24

Jump Start # 2210

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

Jump Start # 2210

Matthew 10:42 “And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

 

The other day my wife was going through some tubs of papers that had many of our kids high school stuff, papers, pictures, news clippings and things like that. The kids are all married now and it’s time to pass some of these things on to them and it’s time to pitch some things. She’s better at pitching than I am. When you save and save things stack up and there comes a time when someone has to go through it all. In this process, she ran across a letter from a preacher. He has now passed on. I had preached the funeral of his daughter. When I stop and think about it I remember it, but it’s been some time ago. I had forgotten the letter. He was thanking me for my words and thanking the church for the support through that trying time. His letter was a cup of cold water to me. My wife put the letter on my desk. Keep it or pitch it? I chose to keep it. I have an old book with several famous preacher’s names in it and I think I will stick that letter there.

 

Our passage is just that. Someone needed a drink and someone gave a cup of cold water. He didn’t dig a well for the person. He didn’t purchase a pond for the person. He didn’t even give him a case of bottled water. One cup. It was what the Lord asked the Samaritan woman for. It doesn’t cost much. It doesn’t take much time to provide. But the benefit for the moment is the good that it accomplished. Later in the day, the thirsty person would need another drink of water. The next day, he need yet another drink of water. The one who provided the cup of water was not to take care of the thirst for the rest of his life. It was just that moment. It was just now.

 

So often we are looking for the big, life changing event that will make the trumpets of Heaven blow and will be long remembered. And, in so doing, we miss simple opportunities such as giving a drink of cold water to a thirsty person. A year later, even less than that, the thirsty person, as well as the one who gave the drink, may have forgotten the simple event. It wasn’t anything big, however it was the right thing to do. With the cold water, there wasn’t a lecture about why he didn’t have any water. There wasn’t a sermon about being better prepared. There wasn’t admonishing about carrying a water jug with you. No warnings were given about where are you going to get you next drink from. No threats came with the cup explaining that you only get one cup. None of that. A person simply gave a cup of cold water. No big deal, but it was enough that Heaven noticed. More than that, Heaven recognized that a reward comes with that.

 

In many ways, this passage is just like the old letter from the preacher to me. I’d forgotten about it. It touched my heart then and it did again the other day when I read it. That old preacher is on the other side. I expect he’s written dozens of letters throughout his life. Droplets of blessings that encouraged others. He may not have even remembered all the letters he wrote, but Heaven does.

 

Here’s some examples of cups of cold water that we don’t think much about:

 

  • A Bible class teacher is missing her helper one day. There’s lots of kids in the class. You can tell by the look on her face that she’s not sure she can do this alone. You ask if you can sit in and help. What a wonderful cup of cold water.

 

  • A man shows up for worship services. He pauses and looks and looks. Someone can tell that it’s his first time to be there. He walks up with a smile and a handshake and not only helps him find a seat, but asks if he can sit with him. A cup of cold water.

 

  • An elderly Christian comes to the church building pushing a walker. Immediately several men run to the doors and they swing open widely for her. With smiles and words of joy she enters without any struggle. Simply a cup of cold water.

 

  • A young man gives an invitation on Wednesday evening. It was really well thought out and he did a great job delivering it. You drop him a note letting him know how great it was seeing him doing that. A cup of cold water has been given.

 

  • A man thanks the congregation for helping him during a trying time in his life. There has been calls, cards and food given to the man and his family. He has received multiple cups of water. But in his public thank you, he returns water by recognizing the love that abounds among each other.

 

  • A person sits with a loved one in the hospital. It’s going to be a long day. Someone drops in over their lunch break and spends a few minutes with the family. Cold water has been given.

 

  • There is a funeral that takes place during the week. There in the audience sits several of the shepherds. Many have taken off of work so they could be there. Their faces, their presence, more cold water.

 

 

What I want you to realize is that so many of us have been in this cold water business that we do not even realize it. We’d think, opening a door for someone is nothing. Neither is cold water. Sitting with someone in the hospital is no big deal. Neither is cold water. That’s simply the point.

 

The person with water thought enough of the thirsty person that he shared. You share your time, your words, your heart, your prayers with others. You think enough of others that nothing would stop you from doing this. While we may dismiss all of this as nothing, it is something to the thirsty person. It may not change his life, but it certainly helped him for the moment.

