31

Jump Start # 2112

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2112

Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”

On Wednesday evenings at the congregation I attend, we are working through a series of lessons on “The Traits of a Strong Christian.” Different men in the congregation are teaching one lesson each. It’s been a good study. It brings forth a common question, Why are some strong and some not? Why do some excel and others seem to stumble along? Why do some become teachers and leaders and others are always needing constant attention, and help? Why do some grow and become helpful and others seem to always need help?

These are the type of questions that preachers think about at night. These are the things that make shepherds look deeply into what is being taught and what needs to be changed to help some. Some get it and some struggle, all the time. Every week, there are those that you know will be there. Then there are some that you never know. They might be there and they might not.

Some of us have had great advantages because of our parents and the environment we were raised in. We learned the books of the Bible and have been hearing sermons for decades. Others, not so. Some have come from the ugly side of the world. Their past includes crime, prison, mean people, running the streets and keeping one step ahead of trouble. They have scratch and clawed their way through life. They didn’t have any help. But with both groups, those who had great spiritual opportunities and those who had very few, we find success stories and stories of struggle and failure. There were children and grandchildren of preachers and elders who bombed spiritually. They turned their backs on all the upbringing, moral guidance and wonderful opportunities given to them. They made a mess of their lives. And, there are powerful stories of those who came from broken homes, abuse and turmoil and today they stand behind pulpits preaching God’s word. Strong, powerful, mighty in the Lord.

The story of the kings of Judah paints a similar picture. Out of spiritual messes rises a Hezekiah, who is faithful to the Lord. His family history was idolatry, disobedience and arrogance. He was different. But following this great king, comes a child who goes the other direction. The idols are back. The spiritual successes are swept away by poor leadership and a lack of faith in the Lord.

So, we are back to asking, why do some get it and some do not? Why are some strong, as our passage admonishes us to be, and why are some weak? Analyze this or that, look at the family history, look at opportunities, hang your hat on many concepts, but finally, it comes down to choices. A person chooses to be strong by the right choices they make in life. To be strong not only necessitates choosing rightly, it also means choosing to stay clear of wrong things. People influence us. Strong Christians have a network of strong people around them. They feed their faith. They seize opportunities that will help them spiritually. They recognize the great value of worship, prayer and positive influences in their lives. They have developed regular habits that help them be strong. They take advantage of opportunities to learn, grow and become even stronger. They have developed an insight that helps them see through the fallacy of mindless TV, superficial vanity, empty literature and friends that pull them downward rather than upward.

Strong Christians have learned to make the right choices. They have had help early on learning how to make these choices. They have seen and been taught about the consequences of wrong choices. They have learned how to discern and see things through the eyes of the Lord. They have moved past having others always tell them what is right and what is wrong. They have picked up on being responsible and caring for their own faith.

Strong Christians have come to understand that every day is made up of choices. Some of these choices have little or no impact upon the soul, such as which breakfast cereal will I eat today. However, many, many choices do shape, color and define our character, heart and strength spiritually. Will I engage in conversations that are negative and trash another person or will I walk away from such? Will I do what is dishonest just to get ahead or will I follow the path of righteousness? Will I tell a lie? Will I give in to temptation? Every day you and I are faced with these choices. The strong knows what the answers ought to be and it’s easier for him to make those right choices. Those who are struggling, will struggle with these things. They do not see what the strong sees. They do not see the consequences, the dangers or the long range impact that some choices will have. They struggle and will continue to struggle simply because they do not know how to recognize right choices from wrong choices. Some days they may actually do what is right, but many days, they will not.

Choices—that’s why some are strong and some are not. We help our children the most when we teach them how to make the right choices. There comes a time when parents must stop making the choices and allow a child to make their choices but guide them and talk them through why one is better than the other. You are doing more than helping them at the moment, you are instructing them on how to make the best choice. Some never learn. And because of that some never become strong spiritually. They won’t until they can learn to make the right choices in life.

How do you teach a person to see right choices from wrong choices? A sermon from the pulpit may give us a grand overview, but this works the best as a stronger Christian mentors a younger Christian. Spend time with each other and develop a close friendship and connection. Talk freely and openly. Share thoughts. And, in this process, have a goal of showing the other how one becomes strong.

