23

Jump Start # 2332

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2332

Luke 23:42 “And he was saying, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom.’”

We have gotten through another Easter season. Good Friday. Easter bunnies. Colored eggs. Pretty dresses and hats. Biblically, we understand that there wasn’t just one day in the year that the disciples thought about the resurrection. They were never more than a few days away from remembering. Each Sunday, every first day of the week, brought thoughts of the Lord’s death and resurrection to those first Christians. The Lord’s Supper pulls us close to the cross. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the central theme of the Bible. Without that event, nothing else really matters.

 

Our verse today comes from the Calvary scene. It’s a conversation between the one thief and Jesus. There has been a change of heart. At first, both thieves were ridiculing Jesus. But as death nears, one stops. He not only stops the verbal abuse, he rebukes his comrade in crime for his continuation of the abuse. He defends Jesus and acknowledges that the Lord is innocent. It didn’t take a sermon on the mount for him to reach this conclusion. It didn’t take seeing the blind healed or demons cast out to reach that conclusion. The events swirling around the cross and the disposition of Jesus was all it took. He knew. He then speaks to Jesus. This is our verse today.

 

Several things to notice:

 

First, he believed in life after death. Every man, all three of them, on those crosses were dying. So, we have one dying man speaking to another dying man. Even if some how Jesus overcame death, it was not looking good for this thief. He wasn’t going to make it. He knew that beyond the door of death, there was something else. Remember me, can only happen if we are still capable of doing that after death. Death wasn’t the end. He knew that.

 

Second, he understood that the kingdom was Jesus’. “Your kingdom,” is what he said. Not our kingdom. Not Rome’s kingdom. Your kingdom. Jesus was dying, yet, some how this wasn’t going to alter His kingdom. Most times, when a king is killed, it is no longer his kingdom. The power shifts. It goes to the next in line. Here, Jesus was dying, but it was still going to be His kingdom after death. This kingdom was different.

 

Third, he knew that Jesus was coming. He’s coming in His kingdom. Death wasn’t changing the plans of Jesus. Jesus was greater than death. Incredible faith and incredible confession.

 

Fourth, he wanted to be a part of that kingdom. Asking, “remember me,” implies find me a place in this future kingdom. Don’t forget me. Don’t leave me out. His years of crime didn’t give him what the kingdom of Jesus would. Hope wasn’t in a selfish crime. Hope was in Jesus.

 

Fifth, Jesus did not stop his death. The Lord had the power. He could have saved the thief from death and still died Himself. He didn’t. All three men died that day. One died a criminal. One died a Savior. One died saved from his sins.

 

Finally, Jesus assures him and promises him that he would be with Jesus. “Today, you will be with me.” Not some day. Not, it’s too late for you. Not you will be ok. But, we will be together. Where I am, you will be. Today, we will be in paradise. I can only imagine, as the final breaths and thoughts were leaving this penitent thief, that maybe a smile crossed his face. It would be ok. He’s going to be with Jesus. The Lord would take care of him. He would not be forgotten. He may not fully understood what Paradise was, but Jesus was going to be there and that’s all that mattered. Likely, his body was tossed in a pauper’s grave. There wasn’t much honor for a condemned thief that is executed by the state. Jesus’ went to the tomb of a rich man. Separate in burial, their souls were together in the next world.

 

We don’t know the background of this thief. He took the wrong turn in life. If Jewish, he ignored the commands of the Law. He lived selfishly and took advantage of others, just the very opposite of the way Jesus lived. He gave little thought to helping others, as Jesus had.

 

What is remarkable is that this thief probably didn’t know how to pray as Jesus taught in the sermon on the mount. He probably didn’t know about the church. He may not have understood the prophesies that were being fulfilled right before his eyes. So much he didn’t know. But what he did know was that he was dying, Jesus was innocent and he wanted to be with Jesus.