 

We cannot make the water, God does that. But we can share God’s blessings. Maybe you cannot preach the sermon, but you can share it with someone that needs to hear that message. Maybe you cannot write the article, but you can share it with someone who could be helped by it. Cups of cold water.

 

A grieving father, a fellow preacher, wrote me a letter a long time ago. Something I said helped him. His letter to me became a cup of cold water that encourage my heart. So often that’s truly what happens. That cup of cold water gets passed back and forth. Someone encourage us and in return we encourage them back and on and on it goes. It’s a wonderful blessing.

 

And to think, Heaven noticed. Heaven sees. I suppose Heaven would also see when we refuse to give water. Or, when we ignore someone who needs water. But here, in this passage, Jesus is reminding the disciples of the simple things that matter. They will be given water and they will give water. And, we do the same.

 

Get you cup ready. You just may need to help someone today.

 

Roger

 

23

Jump Start # 2209

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2209

Job 2:9 “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”

Our verse today are the sad words of Job’s wife. In the story and the context, she is the first one to speak to Job. Her words come before the three friends arrive. Her words are shocking. Rather than, “hang in there Job, I know you’ll get through this,” she said “die.” It’s over for her. Her faith was gone. Her house had collapsed upon the sand of which it was built. She saw no future. In her mind it was time for one more funeral, her husband’s.

Mrs. Job responded in the very way that Satan had hoped Job would. Job didn’t. But through her eyes we learn a powerful lesson about the innocent by-standers who are caught up in the wave of what happens to us.

First, the suffering of the innocent by-stander. We often do not think about this. I think of several couples right now, near and dear to me, who have a spouse that is on the brink of passing into the next world. Tons of prayers and outpouring are going to the one suffering, but there is the families of these people. They suffer as well. Satan’s attacks were targeted for Job, but Mrs. Job suffered as well. A man losing his job at work, impacts the entire family. A preacher who is the object of scorn by some spiritual bullies in the church will not be the only one who suffers that evening in his home. Sitting around a hospital room, watching every shallow breath is hard and heartbreaking for the family. They suffer as well.

Second, the suffering that innocent by-standers experience when one makes wrong spiritual choices. Here is a man who no longer can endure sound doctrine. He doesn’t like that kind of preaching. He declares that he is heading to a mega church which focuses upon fun, feelings and there is no accountability. You can miss as much as you want and no one will say anything. The message is watered down and the Bible is not really known nor studied. Many in the audience do not even bring Bibles. The kids love the exciting activities and you can drink coffee in church without any guilt. Man, it’s great. But his choice hurts and ruins his kids spiritual life. They grow up not knowing the will of God. They grow up picking and choosing what they will believe and thinking that the details really do not matter. Sin is not talked about. Hell is never mentioned. And, the cutting edge of ‘what’s happening now,’ is comedy, drama and eardrum busting rock ‘n roll. What a blast! The hidden theme in all of this is belief that church is about us, it ought to be amazingly fun and God loves us so much that He just doesn’t care. Poor kids will grow up and probably not see any need to even attend the mega-fun-church. It’s not life changing. It’s not built upon conviction. It does not follow the Bible closely at all. You can say what you want. You can drink all you want. Nothing said. Nothing wrong. The kids will think, why even go. And, they probably won’t. All of this came from a dad who decided he was fed up with Bible teaching. A couple of generations later, and his descendants will know nothing at all about the word of God nor the Lord. Innocent by-standers. They suffer.

Third, the opposite of this is the powerful benefits that the innocent by-standers receive when a mom and dad decide to commit themselves to the Lord. Here is a couple and they learn the Gospel truth about the Lord. Their hearts are changed by the word of God. They obey Christ and become very active in the kingdom. They grow. They attend all the time. They are careful what the choices they make. Their children grow up with godliness. Prayers are as common as mashed potatoes at mealtime. The parents make careful choices about what shows to watch. They help their children surround themselves with godly friends. The kids grow, knowing the Bible stories inside and out. They take notes during sermons. They see the great people at church. They grow learning to be careful of what they say and they grow learning to be a servant of others. Their hearts bend toward the Gospel way. In time, they too, become Christians. As they date, purity and righteous go with them. They find godly people to marry. They continue on with these splendid righteous traditions in their own home. Following this family tree, you’ll see a deacon here and there. You may find one who is preaching. You may even find one who serves as a shepherd. All of this came about from a righteous couple who chose to walk with the Lord. The innocent by-standers were influenced by their example and through them others have followed. Modesty, kindness, generosity, compassion, forgiveness and grace define these people. They stand apart from others because of these godly choices.