A church of strong Christians is a strong church. It is from the pool of strong Christians that future elders are found. It is from the voice and leadership of strong Christians that keeps a church following the path of the Lord.

Be strong…simple words, but it’s a journey of choices. The right choices.

Roger

30

Jump Start #2111

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2111

Daniel 3:5 “that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up”

 

Our verse today comes from that famous account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and the fiery furnace. We’ve told this story dozens of times in children’s Bible classes and it has been used in VBS over and over. It’s the story of faith, conviction and confidence in the Lord. Away from home, compelled to turn into Babylonians, these Jewish captives remain true to their core beliefs. They will not compromise. They will not succumb to the pressures around them. Every parent hopes that their child away in a college dorm would have just half of this qualities running through them. It is inspiring to see young people having incredible faith.

 

Leading up to this grand event, is where our verse fits in. Nebuchadnezzar has assembled just about everyone. The list is a who’s who of important and prominent people in the kingdom. The worship of the golden image was about to take place. And introducing all of this was an orchestra of music. All of this was calculated, planned and coordinated. This pagan king understood the value of music in worship. Don’t get hung up on the instruments, look at the principle of music. Music was the key part of everyone bowing down. “At the moment you hear…” is the order of events. The music starts and everyone bows. That was the plan.

 

Have you ever noticed how music is a huge part of life. Every school has it’s own fight song. Get a group of guys together on a Saturday afternoon to watch a football game, and as soon as one team’s fight song begins, the conversations stop and someone breaks into singing it. You remember the movie, Jaws, and those certain musical notes played whenever the shark was about to strike. John Williams has become a household name because of his numerous movie scores that helped bring the movie to life. Gathered at the cemetery, and off in the distance a lone soldier plays taps on his trumpet, and the crowd becomes still and silent. Music surrounds grand events. What’s a wedding without music. There are certain hymns that takes us back to a funeral of a grandparent. Music at funerals.

 

This Babylonian king understood the importance of music and worship. He didn’t just give a command to bow, but at the moment you hear the sound, that’s when everything was to take place. There were six specific types of instruments listed along with the generic “all kinds of music.” This wasn’t one note blown on a horn. This wasn’t one guy beating a drum. This was a brilliant piece of orchestrated music. The king knew. Music and worship is important.

 

In the N.T., the examples we find are of singing. God never commanded playing instruments in the N.T. Music histories consistently tell us that instruments were not used in the church for the first thousand years. Bringing in the band as part of our worship today is foreign to what those early Christians practiced. This is an important point to grasp and practice. If we are trying to be like the originals, then horns, guitars, drums, pianos, are going to have to be left at the door. Many sermons have been preached and ought to be preached on getting this right. It does matter.

 

However, too often, that’s the extent of what we do with music. We show what we don’t do and why we don’t do it, but we don’t emphasize what we ought to do. And, that is, sing passionately to the Lord. Singing hymns isn’t filler. It isn’t something to build up to the sermon. It isn’t the time to gather book bags, put on jackets and get ready to leave. But the way some conduct themselves you’d think otherwise. I’ve seen song leaders walking to the podium, flipping through a song book, trying to pick out a song before they get up there. That shows little time and little planning and little effort went into the preparation of songs.

 

If music makes the movie and if a Babylonian king understood that music was a central and key part of introducing his idol, you’d think we would plan better and put more attention into our praising of God in song. Here are a few suggestions:

 

Theme a worship service by connecting the sermon, table talk for the Lord’s Supper and the hymns all together. This means the song leader and the preacher must have a conversation before they walk into the building on Sunday morning. Some sermons are hard to match with a song. But many would help us to tie into the forgiveness, grace and love of the Lord.

 

Do not use Sunday worship as a testing period to see who has ability to lead singing. Let’s be honest here. Some can’t lead singing. Some can’t carry a tune in a bucket. Point to a note in a song book and some have no clue what that note is. This is not being mean, this is reality. I’d be first to stand in that line. If I led singing, grown men would cry, and not because it was pretty. I love music. I have married an extremely talented musician. I have season tickets to the symphony. However, I’d be a disaster if I had to lead singing. Let me preach, I can do that. Some guys have all heart but no talent. Bless their heart, as they say in Texas, they just can’t lead singing. And using the worship of God to find that out isn’t the best avenue. Praise to God ought to include doing our best that we can. God has given us His best so it only makes sense that we offer to Him our best.