 

I wonder if we make conversion too much like an entrance exam to college. We load tons of things in a confused mind and expect the person to grasp grand concepts that they may never had heard before. Now, this is not giving a pass on ignorance. The teaching apostles remind us of the need to grow and know God’s word. But if this thief showed up at our church building on a Sunday morning and simply said, “Jesus is innocent and I want to be with Him,” would that be enough or would we feel compelled to sit him down and give him thirteen lessons about discipleship?

 

I also wonder, if this guy showed up, and we knew that he was a thief, but he’s telling us that he has changed, would we believe him? Would we “keep an eye on him?” Jesus was on the cross just a few hours. And, in those few hours this thief went from being critical of Jesus, to being a believer in Jesus. It happened fast, really fast. Almost, too fast for some of us.

 

I also wonder if a guy who has “done time” showed up on Sunday, what we would think? Even in His final breaths, Jesus was saving folks. This is what He came to do. I’d like to think until our final breath, that we are busy in the kingdom as well.

 

What’s it going to take for some to believe Jesus? What’s it going to take for some to get serious about their lives? What’s it going to take for some to change their ways?

 

Powerful stuff from a few words between two dying men.

 

Roger

 

22

Jump Start # 2331

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2331

1 Peter 4:4 “In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you”

Peter, in our verse today, shows the reaction the world has to your faith. Your faith defines your choices. It leads you to righteousness. And, in following Christ, you’ve made a course correction. You no longer run with the crowd. You no longer drink with the crowd. You no longer act like a fool. You belong to Jesus and it shows. And, they, the world, are surprised.

 

The King James states, “They think it strange”. The New English uses the expression, “They are astonished.” They are astonished that you make those choices. They are astonished that you do not believe that the world and Christ can merge together. They are astonished that you take things so seriously. You can almost here people saying, from Peter’s day to ours, “Can’t you have just a little fun?” Or, “Do you really think all this stuff does you any good?”

 

Those that cannot answer that will find themselves back with the world. They will conclude that it really didn’t make that much difference in their lives. But those that stumble back to the world, never really had both feet in to begin with. They may have dated Christianity, but they never made a real commitment. They like the people at church and they like the idea of going to Heaven, but they were really bought into this idea of letting the word of God richly dwell within them. They never took up their cross and followed Him. At a distance, and a sampling here and there was enough for them.

 

Does all of this stuff really make a difference? What good is all of this doing for us? We need to explore that statement. It’s more than turning us into nice people. That’s good, but that’s not it.

 

First, our faith in Christ is changing us from the inside out. There is a noticeable difference. We have re-wired the house and we are thinking differently these days. Gone are the selfish excuses and doing just whatever we feel like doing. We’ve taken on the nature of Jesus. We forgive for no other reason than He has forgiven us. We go out of our ways to be a servant to others. We expect nothing in return.

 

What good has all of this done for us? It’s made us more like Jesus. The world cannot understand nor appreciate the great value in this, but we do.

 

Second, our faith has given us a real hope through Jesus. It’s not a cross your finger wish that the world has. This is something that is certain, real and will happen very soon. Heaven is not a pipe dream. It’s going to be our home and very soon. We don’t walk through the day with our heads hung down, worn out and with nothing to look forward to except mindless TV. Not us. We are marching to Zion. We have a purpose about us. We do not fear death. Success for us is not in the size of your TV screen or the square footage of your house, but in being forgiven and being Heaven bound. We know that we will be resurrected. We know that there is no end to our story. Death is nothing more than going through a door into another room and in that room is where we want to be.

 

Third, our faith has made our marriages better. We understand that marriage is not about what I get out of it or my happiness. That’s all selfish. Marriage is about two people honoring God, first by being true to their commitment and then by working together to make a difference in the lives of others. The world flies through marriages, one after the other. Our faith has included God in our relationships. As we get closer to God, we become closer to each other. Love, grace, forgiveness and thinking the best becomes the foundation of our hearts and our homes.