I think about these contrasts and the impressions that these choices leave upon others. In one home, a baby innocently sticks up his middle finger. He knows nothing. The parents laugh and laugh about that and post pictures on Facebook. They think it’s so cute. When this child is just a little older, his dad will give him a taste of beer. He cringes at the awful taste and the parents just laugh and laugh as they kick the door wide open for ungodliness, sinful choices and a life without God.

But down the street, is another home. In this home, at a very young age, the child is taught to bow his head and say a prayer. At first, no one is sure what he says, but they all clearly hear the distinct “Amen.” He is praised for that. He is taught to not interrupt. He is taught to pick up his toys. His spirit is pulled toward goodness. He thinks of sharing and helping others. He is learning quickly the Gospel way.

Innocent by-standers. They see us at work. They see us in the family. They see our choices. They hear our words. They notice what we talk about. They see what is important to us. Those of the world find little in common with people of faith. They don’t understand why get up and “go to church” on Sunday, when you could go to the lake. They don’t party like the world. However, there is a sense of purpose, calm and confidence about them.

Innocent by-standers. Our choices often impact them. I’m not real sure how “innocent” Mrs. Job really was. She may have been part of Satan’s plans. Lose support at home and maybe Job would cave in as well. He didn’t. Nor, did he tell Mrs. Job to hit the road. Righteous people don’t do those things.

All around you today are people who will be influenced, impacted and effected by the choices you make. “I can do whatever I want to do,” is only spoken by a fool who never realizes that what he does helps or hurts others.

There is always someone like a Mrs. Job who sees what is going on in your life.

Roger

22

Jump Start # 2208

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2208

Psalms 65:8 “They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.”

 

Our verse today speaks of standing in awe of God. Being impressed. Astonished. Even, being curious about God. It seems that in some ways that has been missing in our times. We study God. We know God. We follow God. We obey God. We defend God. We quote God. But we no longer stand in awe of God.

 

One reason for this is because we have answered every question and explained every situation. We feel that we know why everything happens. When it comes to evil—we explain why it exists. When it comes to suffering, we have shown what causes it. We have explained death and we know what happens when we die. We understand God’s wrath and need for punishment. We’ve even explained Heaven and what it will be like. Every question, we’ve found an answer. We never walk away with a “I don’t know.” The God moves in mysterious ways is rarely claimed anymore, because we have grasped how and why He moves. And, with all of this, a sense of standing in awe of God has slipped away. God has become academic. He is the theme of a lecture. He is explained to the point that we feel we know everything there is to know about Him.

 

There is little to day dream about God. There is little to stand in awe of God. There is little to be curious about with God. There’s nothing to wonder about, because someone will have an answer for that. The child like faith, the trusting eyes, the walking hand in hand, is shaped around our knowing everything there is to know.

 

Standing in awe of God. Let’s bring it back:

 

First, it is amazing that God even things about us, let alone loves us and wants us to be with Him. Aside from our family, both physical and spiritual, how rare is it that others even think about us. I doubt our neighbors think very often about us. Our co-workers don’t spend much time thinking about us. The governor, the President, doesn’t even know we exist. Our doctor, who we trust to help with our lives, has so many patients that he doesn’t think about us unless our charts are in his hand and we have an appointment. But there is God. Today, He will send blessings your way. Today, He will hear your words. Today, He will open doors of opportunity, protect you, and be with you. Why us? Why you? Why me? Because that’s what God does. He loves us. We are not very important in the history of the world or even in the moving of things throughout this day. We could understand God thinking about kings and presidents and world leaders and industry giants. But you and me? Us? That’s a marvelous thought. Our words can reach the heart of God instantly. Our concerns concern Him. That is amazing.

 

Second, God is about to splash the creation with amazing fall colors. The trees will burst with red, orange and yellow leaves. No painting can capture what God does with nature. The colors are vivid and breathtaking. People will travel to parks on the weekend to look at the tress. Then shortly after that, all those wonderful leaves will fall to the ground. The trees will look dead all through winter and then in the spring, tiny buds will open with the brightest green that brings life and color which ends a drab winter. It is amazing. The colors God uses are spectacular. We stand in awe. There is nothing like it. No creation of man can come close to what God does.

