09

Jump Start # 2344

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2344

John 1:29 “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

Jesus is pictured as the sacrificial lamb that was offered for the sins of mankind. The lamb, innocent, pure and without defect, is a mirror to the sinless, perfect Jesus Christ. Often, at the Lord’s Supper table the connection is made to our passage today about Jesus offering Himself, the best of Heaven, for the salvation of our souls. John made this public declaration about who Jesus is and what His mission was. He came to take away the sins of the world.

 

Jesus is the Lamb of God. There are however, differences in the death of the physical lamb and the death in Jesus. The lamb was killed quickly. A sharp knife slit the throat of the lamb and blood was collected. Very soon after that, the lamb died. It may sound horrible in our times to do that, and I know that I would have passed out on the ground if I was there, however, it was clean, quick and efficient. The lamb didn’t know what was happening until the last second.

 

The death of Jesus wasn’t like that. The similarities end. Certainly His blood was shed, but it was not clean, quick nor efficient. It was long, painful and tortuous. Since the garden of Eden, for thousands of years, Jesus knew that He was going to be sacrificed. What they did to Jesus up to the cross would have disqualified any sacrificial lamb under the Law. The lamb was to without blemish. He couldn’t have injuries. It couldn’t have defects. The scourging ripped open the back of Jesus. The pounding of the crown upon His head, caused open wounds. He was struck in the face. Up to the cross, Jesus was beaten and abused. There was no kindness in His death. There was no one to hold his hand. There was no one to say a prayer with Him. There was no one to comfort Him. He died slowly. His death is an illustration of the hatred that many had against Him. There was no sympathy. It was ugly, painful and wrong.

 

But in the midst of the darkness of man’s hatred, there shines the love of God. Jesus was not helpless. In an instant, He could have stopped all of this. With just a word of His mouth, storms ceased, lepers were cleansed, demons fled bodies and the dead returned. And, with just a word of His mouth, the skies could have been filled with angels. The soldiers could have been killed. He could have sprang forth from that cross, picked up that cross and like some super hero movie, swung that cross around and knocked His crucifies into eternity. That may be the stuff of a great action movie, but it doesn’t change our eternal relationship with God. The physical lamb in ancient Israel was helpless. He could not defend himself. He could run, but he’d be caught. The physical lamb was helpless. Jesus wasn’t. The physical lamb wasn’t a willing participant in it’s own sacrifice. It didn’t know what was going on. Jesus did. He knew, and He went along.

 

The physical lamb was one of thousands and thousands throughout the land. Abraham and Lot had tons of sheep. Job had sheep. David had sheep. Every Jewish holiday, hundreds of lambs were slaughtered. So, it’s blood was nothing unique or one of a kind. Again, so unlike Jesus. No one else could do what Jesus did. No one else could save us as Jesus did. The blood of the two thieves dying on either side of Jesus, did nothing for us. Our own blood could not help us.

 

The physical lamb in Israel did not walk up to the temple itself. It was brought in by someone else. It was the gift and the sacrifice of someone else. It costs someone else. The owner of the sheep is the one who offered the lamb. Jesus was not like that. We didn’t offer Jesus. His death didn’t cost us anything. It wasn’t our sacrifice that we made. It was Heaven’s gift for us. It was God’s sacrifice. It was God’s offering. We’d never think of this on our own. We would have no way of doing this on our own. We benefited from this but it didn’t involve us, nor cost us for the sacrifice to take place.

 

What the sacrifice of the physical lamb accomplished lasted for a year. The next year, another lamb would have to be found, purchased and offered. The next year, yet another lamb. Over and over and over this happened. There was no lasting benefit of a single lamb. It covered but it could not remove sins. The sacrifice of Jesus was once for all times. His blood cleansed those early believers in Acts 2. It cleansed Saul of Tarsus. It cleansed Lydia. It cleansed the Ethiopian. It cleansed the jailer in Philippi. It cleansed the Corinthians. Now, we are getting far from Jerusalem. It cleansed the early believers in Europe. It continues to cleanse, even today in America. The blood of Jesus is still working today, as powerful and as strong as the day it was first shed. It doesn’t lose it’s power with time. Distance means nothing to the blood of Jesus.

 

And, the physical lamb that was sacrificed, was cut up and eaten and never again seen. It was gone and gone forever. Three days after the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lord came out of the tomb and continues to reign from Heaven. His death didn’t finish Him. His death wasn’t the end of the story. He lives on and on and so shall we. And, it is because of His sacrifice and death, that we have changed our lives and our thinking to follow Him. We want to be with Jesus. We want to be like Jesus. His death, changed the world and His death changed eternity.