 

Fourth, our faith has connected with the best people on the face of the earth, God’s people. They may seem common to the world. They may seem insignificant to the world. But, to God, these are His people. We worship together. We pray together. We sing together. We view each other as more than just friends, but as family. We love the people of God. Perfect, we are not. However, we all have the heart to follow the perfect one, Jesus Christ.

 

Fifth, our faith has changed our attitudes. We no longer think like the world does. We no longer define things like the world does. Gloom and doom do not dominate our days. We are not depressed, losing heart and worried to pieces. We no more know the future than anyone else does, however, we know the One who controls all things. It will be fine, because God is already there even before get there. Being on top, being number one, isn’t so impressive to us anymore. Our ambition is to please the Lord.

 

What has all of this done for us? It’s made us godly, Christ-like, disciples. It has made us responsible, dependable and accountable. It has made us pure and righteous. It’s made us into exactly what God wanted, a people after His heart.

 

The world doesn’t get it. The world may be surprised at our choices. But, I am more surprised that the world wants to continue on the dead-end street that is mean, hateful, selfish and going no where. I’m surprised that people continue to want to drink themselves sick with alcohol. I’m surprised that people continue to talk abusively to each other. I’m surprised that people never mention God except to curse His name. I’m surprised that people, knowing that they are going to die someday, continue to live without any hope or future. I’m surprised that people buy into the empty theories of evolution that lack evidence and common sense. I’m surprised that everyday people die and are cast into eternity and they have no clue where they are going or what’s about to happen.

 

Is it doing you any good? It sure is. If I could go back, the only thing I would change is that I would have started this journey much sooner in my life. I wonder if the same could be asked to a person of the world? What good is living without God doing you? Ignoring God won’t make Him go away!

 

Is it doing you any good…sure is something to think about.

 

Roger

 

19

Jump Start 2330

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2330

Romans 16:1-2 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many and of myself as well.”

 

There he was the other day as I pulled into the church parking lot. He was busy planting flowers out by the church sign. His hands were dirty, he had a bag of soil opened and several flowers were already planted. I walked over to speak to him. He’s one of our members. He does this every year. Few know about it, but in a month we will enjoy the benefits of his labor. I’ve known about this for a long time. He reminded me that his name is anonymous. He wants no shout out for the pulpit. He doesn’t want his name in the bulletin. He’s not a deacon. I’ve not known him to teach any Bible classes. But this is something that he could do and he does. No one assigns him this job. He donates all the costs. It’s his way of simply helping out.

 

And, that brings us to our verse today. Sister Phoebe of the Cenchrea church was like that. She helped. She helped the church. She helped Paul. She helped many. Now about the only time you hear about Phoebe these days is when someone gets a wild hair and uses her as an example of female deacons. Deaconess, is what some like to label Phoebe with. Paul calls her a servant. The word servant is where we get our term deacon. It is assumed therefore that all servants are deacons. Folks who like this want to find a way to have women behind the pulpit, and in the leadership of being an elder. And, in all of this, they simply miss the sweet and wonderful spirit of sister Phoebe.

 

Do all servants have to be deacons? Deacons in the sense of what we find in Timothy? Qualified and appointed by the church? Paul would have a hard time fitting the description since he was single. Yet, many times he refers to himself as a servant or a bond-servant. What about Jesus? He was a servant. He came to serve and not be served. Was Jesus a deacon like we have in the churches today? Is it possible to simply help out and serve without having a title and a position? Can a person, like my Mr. Anonymous, simply plant flowers without having to have a title? Can a single person be a servant? Can a widow be a servant? Phoebe served. Don’t read into that a deaconess. You discredit her kind spirit when you do that.

 

Phoebe helped. Now, she needed help. Here are some thoughts:

 

First, to be a helper like Phoebe and my Mr. Anonymous, a person must have open eyes and a willing heart. On any given Sunday our parking lot is stuffed full of cars. There is only one way in and the same way out. Everyone who drives in passes the church sign. Everyone that leaves, passes the church sign. We all see it, but Mr. Anonymous, really saw it. Some nice flowers sure adds a touch. It shows beauty. It shows that we are taking care of the place. It doesn’t take much to do that, but the rest of us always seem to be in a hurry to get there and a hurry to get somewhere else when worship is over. He notices. He’s taken it upon himself to take care of that one little spot and he does it well.