 

Third, it is inspiring what God can do with a life. For instance, here is a man who is a person of the world. He is a by-product of his times. He’s hard working and fun loving. He’s a bit rough on the edges. His language can be spicy and crude at times. He drinks like others. He leans toward the selfish side of things. He’s not much different than any one else. However, his life intersects with the Gospel. He learns about Jesus and begins to worship. He gives his life to Christ and obeys the Gospel call and is baptized. Immediately, through study of God’s word, a transformation takes place. He stops drinking. He catches himself before he says things that are wrong or offensive. He becomes more forgiving and kinder. He finds ways to serve in the kingdom. He grows in faith and knowledge and as he does, he is molded inside and out by God. He is observant. He is helpful. He walks with compassion. There is a joy and a peace that abides with him. He is not the same person any more. It is amazing what God has done with this person. He has truly changed and changed for the better. He is no longer obsessed with money and stuff. He prays often. His words are sprinkled with spiritual concepts and his heart is so thankful. Those that have seen this change take place are amazed. We stand in awe at what God has done. And to think, every day, all over this world, God is doing the same to others. Lives are changing and people are being shaped by the Gospel of Christ. And through that more lives are being helped and compassion and forgiveness fills the air.

 

Fourth, there remains mountains of things that we do not understand that God is involved with every day. Many of these things pass our eyes without much notice. Some we simply call coincidence. Things happen. Lives intersect. God is moving and shaping things all along. The heart of the king is like water in the hands of God. He can move it as He wills. The king probably never realizes it, but God is there doing things so His will is accomplished. God is not on the sidelines of life merely watching and occasionally cheering us on. Rather, he is defining many of the very plays that happen on the field. He is actively involved. We don’t understand it, see it or even realize it. Boy meets girl. They start dating. One brings the other to worship services. Lucky chance we think. In time one becomes a Christian. We rejoice. How much did Heaven have to do with that, we will never know. A family moves to a congregation. In time, the man is appointed an elder of God’s people. He influences hundreds of lives over the next few decades. Just a good thing that happened, or all planned by God. We may never know. A young man offers a Wednesday night invitation. He liked the experience and was encouraged greatly. He takes a turn in his studies in college and decides that he wants to preach. For the next forty or fifty years he is preaching God’s word nearly every weekend. Just a good thing, or was God moving things so that could happen.

 

We stand in awe of Him. Don’t ever lose that. God is not like us. God is not just a better version of us. He is the Almighty. We need to stand in amazement because of who He is.

 

Roger

 

19

Jump Start # 2207

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2207

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”

Hope is such a powerful word and a necessary part of our lives. Hope is what motivates us and keeps us going. Hope is what the cancer patient hangs on to. Hope is why a losing team believes next year might be better. Hope is what keeps rescuers working through the night trying to find a trapped person. Hope puts a smile on our faces and allows us to welcome the next day.

 

Here in our passage, the subject is death. Not just any death, but the death of a Christian. Death saddens our hearts and leaves an emptiness among us. There is a hole that just cannot be filled. The color black is connected with death. Those in mourning, years ago, wore black. Some wore it for a long time. However, in this sadness, there was rays of sunshine. There was hope. Even in death there was hope. Through God and with God, even the darkest moments in our lives, find hope. The Psalmist declared, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Thou art with me. There was hope. There was God.

 

Interestingly, hope and wishing are not the same. We may wish upon a star or a lucky four-leaf clover, a rabbit’s foot, cross our fingers and do all sorts of odd things, such as wearing a lucky outfit when our team plays, because we think that will help them. We wish we got a promotion. We wish for sunny days. We wish the election was over so all the ugly campaign commercials would go away. We wish someone would call today. We wish to find an empty parking space near the front door. Wish and wish and wish. We do it all the time. Wishing and hoping, in our terminology, seems the same. It’s not Biblically. Hope was something that was certain to happen. It was built upon the promises of God. The only thing the person didn’t know was when it would happen.

 

Our passage looks at those who have hope and those who do not have hope. Having that hope regulated and effected the way they grieved. The Christian has hope. The Christian has hope when an fellow believer dies. His hope is supported by the promises of God. There will be a resurrection, Jesus said so. Those whose names are in the book of life, will be raised to life. That’s the hope for the Christian. As much as he misses his beloved brother in Christ, he knows that the Lord has him. He knows that his suffering is over. He knows the best is right before him. He is finished with temptation, trials and trouble. His journey is complete and awaiting him is the glorious crown of righteousness. He in many ways longs to be with his departed brother. He would love to trade places with his departed brother. Home with God is such a comforting thought.