 

Floating new songs during a special meeting also isn’t a good idea. Get the congregation to learn new songs during other occasions. When the house is filled with guests, lead songs that everyone knows. Fill the room with sweet songs of the heart.

 

Many places have recognized what this ole’ Babylonian king understood, the value of music in worship. Some have worship teams and special song directors that are devoted to bringing out the best for God. Some of those measures may be extreme and without Biblical example, however it illustrates a keen understanding of how important music and worship are. Maybe it’s time we understood that as well. Finding songs that fit the occasion and getting folks to lift their voices and understanding that God is not only praised but pleased with the offering of our hearts ought to help us take our singing to the next level.

 

Days long gone, preachers used to travel with their own song leader. They would go from place to place. The song leader would robustly lead the singing and the preacher would passionately tell the story of Jesus. Have you ever wondered why those preachers took along their own song leaders? They understood the importance of music and worship. Putting an audience to sleep before the preacher gets in the pulpit isn’t kind, thoughtful, respectful, nor giving God our all.

 

Sing to me of Heaven…great thought, great hymn and great hope.

 

Roger

 

29

Jump Start # 2110

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2110

Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I got in last night from a long road trip. My wife and I drove to Texas to see one of our kids and his family. We spent more than a dozen hours driving home yesterday. So, this morning, I am dragging. But it’s good to be home. When you have been away, nothing beats home. Your own bed. Coffee out of your own cup. Your favorite chair. There is truly no place like home. We are comfortable at home. We are used to things at home. We know where the silverware drawer is. We know what light switches turns on which lights. Things are just as we like them. Our closets may be stuffed and crowded, but we know where things are. Road trips, business trips, and even amazing vacations, there’s nothing beats that feeling of just resting in your own bed in your own house.

All of this takes us to our verse today and a spiritual principle. Philippi was a Roman colony. Soldiers and the Roman way was very familiar to the residents of Philippi. Yet, to those belonging to Jesus, Paul reminded them that our citizenship is in Heaven. We belong to Heaven. We sing a song, “This world is not my home…”

First, you and I can be awfully comfortable here. We can like the surroundings so much that we don’t mind just calling this place home. Spiritually, that’s dangerous. We don’t fit in here spiritually. We are going a different direction, define life in different terms and are after different things than what the world offers. Peter told his readers that they were strangers and pilgrims. We can find ourselves talking too much like the world and fitting in just too comfortably here. We find ourselves using words that may not be directly wrong, but are very suggestive, off color and fitting in too well with the world we live in. We can do that with our clothing as well. We find ourselves dressing like the world, suggestively, immodestly, and improper for people who do not belong here.

I love to travel. I do a bit of it all the time. I stay in hotels. I stay with brethren in their homes. I stay with the kids. Each time is an adventure and each time is rewarding. But, it’s not home. It’s not my schedule. It’s not my world as I am used to it. I never rest well when traveling. It’s just not home. I fear that sometimes we fit in so well with the world that we do not notice a spiritual difference. We don’t hear the “bad” words in movies anymore. We don’t see the suggestive implications on TV shows. We don’t pick up on the false teaching in books. We don’t see the consequences of what some are saying or have a knowledge of where that thinking leads to.

Second, not only can be become so comfortable here, but we find ourselves fitting in very well. We don’t see differences. We don’t recognize distinctions. We don’t realize that we ought to be different. And, when that happens, we tend to blend in and not stand out. The concept of holiness, means to be distinct, special, different. We understand that at home. We have paper plates and our every day dishes. At Thanksgiving, when the family is over, we pull out the special dishes. They are special. They are not to be used everyday. Holiness means to be separate, distinct, special. We are holy as Jesus is holy. This concepts connects us to being that light unto the world or that city set upon a hill. We are noticed. We are different.

There are different ways of being different. Some, are different by the rejection of all things modern. The Amish community is like that. They continue to travel in horse and buggy in a world of fast automobiles. Muslim women stand out for having their hair covered. It’s easy to recognize them. A Catholic priest is easy to recognize because of the white collar he wears. The drive of the N.T. is that we are different from the inside out. It is our hearts that make us different. In a world that is consumed with self, we are servants. In a world that is vain, we are humble. In a world that does what it wants, we follow Christ. We are compassionate, gracious and forgiving in a world that demands full payment for mistakes. In communities that are ever progressing religiously, pushing the envelope of following what society demands, we are looking backwards to the way of Christ.