 

Now this is much more than planting flowers out by the church sign. It’s about recognizing how to make things better. There are physical things, such as picking up paper on the floor, putting a paper towel in the trash that someone missed. It’s about leaving your pew nice and clean, even when you’ve had the little ones with you.

 

But, it’s even more than just the physical things. It’s seeing someone sitting alone and asking if you could sit with them. It’s seeing someone who seems a bit down and asking if you could talk to them. It’s giving one of the elders a pat on the back and a big “thank you” for all that they do. It’s sharing a sermon CD with someone. It’s mailing some material overseas to help a small church. It’s taking a young preacher and his family out to eat and making sure that they get dessert. It’s getting down to the church building early to help pass out things. It’s sweeping off the steps to make them safe, clean and inviting. It’s seeing something and rather than complain about it, doing something to make it better.

 

Second, there comes when helpers need help themselves. This is important. This is hard for many of us. I know, I’m near the top of the list on this. I’d as soon do things myself as to ask anyone for help. I know what I want done and I know the way that I want it done. And, the time it takes to explain that to someone else, I could already have things done. But, let’s face it, we all need each other and we all need help. There are days when we visit someone in the hospital. And, there are days when we are the one in the hospital. I love helping others. It never bothers me. It bothers me for others to help me. It makes me feel guilty. I feel that I ought to be able to do things. But, I’m learning. Our Jump Starts have really helped me with this. I have someone who takes care of all my mailings now. She makes all the books and she keeps them stocked and supplied. She has found fast and efficient ways of making this faster than I ever did. I used to hand fold and hand staple every Jump Start book. Took all day to do that. Not now. Now, my fingers do not even touch it. It was hard to let go of this. These Jump Starts have been like a child to me. I’ve fussed over them, babied them and got them to where I want them to be. Prying my fingers off of them and letting someone else take over the production and mailing was hard. But like Phoebe, I needed some help. This has gotten too large for me to keep up with.

 

There is no shame in asking for help. No one of us can do it all. In too many congregations today, elders want absolute control of the whole place, down to cutting the yard, mailing flyers, paying bills and cleaning the building. There’s no need for that. If they were doing their jobs as shepherds they wouldn’t have time for those other things. Let others help. Mr. Anonymous, for me, takes pride in that this is something that he can do. We preachers can learn a lot from Phoebe. Most of us are pretty good at helping and being servants. But allowing others to help us is hard. We need to do that. There are folks all around us in the congregation that understand things better than we do. Use them. Include them. Invite them. Ask them.

 

Third, the church works like a team. Phoebe helped. Now, help Phoebe. In baseball, you have the manager, the trainers, the players, the equipment guys, the guys that take care of the field, and even a bat boy. I suppose you could have one of those million dollar players pulling the tarp off the field each day, but his talents are better used in playing the game. This concept is true in the church. You could have one person just about do it all, and in some small places, it often comes down to that, but the more that have a job, the more that feel that they have a sense of pride and ownership in the place. Mr. Anonymous, can say to himself, ‘This church needs me, because I help make the grounds look good.’ Now, the flowers he plants won’t take anyone to Heaven, but as folks drive up and down that street and see those flowers, they may think about the beauty of God. What a different impression that would be if there were only dead flowers, trash all over the yard and a look like the place is condemned. No one would want to visit.

 

Team work takes place when each person contributes his abilities and energies to make things better. Team work is not about the individual. Team work is not about competition. Team work is about the team. And, it takes a team. The preacher preaches, but he needs people to run the mics, make the recordings and have the building comfortable and presentable for folks to assemble.

