst conditions, He kept true to these principles.

 

Our verse today is a prayer of Jesus that is pointed both upwards and downwards. Upwards, Jesus is saying these words to His Father. It is a prayer. These words reach Heaven. Downward, Jesus is saying these words concerning the Roman soldiers who are crucifying Him. He looks down and speaks up.

 

Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. This statement has to be understood in the context. For, in many ways, they did know what they were doing.

 

  1. They certainly knew how to crucify a condemned man. One, two, three—three condemned and three crosses that day. They knew how to construct a cross. They knew how to drive the nails in so the cross would hold the body. Amateurs would have blotched this. Bodies would have ripped off the cross, torn through the flesh, if it was not done right. They knew how to do it.

 

  1. They knew by breaking the large bones in the leg, that a person on the cross could not push up and get his breath. Breaking the legs sped up the death. They knew that. They had done such a professional job, that when they came to break the legs of Jesus, He was already dead. They knew what they were doing.

 

  1. They knew how to keep the crowd around the cross at bay. The angry crowd insulted Jesus, but no one rushed to rip Him off the cross, throw things at Him or beat Him. Nor, did any of the disciples try to rescue Jesus from the cross. The soldiers knew what they were doing.

 

These soldiers had a job to do and they did it well. I expect this wasn’t their first crucifixion. So, in many ways, they knew what they were doing. But what about Jesus’ words? He claimed that they did not know what they were doing?

 

  1. They did not know that they were fulfilling Biblical prophecy. There are so many prophecies, especially from Isaiah, concerning the death of Jesus. The placement of Jesus in the middle. No bones being broken. This side pieced. That all was done by Romans who didn’t know Scriptures. They didn’t know that they were part of this eternal story.

 

  1. They did not know who Jesus was. He was one of three condemned that day by the state of Rome. Criminals is all that they knew. A sign was placed above Jesus, “King of the Jews.” They probably didn’t get what that meant. They did not know that Jesus had the power to forgive them. They did not know of the miracles of Jesus. They did not know the sermons of Jesus. For all they knew, Jesus was a radical teacher who was stirring people up against Rome.

 

  1. They did not know what the earthquake and darkness meant. Earthquakes are common in that area. The one at Jesus’ death was severe. The curtain in the temple ripped. Graves opened. The darkness is something that they had not seen. Darkness for three hours. Too long for an eclipse. Strange. Odd. They had no idea what it all meant.

 

  1. They did not know what to make of Jesus. He wasn’t cursing them as others had. He wasn’t offering them deals to stop the crucifixion. He wasn’t pleading with them. He wasn’t screaming at Caesar, Pilate or Rome. He was praying. He was as different in death as He was in life.

 

  1. They didn’t know that the death of Jesus would be the central point of the Bible story. Every Sunday, disciples gather around the world to remember that death. How many other deaths had taken place before this, and they are all forgotten. The names of the executed are lost to history. How and why those died are lost to history. But this one death, Jesus Christ, is not only remembered world wide, it was that death that changed the world. Because of that death, we can live. Because of that death, the penalty for sin was paid. Because of that death, Satan was crushed. They had no idea that they were part of something that would never be forgotten again. That death has been the basis of millions of sermons throughout time. That death has motivated disciples to keep going. That death has given hope when it seems all hope was gone. These soldiers were part of that, but they had no idea. They did not know what they were doing.

 

  1. They had no idea that the blood of Jesus that was spilled and shed that day would usher in a new covenant with God. It wasn’t a Jewish law any longer. It was for all people. That blood would cleanse souls until this world is no more. Crucifixions weren’t pretty. They were not for the faint of heart. They were very bloody. It was messy. The sight of blood makes some queasy. I expect many of us would have turned our heads and been unable to look. Blood on the cross. Blood on the ground. Blood on the clothes of the soldiers from the nailing and lifting the cross in place. For the soldiers, it was just red blood. The blood of one condemned looked no different than the others. But it was different. It was Heaven’s sacrifice for our sins.

 

  1. They had no idea that it should have been them upon the cross and not Jesus. Jesus was innocent. Jesus was pure. Jesus was sinless. Those Roman soldiers, as you and I, had sins. We were the ones who were guilty in Heaven’s view of things. We were the ones who deserved to die. We were without excuse. They did not know that. They did not understand that.

 

Forgive them, they know not what they do. What a powerful prayer.

 

Roger

 

15

Jump Start # 1997

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

Jump Start # 1997

Luke 15:17 “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!’”

 

I taught a class this week about the prodigal. Love that story. So powerful, true and so much like us. Our class focused upon how to get prodigals to come back. That’s tough. It’s one thing to show someone Jesus but how do you reach someone who once walked with the Lord, but since has chosen to walk away?