 

That hope guides his grief. Certainly there will be tears. Certainly there will be an emptiness. However, there is a precious thought of knowing that the departed Christian is with the Lord. He wonders and imagines what that would be like. What must it be like to close your eyes here and then open them on the other side. Those thoughts warm his heart and softens his grief. He presses on, looking for the day when he can join his brother on the other side.

 

But our passage talks about those who have no hope. For them it’s a wish. There is no hope because their loved one never walked with the Lord. They never took time for worship. They never made righteous choices. They never used opportunities to help others. God was ignored in life and now they will be without God in death. Certainly, family members are hoping that they are in Heaven. They hold out for some miracle. I’ve seen this. I’ve had to preach those funerals. Someone dies. A funeral is planned. No one knows a preacher because no one in the family worships nor has time for God. A friend of a friend of a friend reaches out to a preacher. Please come. Bring your Bible. Preach dear ole’ dad into Heaven. Comfort us. The family who never darkened a church building, never opened a Bible in decades now wants a man of God to pull a rabbit out of his hat and get dad into Heaven. They don’t think to call the bartender to say some words. They don’t think to call the editor of the sports paper to come and say some words. They don’t call the guy at the pro-shop of the local golf course. That’s where dear ole’ dad spent his time. But now that he’s gone, it’s time to find religion. It’s time to pull strings and get dad into Heaven.

 

The preacher comes. The Bible is read. Solemn words are spoken. Prayers are offered. There are handshakes, hugs and tears. A week later life goes on. The family doesn’t change. The Bible isn’t read. No one shows up at worship. All continues the same until the next funeral and then a mad scramble to find us a preacher. This is all too common.

 

What basis does someone have for hope here? Someone who never truly believed in God. Someone if he ever mentioned God, it was in cursing. No, there is no hope. They wish. They want. They convince themselves, but upon what basis? No faith. No love for the Lord. No choices reflecting God. No desire for Heaven when alive. No righteousness. No spiritual life what-so-ever. If a college student never went to class, never did any of the assignments, flunked every test, he may wish he would pass, but there would be no hope of his passing.

 

Hope and wishing are not the same. We have hope. It’s built around our faith in the Lord. Our hope is lived every day by our choices to walk with the Lord. Our hope is illustrated through prayers and worship. God is near to us. God is part of our lives. And when our time here is finished, it will be to God that we go. There’s a promise that stands behind all of us. God’s grace and our faith untied and makes all of this possible.

 

Living with hope or living with a wish. Not the same. Everyone wants to go to Heaven, but only a few actually act that way. Our lives are structured around God’s word. It is here that our hope is built and sustained.

 

My hope is built on nothing less…

 

Roger

 

18

Jump Start # 2206

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2206

Joshua 3:4 “However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”

Our verse today takes us back to the moments before Israel was to cross the Jordan and enter the promise land. Instructions were given about how this was to be done. Joshua reminded the people to consecrate themselves for the next day, the Lord would do wonders among you.

The ark of the covenant was to go first. It was their GPS. They were to follow the ark. A distance of 2,000 cubits was to remain between the ark and them. This would make it possible for the ark to be visible. A massive crowd made up Israel. You have tried to stay with someone in a crowd after a ballgame. It’s hard to do. This distance would keep the nation on track. A typical cubit was 18 inches. The distance between the ark and the people was 2,000 cubits or 36,000 inches, which is 3,000 feet, or 1,000 yards. A football field is 100 yards, so the distance of 10 football fields.

Three lessons here:

First, God must always be before us. We follow God. The Lord didn’t tell the people to just cross the Jordan and run scattered throughout the new land. There was direction, order and obedience involved. The Lord would keep them together. Have you ever been to a theme park before the gates are opened? A crowd gathers. The gates are opened and people scurry in. Some rush to the very back of the theme park to try to beat the crowds. Others start at the front and work to the back. Others go to their favorite ride. Left, right, hurrying to the back, it’s mass chaos. Israel was to follow the ark. Keep it before you.