 

Phoebe helped and now Phoebe could use some help. That needs to be our story. We help and there are times when we need help. We are all in this together. We encourage. We teach. We influence. We help. And, together, we make the place better and we make the people better.

 

Let us leave this place better than we found it…

 

Thanks, Mr. Anonymous. You make a difference more than you realize!

 

Roger

 

18

Jump Start # 2329

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2329

Matthew 6:8 “Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him.”

Our verse sets the tone for the Lord’s example on how to pray. Most refer to this as the “Lord’s Prayer,” even though there are aspects of this that He would have never said and there is no indication that He actually prayed this Himself. He was teaching the disciples. Prayer doesn’t have to be long to be effective. Prayer doesn’t have to be filled with words that are impressive and big to move God. Simple concepts. Simple words. To the point. Both physical concerns and spiritual concerns. That’s the breakdown of the way Jesus wants us to pray.

 

Before giving this model of prayer, we find our verse. God knows what you need before you ask Him. Immediately, we might wonder, why then ask? If He knows, He knows. We ask, because it reminds us that blessings come from Him. We ask because we are dependent upon Him. We ask because we are His children. We ask, because God wants us to.

 

There is that little expression, “Your Father knows what you need.” That’s revealing. It’s good to know. Consider:

 

First, what we want and what we need are not the same. Little children in a store get that confused. They will look at candy or a toy and say to their parents, “I really need that.” No. They want that, but it’s not what they need. The parents try to explain, but at that moment it’s a lost cause. We can be like that. I need a vacation we say. I need to get away. I need a raise. I need a new car. I need and I want are not the same. God knows what we need.

 

Second, God knows what we need and often we do not know ourselves what we need. We need God. We need salvation. We need to worship. We need our hearts saturated with God’s word. We need to be walking closely to the Lord. The fact is, many of us never realize that’s what we need. And, sometimes the trials, problems and difficulties in life are the very things that turn us back home to God. The prodigal needed to come home. He needed to come home with a different attitude and spirit than what he left with. It took feeding pigs for him to get there. God knew. He didn’t. God knows us better than we know ourselves.

 

Third, the comforts in life can be the very things that take us away from God. James tells us to consider it all joy when you encounter various trials. These trials can have positive results. These trials can lead us to where God wants us to be. We normally do not feel that way. We hate trials. We want to run from them. Trials is a nice way of saying difficulties. Problems, is another way of describing trials. They mess up our schedules. They tax our energy. They can be expensive. They take us away from a typical and normal day. We long for problem free days. Worry free vacations. Stress free work days. Traffic that runs smoothly. No lines at the check out. Kids that are behaving. Churches that are at peace. Neighbors that get along. No drama in the family. Just give us that, we think. And, if we had that, would we pray? Would we turn toward Heaven? Feeding pigs when you are hungry and desperate makes a person think. It makes us realize that our choices put us where we are. It makes you see the opportunities you wasted, and the blessings that you abused. God knows what we need. And, some days, it’s a good dose of trials.

 

Fourth, although God knows what we need, we often do not know what each other needs. This hurts families and this hurts congregations. People feel unfulfilled. They feel empty. They feel that a purpose isn’t being met. They assume that others ought to know. There are problems in their life and no one is there to talk to them about it. I’ve known of people who were in and out of the hospital and didn’t tell anyone but later became upset because no one came to see them. God knows. We don’t. This tells us that we need to be more open, transparent and communicate openly with each other. If you have a problem and you want help, let that be known. If you are struggling, don’t drown in your troubles. Get help. Hanging around like a lost puppy dog and always saying, “Ok,” when folks ask you how are you doing, won’t get you anywhere. Talk to the shepherds. Talk to the preacher. People don’t know what you need unless you tell them. And, even though God knows, we are still supposed to pray to Him. No one can read your mind. No one can know that you are having a tough time unless you express that to others.