It is easy to not only become comfortable here, but to even lose our distinction. It’s easy to assume one church is basically the same as another. You have Burger King and McDonald’s. They are both hamburger places. You have one denomination and down the street is another. Both are churches. Both are basically the same. Go to the one that suits you the best, that’s the thinking today. No distinctions. No concern about doctrine. No thought about how close they follow the N.T. pattern. Distinctions blur and merge into all being basically the same. This happens when we want to be like everyone else around us. Ancient Israel wanted a physical king like the nations around them. In doing that, they rejected God. They got what they wanted. A king who took their hearts away from God and led them into all kinds of trouble.

Finally, the problem with becoming so accustomed to the world is that we lose our desire to go to Heaven. We like it here. We want to stay here. And, Heaven becomes a faded dream that no longer has a focus in our life. And, when that happens, the only real difference between us and the person of the world is where you find us on Sunday. The person of the world remains in bed and we are sitting in a pew, but other than that, what we do, what we wear, the way we think and even the way we talk, are all pretty much the same. Stressed, worried, confused and focused on the here and now, obsessed with stuff and having no desire to change the way we are, the man of the world and the man of God can look the same. We wonder why evangelism fails today. If there is little difference between me and my neighbor, other than going to church services, why should he listen to me. He’s already busy. He doesn’t have time to fit church into his schedule. And, since he sees no difference in the way we live, he sees no advantage in standing where I stand. It’s not my neighbor. It may be me that’s the problem. Maybe I’m too much like he is. Maybe he doesn’t see any hope in my life. Maybe there is no need to ask me about the hope in my life. Maybe, just maybe, this ole’ world has gotten to me and I’m too much like the world. Maybe I’ve forgotten where my citizenship is.

When I’m on the road, I miss being home. I don’t ever want to miss that spiritually. It just may be one reason why so many Christians struggle with the subject of death, is that they are not sure of what’s next and they don’t want to leave here. Paul had a different view of things. He longed to be with the Lord. He understood that would be far better. Get me out of this place, ought to be our way of thinking. Do all that we can to help others, but we never take our eyes off of Heaven. Never.

Home. Heaven. Are you getting too comfortable here? Are you fitting in too well here? Have you lost your taste for Heaven? It’s time to take a deep look at where your heart is leading you. You can have a blast here, but if you miss Heaven, as our old friend, Dee Bowman always preached, you’ve just missed it all.

It’s good to be home. Someday, we’ll say the same when we are in Heaven.

Roger

25

Jump Start # 2109

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2109

Matthew 26:13 “Truly I say to you, wherever this Gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

NOTE: Monday is a holiday, so there will be no Jump Start.

 

This is Memorial Day weekend—it kicks off summer. School is just about out for most kids. It’s time for a day off of work, cook outs, Indy 500, and having fun with family and friends. Memorial Day— it’s a time to honor those who gave their lives serving in the military. Those brave men and women gave the ultimate sacrifice so we can be free and safe. We enjoy this weekend because of what they did.

 

Remembering is not something that is just unique to Memorial Day. Anniversaries, birthdays, and high school reunions are forms of remembering. “Throwback Thursday” is when people post pictures from the past on Facebook. But long before any of this, God wanted His people to remember. When Joshua and Israel crossed the Jordan River to enter the promise land, stones from the river bottom were collected as a memorial. Don’t forget what happened here. Don’t forget God’s promises.

 

The grandest of all memorials is the Lord’s Supper. Jesus said, “Do this in memory of Me.” We remember the sacrifice, the cost, the benefits of Jesus amazing love for us upon the cross. Our verse today is another memorial found in the New Testament. Mary anointed Jesus with very costly perfume. She did this in anticipation of His coming death and burial. The sweet fragrance would later be covered by the smell of sweat, blood and death. What Mary did was an act of kindness and love. Jesus didn’t tell her to do this. The apostles, especially dishonest Judas, scolded her. They were doing nothing, but she was doing what she could. So moved was Jesus by this, that He promised that this story would be told wherever the Gospel was preached. It was not to be forgotten—not by Heaven and not by man.