What a grand principle that follows throughout the Bible. Keep God in front of us. Fixing your eyes on Jesus is what the Hebrews were told. Modern churches have rushed past God and are exploring new concepts and ideas that are not housed in the Bible. They vote upon what they want to believe. They have written creeds and declarations. It all seems good until you remember that we must follow the Lord. He must be before us. Israel was not to walk in front of the ark. They were not to walk beside the ark. They were to keep a distance and to follow.

Second, God knows the way that we should go. The priests carrying the ark would be directed by God. He was leading this massive march into the new land. This principle carries through the Bible. God knows how to get us to Heaven. God knows how to build broken relationships. God knows how to heal hurting hearts. God knows how to conquer temptation and addicting sins. This is why the ark was before the people. This is why God’s word must be before us. Church growth experts try to introduce catchy ways to attract the world and through food, fun and slick slogans, they market the church like big business. Go into all the world and preach the Gospel is the Lord’s method. We must keep God in front of us. Clever ways to raise money are introduced to make the church have more funds available. God said to give as you have been prospered. We must keep God in front of us. God’s way works. God knows what He is doing. This is a trust issue.

Third, you have not been this way before. Israel was walking into new territory. They had not see the land, the people, the weather, the animals, the soil. It was all new for them. God had. God saw it centuries before when He promised this land to Abraham. God saw it long before that when He made it. God has always seen it. There never was a time when God had not seen it. This was all new for Israel. It wasn’t for God. Easily, God could have said, “I’ve been here before, let me show you around.”

There are some principles here that we ought to learn from this statement, We have never been here before. We need to pay attention to what God says, because He knows.

We’ve never died physically before. It’s a one time event. The door swings only one way. You don’t know anyone at work who died over the weekend and was back to work on Monday. That doesn’t happen. When a person dies, they remain on the other side. Since we’ve never been that way before, we ought to listen to what God says about it. Books abound on the market about people who claimed they died and they came back. How? Just how did they come back? In the Bible that’s referred to as a resurrection. The only way a soul can reunite with the body once it has left is by a miracle conducted by an apostle, prophet or the Lord. I’ve read these books. Someone died, went to Heaven for a few minutes and then came back. They then write a book about all the adventures they saw, which is odd. Paul in a vision went to the third Heaven but it was unlawful for him to repeat what we heard. He didn’t write a book about the experience. I don’t just have questions, nor doubt these claims, I don’t believe they are true. Maybe a dream. Maybe trauma from an injury. Maybe drugs that were given to them. Maybe made up. But, it didn’t happen. You have not been this way before. Lazarus was raised from the dead and nothing is said about the other side. A young man was raised and nothing was said. A twelve year old girl was raised and nothing was said. Yet, today, book after book, dozens of them, make the claim to have died and came back with vivid stories to tell. We’ve never been this way before. Best read Luke 16 about what happens when we die. Keep that ark in front of you and don’t go past it.

We’ve never been to Heaven either. People are expecting to see amusement park rides, butterflies, ballgames, chocolate, pets and all kinds of fun. Heaven is viewed as an eternal play day. Won’t that be fun. Why wouldn’t everyone want to go there? However, these ideas do not come from the Bible. They come from the imagination of people who have never been there before. Best keep the Lord before us. Heaven is His home. Read what the Scriptures say about Heaven. The Lord knows Heaven. Heaven is about God’s presence. So many ideas about Heaven exclude God. It’s as if we have taken it over and run God out. Selfish concepts and worldly ideas fill the dreams of people who just want to play, play, play. Without God there is no Heaven. If you don’t like God you’ll not like Heaven.

God knows how to build a church. God knows how to restore people. God knows how to make faith strong. God knows who ought to lead His people. God knows how to shepherd lives. God knows how to build strong marriages and incredible families. God knows how to preach a sermon. God knows how to drive out fear and worry. Moderns have relied upon support groups, counseling sessions and exterior help to do what God has been doing for centuries. I wonder how those early Corinthians overcame alcohol without AA? How did they deal with homosexuality without exit groups? How did they turn from stealing without support groups? Somehow, for centuries, God has led His people into righteousness. Yet, today, we feel compelled to turn to other things feeling that without them we can’t make it. Have we forgotten who is before us? Have we forgotten that we may be in new territory but God hasn’t. He’s been there before.

Keep that ark, which for us, is God’s word before us. The ark contained three items: stone tablets, a budded rod and a bowl of manna. Promises, power and provisions—which is exactly what our Bible contains. Keep that before us and follow it and God will get you safely into new lands.

Roger