 

Finally, God provides what we need. We need salvation and God sent a Savior. We need guidance and direction and God provided His word. We need examples and God surrounds us with shepherds and godly brethren. We need teaching and God provides a church. We need encouragement and God gives us brethren. We need something to do and God has a kingdom that we can be busy with. Never does God say, “Figure it out.” He doesn’t say that because we’d probably get it wrong. Never does God say, “Try and find Me,” because we couldn’t. After Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the garden, it was God who showed up looking for them. It was God who dealt with the serpent. It was God who provided the animal skins for them to wear. God knows what you need and God provides it.

 

Sometimes we are not satisfied with what God provides and we feel that what God has given won’t do the job. So, some think we need something beyond God’s word. Some think we need some kind of organization beyond God’s church. Some think we need to make some super structure to accomplish what God wants done. Rather than just being busy with what God has provided, some are always trying to change things. God knows what we need and God has provided what works. We need to trust God in all of this.

 

God knows…I’m glad he does. I can’t imagine what our prayers would be like if we didn’t even know what to ask Him. He knows. He guides us. He helps us. He provides for us. He is there for us. And, still, some would complain that God hasn’t done enough.

 

God is so good…He is so good to me.

 

Roger

 

 

17

Jump Start # 2328

Posted on April 17, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2328

Ephesians 5:21 “”and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”

Our verse seems so simple today, but it’s not. In modern times we’d say, “get along with one another.” However, that doesn’t always work in the house, does it? Kids fuss with one another. That certainly doesn’t work in politics. And, often that doesn’t work among brethren.

 

Back in Amos 3, we find the statement, “Can two walk together unless they are in agreement?” Imagine, taking a walk in the evening with someone. You want to go left and head down that street and they want to go right and head the other way. You can stand and make your point for why the direction you want to go is better, as they do the same, or, you can just get mad and go back into the house, or you can walk alone, or, one of you can go along with the other because walking together is what you really wanted to do in the first place.

 

The most asked question on Sunday is “Where do you want to go to eat?” And, what typically follows is, “I don’t know” or, “I don’t care.” And, when a suggestion is made, you find out that they do care, because that’s one place that they don’t want to go.

 

Getting along. It seems so simple, but it’s really not. The past few days I have been diving deeply into a story that took place more than 130 years ago. Some brethren wanted to do some things that others were uncomfortable with. Heels were dug in. One side was considered progressive. The other, extremists. Both backed their positions with Scriptures, logic and at the time, powerful names and brotherhood papers. There was an impasse, a real standoff. Both sides pointed fingers at the other side and accused them of being wrong. Sadly, this wasn’t an uproar just in one congregation. There was a shift in thinking trickling through the brotherhood. Things were lining up for a civil war within the whole church. So, to put a stake in the ground and to end all of this, a group met in the prairies of Illinois at a small congregation that was being torn apart with these troubles. A large crowd gathered. Speeches were made. And, then a signed declaration was presented. Those that no longer accepted the way things had been were pushed out. A formal separation was declared. In a marriage, we’d call this the divorce papers. But among brethren, it meant that not only would fellowship be excluded, the one side would no longer recognize the other as brethren. So, in this little farming community, folks that sat on the front porches and enjoyed each other’s company, now would view each other as rival enemies. It didn’t end there. A lawsuit was filed over which side would get to keep the church property. The case went to the state supreme court. This became the first of many more lawsuits all over the country. Now, all these years later, what began at one central starting point, has turned into three or four major factions that have nothing to do with each other, nor any concept or understanding how their forefathers once all worshipped together.

 

Getting along. What do you do with those you disagree with? The first inclination is to separate. I will surround myself with only those who are like me. But after a while, you will find disagreements there. Even within the family, there are disagreements. It’s like the family who didn’t agree with the church, so they separated and started meeting in their house. After a while, mom and dad disagreed with the kids. The kids worshipped in the front room and mom and dad in the bedroom. Later on, mom and dad disagreed. The kids were in the front room, mom was in the bedroom, and dad was alone in the bathroom.