 

The far country has a pull on so many. All they see is the glitter of fun and excitement. Satan has them only thinking about today. The consequences, the eternal results, what the far country does to body, soul and mind are never thought about. It’s the thirst for alcohol. It’s the appeal of drugs. It’s the lust of immorality. It’s the thrill of power and possessions. All of that seems so much more exciting than sitting in a church pew on Sunday morning. Fun, wrapped around sinful choices, can be so appealing that one takes those steps to join others in the far country.

 

There’s hardly a church and hardly a family that does not have a prodigal someone. When the prodigal is not part of our immediate family, we can forget about them. We can forget to think about them. We can forget to pray for them. We can forget to “throw out the life line,” as the old hymn went.

 

There are reasons why people leave the Lord. It may be that they were never fully engaged, taught and grounded in what the Lord expects. Maybe they just always kept one foot in the far country and never fully left. It may well be that they have too many friends who are in the far country and their influence is too great for them. Some may have had a bad experience with brethren. It’s easier to just quit than to face those who seem rude, pushy and offensive. The reasons are many why some leave.

 

But getting one to come to his senses is what is most difficult. The far country seems like a blast. As long as the money lasts and the friends hang around, the good times, as they believe, are lasting. With the prodigal, a series of things happened.

 

First, he ran out of money. Dad wasn’t sending any more to him.

Second, a famine took place. He didn’t figure that into the equation. Famines always come.

Third, he became desperate. He was hungry.

Fourth, he had no one to help him.

 

It was at that moment that he realized the far country lied to him. He wasn’t happy. He wasn’t better off. He wasn’t on top of the world. He was miserable. He was alone. He was helpless. The only place he thought he could turn to was home. Broken and changed, the prodigal came home.

 

There is something about this that connects with us. It’s hard to talk to prodigals while things are going well with them. Money is good. Fun is happening. Friends are plentiful. They think, “I don’t need God.” I have all that I want. But when the rug is pulled out from them, then is the opportunity to be there as a friend to talk with them. When they are sitting alone in a hospital surgery waiting room, or, when they are at the funeral home, it is then that the famine has begun to hit.

 

Don’t go with both guns blazing. Don’t go with the attitude, “I told you so.” Go, as a friend. Comfort. Help. Sit with them. Let them talk. Don’t preach. Don’t say stuff like, “This wouldn’t have happened had you been in church.” You don’t know that. Don’t push the church. It’s Jesus that they need to connect with again. Sympathize. Encourage. Share your story. Don’t white wash it or sanitize it. Let them know that you love them and they are always welcome back. Buy their lunch. Offer to help. Just be there.

 

You are trying to get them to come to their senses. You want them to see what’s missing in their life. Sometimes they sit in fear. Sometimes they hold on to the idea that God will not take them back. Sometimes they see themselves as much worse than everyone else. Often, they fear the church. What will people say? Will they just stare? Will there be talk? You can help with that. You can build bridges with them.

 

Across this land, if every congregation and every family kept everyone from going to the far country, our church buildings would be bursting with enormous crowds. Too many have walked away. Too many have walked away and nothing was done to try to bring them back. Too many walked away and too few noticed or cared. God does.

 

The father in Luke 15 never gave up on his son. He never stopped loving him. He never wrote him off. He was always hoping and longing for the son to return. We ought to pray for those who no longer walk with the Lord. We ought to put some energy into reaching out to those who have given up the journey with the Lord. Each one has their own story and their own reason. Sometimes it’s nothing more than they needed some attention. Little ones are like that. We have a bunch of young grandchildren and I see that in them. Give them a book and tell them to go sit and read doesn’t work on these little ones. They want PJ (that’s me) right beside them. Where I go, they are right behind me. They want to hold my hand. They want to sit on my lap. They want to pull on my pant leg. They want me to make a big deal about them. And, some folks are like that spiritually. They need TLC and a bunch of attention. Don’t give them a passage to read. Don’t send them off with a booklet to study. They need you to be with them. They want to talk. They want to have lunch with you. They want to be around you. They need that. And, when that is lacking, they’ll find it with friends who are worthless and godless. They will be accepted, loved and wanted by those friends. Fellowship is more than a name in a directory. It’s warmth. It’s love. It’s togetherness. It’s PJ spending time with the grandkids. I had one the other day out back picking up leaves with me. It was a slow process because she was picking one leaf up at a time and running to the woods to drop it. We did that for a long time. It didn’t even seem like work, because we were together. That’s what fellowship is like.

 

Getting one to come to their senses is a hard process. It can take a while for that to happen. But never give up. Never stop trying. Never stop the prayers.

 

God has placed us in the lives of others to help them. May we do it well!

 

Roger