 

Memory is a funny thing. As we get older, our memory gets fuzzier. Sometimes the way we remembered things is not how they actually happened. We can forget details. It’s like a husband and wife talking about a trip they took. He gets the days of the week wrong, the places wrong and while he is telling his story, his wife is trying to correct the details that he didn’t remember correctly. It’s a cute thing to watch.

 

All of us who are Christians ought to have a fond memory of people who have helped us in the past. Nearly every preacher I know can recall with great joy the name of some older preacher who helped mentor and open doors for him.

 

This leads us to a couple of important thoughts:

 

First, we need to be thankful for the grand people in our lives who have helped us spiritually. There has been teachers, preachers and others who were patient with our questions. They ironed out the wrinkles we had in our thinking. They were there to encourage us. They gave us books. They fed us. They listened to us. They showed us. They were kind to us. Many of those grand old saints are on the other side now. They are resting from their labors. They served the Lord well and they helped us so much. We are busy in the kingdom today because of their examples and their dedication to us and to the Lord.

 

It’s good to go down memory lane once in a while. We need to do that spiritually. We need to remember, imitate, and appreciate what others have done. Every congregation has those few special folks who have kept things going through the years. They poured heart, soul and finances into the church. They have had lots of people in their home through the years. They have been the first to the church building to unlock the doors, and they were the last to leave to lock the place up at night. Take a moment, this Memorial Weekend, and drop a note to those who have touched your lives. They helped mold you and show you the Lord.

 

Second, we need to be doing the same for others. Who takes the place of those old grand saints when they can’t carry on anymore? Who fills their shoes when it’s time for them to go over to the other side? Who will be the encouragers? Who will open up their homes? Who will be there to show, teach and guide? Who has the time? Who has the patience? Who has the heart?

 

I fear that unless more of us step up the next generation won’t be looking at us like we do the ones’ before us. Those grand ole’ saints that sacrificed may not be the story they tell about us. Why? Too busy to teach. Too busy to have folks over in our home. Too much of self in us to sacrifice. Too little commitment. Too easily bothered and too quick to quit.

 

We must see beyond ourselves. If the Lord allows, someday we hand things over to the next generation. We need to be working hard to make sure we leave things better. Too often the next generation is handed a mess. Sour attitudes. Poor financial position. The church hanging on by a thread. Is that fair to do that to the next generation? We need to think better and do better.

 

Preacher, someday you’ll be done where you are. Are you making it easier for the next preacher who will follow you? Shepherds, are you making it easier for the next men to shepherd? Are we making the church stronger, better equipped and more capable of carrying on?

 

Memory. It’s more than genealogies, family heirlooms, old year books and tubs full of old things in the attic. It’s responsibility and it’s making the right choices today that will help others tomorrow. It’s pouring our all into things, just as it has been done for us.

 

Spiritual memories—they are more than just precious. They have helped us and now it’s our turn to help others.

 

Roger

 

24

Jump Start # 2108

Posted on May 24, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2108

Revelation 6:11 “And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow-servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, should be completed.”

There are always two views of life. This is not the same as saying there are two sides to every story. That’s different. We live here and see things from our perspective. God’s in Heaven and sees things from His perspective. Two views of life. It’s often hard for us to understand why God does what He does from our side of Heaven. Our verse today is a classic example. I’ve been teaching Revelation and we came to this passage in our last study. The context is the opening of the sealed book. Riders on different colored horses had preceded this. When the fifth seal was opened John saw under the altar souls that had been killed because of their faith. They cry out for justice.

 

Our verse is Heaven’s response to their cry for justice. Given white robes and told to be patient and rest. More would be killed. The worse wasn’t over yet. Then, justice will be served.

 

It is that tiny expression, “rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow-servants and their brethren who were to be killed…” that troubles us. From where we sit, this is hard to understand. Why would God allow more of His servants to be killed? Why doesn’t God stop it and stop it right now? Why did even one more Christian have to die? This is a matter of our side of Heaven and His side of Heaven.

 

Several things are found here:

 

First, God was aware of what was going on. This was not news to God. He knew all along. In fact, there was a number that had to be completed, our verse tells us. God had a number or limit. When that was reached, things would change. God had His eye on the situation.