 

Some separations are not necessary. Some are a matter of opinions and we always think our own opinion is better than anything else. We wrote recently about Romans 14, and the disagreements over whether or not to eat meats sacrificed to idols. Some could. Some couldn’t. Fingers were pointed at each other and tensions were rising. The instruction from the Holy Spirit was to accept one another and stop judging each other. A person could go to Heaven eating meats and a person could go to Heaven who didn’t eat meats.

 

I love the congregation where I worship. I believe it’s one of the best in the world. However, there are times and there are things that bug me. I hear what some say and I think, “You shouldn’t say that.” But I expect there are things that I do that bugs others. And, since our names are not on the sign, but the Lord’s we are here to honor Christ. When God’s children cannot get along, we are not honoring Christ.

 

Our verse today reminds us to be subject to one another. It’s like taking that walk together. Can I go the direction that you want to go? If it really doesn’t matter, then don’t let it matter. Be subject to one another means to bend our will toward the other. Don’t make every disagreement a life or death situation, because they are not all that way. Love, as defined in 1 Corinthians 13, doesn’t keep track of wrongs. Love forgives. So, stop with the “You always get your way.” How do you know that unless you’ve been keeping track and keeping score. Don’t do that.

 

But there comes some things that crosses the line of what I feel is right and wrong. What’s done in worship is something that involves all of us. To worship together, we must do things together. Now, when something is done that I feel isn’t right with Scriptures, then my heart and my conscience is bothered. It is at the moment that some are ready to separate and end our fellowship with one another. It may come to that, but not first. The first thing is a private discussion. Let it be known how you feel. Sometimes I do things without thinking that bothers my wife. I don’t mean to, I just do. For instance, I tend to toss an empty cup into the trash can. She will say, “Don’t do that.” Now, she has her reasons. Often when the trash is collected, those empty cups stay at the bottom of the trash can. She would rather I put the empty cup into a bag to assure that it’s emptied into the trash truck. For convenience, it’s easier to take the cup from the car and put it in the trash can. But for the sake of love, because it means something to her and she doesn’t want to dig through the bottom of the trash can and pull those cups out, I will go along with her. Is she right? Am I right? I don’t really stay up at night thinking about it. I really don’t care. She does. So, I have adjusted my ways for her. That’s our verse today. Get along. Do what you can to be the same.

 

I really think if love for one another and trying to please each other was the main goal then we wouldn’t have to separate from each other as much as we have in the past. Talk things out. Find a way to work through things. In the end, separation may still have to happen if some are forced to do things that they feel are wrong. We must all stand upon what we feel is right with God’s word.

 

The spirit of separation and dividing with those you disagree with is counter to the Lord’s prayer for unity in John 17. I’m right and you are wrong sounds boastful until you are in those situations. And in the heat of battle, some forget that they are followers of Jesus. Name calling, dishonesty, wicked maneuvering has no place among brethren. But history shows otherwise. Be careful with pulling out your six shooter and declaring, “I disagree with you. You are wrong.” First, make sure you are right. Don’t stand upon what you have always done. Look in the Scriptures. You might be surprised. Second, before firing shots at each other, and building fences that separate, see if there is a way to work things out. Be humble. Be kind. Be respectful. Try to see things from the other person’s perspective. Open Scriptures. Study together. If it is impossible without someone doing what they feel is a violation of Scripture, then it may be time to separate. That should only happen after many prayers, tears and longing to be reconciled. Don’t call the lawyers. Don’t make things worse than what they are.

 

In the end, you have to get to Heaven. But if you find yourself worshipping in the bathroom all by yourself, maybe you best look in the mirror and check your spirit and your attitude. Some would rather divide than be subject to each other. And, looking back at history only gives us part of the story. It’s easy to declare what I would do had I been there. So easy that seems. Yet, with our issues and our problems today we can be so blind.

 

Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3, “there is a time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.” Knowing when those times are is the key. Getting the times wrong may mean we embrace when we shouldn’t and we may refrain from embracing when we ought to be together.

 

There is a time…figure out what that time is.

 

Roger