 

Second, from God’s side of Heaven, death is simply a doorway that we pass through to be with Him. Death isn’t the worst thing that can happen. So, God would allow more of His people to be killed. From our side of things, it would certainly look and seem like the persecutors were winning. More and more Christians were dying. It didn’t look like God was able or wanting to stop them. It would become much darker before the light broke through those dark, dark clouds. God was triumphant. He had already won. Christ conquered death by the resurrection and Satan’s days were numbered. It was just a matter of time. That’s how God saw things. We see a different picture from down here.

 

Third, this news must have been hard to take. Our verse is spoken to those who have already died. It was their souls that John saw sacrificed under the altar. More would join them. It may have been family members and dear brethren that would be coming next. Knowing that some would suffer and die violently for simply believing in Jesus is hard to understand.

 

I mentioned in a sermon recently about the great New York Yankee Lou Gehrig, who for decades held the record of playing the most consecutive games. He played hurt. He had multiple fractures through the years in his fingers, yet he played on. That made me think of the apostle Paul. We can only wonder how many fractures he endured. He was beaten with rods three different times. That thought brings the image of many broken bones. He was stoned so severely that they thought he was dead. I have hit my foot on a rock before. Boy, that hurt. Imagine rocks, several of them, being thrown, not gently, but with great speed and force at you. There would be cuts, gashes and most likely broken bones. This is in a time before surgery to put in pins, plates and repair such injuries. It makes me wonder if Paul shuffled along slowly because of his previous injuries. Did he have a permanent limp? Was he somewhat crippled? And, on top of all that, God allowed that. He allowed His spokesman, His apostle, to be nearly crushed with injuries.

 

We want all violence to end. We want school shootings to only be a sad part of our history. Yet, Biblically, God allowed His people to die, violently, at the hands of those whose hearts were full of hatred. Hebrews 11 tells of some who were killed with the sword and others who were sawn into. The prophet John was beheaded. God didn’t rescue Him like Daniel. He didn’t part seas to give these people safe havens. They were killed. There would be more still to be killed.

 

Fourth, those who had already been killed, were given white robes. They were in conversation with God. They were suffering no longer. They were able to rest. They were not forgotten. They did not die in vain. It was not over for them. Living happily ever after down here, is the world’s definition of the way things ought to be. Leave us alone, and allow us to do what we want, and make the world safe, fair and nice and have everyone get along, and all will be good. Activists urge these concepts. Law makers are pressured to make these things happen. And, when it doesn’t, people throw up their hands in disgust. They use these moments to deny God and they find comfort in pills and the bottle. God allowed His own people to be chased down and killed. Just as Jesus could have summoned thousands of angels at Calvary, God could have sent an army of angels to protect His people. He didn’t.

 

Their faith, not their death, is what we notice. They left footprints that we follow to this day. Troublesome times are here, we sing. And, the lesson of those beloved suffering saints, touches our hearts today. We complain when it’s too hot in the church building. We grumble when the sermon is longer than normal. And, before us is a passage about souls beneath an altar that had been killed. Word comes to them that there would be more. It sure makes us wonder what would we do? It makes us wonder if we really have faith?

 

Finally, Heaven’s side of things always makes sense. It’s hard to figure God out and to see what He is up to when we look at things from our side of the world. Sometimes we get short with God. Sometimes we complain to God. Sometimes, we stand in the shadows of Job and wonder what’s He up to. But, through the Scriptures and through passages like ours today, we begin to see things from God’s side of things. His side of Heaven shows truth, righteousness and justice. His side is always right. He’s never let go of things, not even for a moment. The persecutors were not going to kill more than God would allow. They were not going to kill every Christian. Oh, they thought they would. They thought they would eliminate Christianity and erase it from the face of the planet. Yet, here we are, still talking about those wonderful, faithful saints, all these years later. And those mean persecutors, not only do we not know who there are, scholars are not even in an agreement to who they are, Romans or Jews. They are gone. They are forgotten. They have been served justice by God. They met the wrath of the Lamb and it wasn’t a pretty ending for them.

 

So, passages like this remind us that there are times that I just don’t understand why God isn’t doing things. Maybe He is and I just don’t see it. There are times when I wish God would change things. He will, in His time. And, there are times that I wish I could see things from God’s side of Heaven. It would help us. But for now, we trust Him. We follow Him. We love Him. And, before long, we’ll be with Him.

 

Roger