 

Behold, the Lamb of God, so special and so different than the lambs running about the hills of Judea.

 

Roger

 

 

08

Jump Start # 2343

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2343

James 1:20 “for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

Our verse is a necessary reminder. Anger can get the best of us. It can even get the best of the best among us. This verse follows the quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger reminder that God tells us. Be slow to anger and anger does not get you anywhere with God.

 

Anger is an interesting emotion. It can come upon someone so quickly. It is an immediate reaction. Most do not plan on being angry, it just happens. It explodes upon us and in a instant it can change the course of a day, ruin the moment and lead us to things that we later regret.

 

I’ve heard most of my life that redheads are quick to anger. My hair doesn’t look red these days, but when I was a kid, it sure was. Then I also heard that German backgrounds are also quick to anger. My family heritage is German. Redheaded and German is just an easy way to hide behind the fact that a person chooses to be angry. That’s the point James is making. Being quick to hear is a choice. Being slow to speak is a choice. Being slow to anger is a choice. It’s controlling your spirit and not allowing the outside to influence the insides and not allowing circumstances to determine your reaction to things. Forget the hair color. Forget your ancestry. There weren’t very many redheaded Germans in the Bible lands in the first century. All of this is a choice. It’s a matter of controlling your spirit, your tongue and your reaction.

 

There a lots of things that can get us angry. My wife and I were in a grocery store parking lot the other day. We saw a van back into and hit a car. The van just took off. I couldn’t believe it. The lady didn’t get out to see if there was any damage. She didn’t leave a note. She hit hard enough that others heard it. I’m sure the person coming out and seeing a scratch on their fender was going to be mad. A few days later, I was going out to my car in a parking lot, and it looked like the same thing happened to me. There was a scratch on the front and no one around and no note. We get mad at the way some drive. We get mad at poor service. We get mad at having to wait, whether on the kids, our spouse, in the doctor’s office, or in traffic. We get mad when things don’t work right. We get mad when something we bought arrives broken. We get mad at politics. We get mad when our favorite team plays bad. We get mad at others. We get mad at ourselves.

 

In the movies, when people are mad, they go and get revenge. It makes it seem like justice is served. We sit there watching that and feel great that the bad guys got their due. But what does all of that teach us? Will we do the same when we are angry? Will we unload on someone who is simply trying to do their job? Will we use ugly words and scream at someone? Will we make the situation worse? Will we make such a mess that we have to go and apologize later?

 

In Ephesians, the subject of anger is dealt with. There it says do not let the sun go down upon your anger and do not give the devil an opportunity. You’d think anger was something special for our times. We tend to be a society that walks around with chips on their shoulders. Say the wrong thing and someone will yell words that will make the wallpaper peel. But anger isn’t an American thing. It was a problem then and it’s a problem now.

 

There are some things that helps:

 

First, you cannot control what happens to you. You cannot control the way people will drive, act or respond to things. Since most of the world doesn’t follow Jesus, they are not concerned about anger. They don’t care if they cuss you out, get in your face and explode in unhealthy manner. Many are inviting the devil into their lives daily because of their anger. Even if you stayed in bed all day, there’d be something that happens that is beyond your control.

 

Second, while you cannot control what happens to you, you do control the insides of you. The outsides do not have to touch the insides. You can be reasonable even though things are not right and you are upset. You do not have to allow your emotions to conquer you and get the best of you. Faith has much to do with this. Becoming like Jesus has much to do with this. In the big picture, many of these things do not matter. A scratch on my car will be forgotten in a few years. No, it’s not right. No, someone should have let me know what they did. But they didn’t. I can let that event redefine the rest of my life and I can tell everyone that I meet about it, or I can let it go, fix it the best I can and realize it’s just a car. Now, some things are much more serious. A mate that has been having an affair. A child that was abused or bullied. Someone that stole your identity. Those are serious issues and sins. They take more faith not to be destroyed and overcome by them. But even those things do not have to make us lose control and invite Satan into our hearts.

 

Third, the righteousness of God is lost when we allow anger to take over. Jesus tells us in His sermon to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. With anger, I am no longer seeking first God’s righteousness. I have allowed a situation to return me to my former ways. Righteousness means to be right. When a person is not right, they are wrong. Anger puts me out of bounds with God. Anger is not like God. The thoughts are not kind as they ought to be. I do not feel like praying for the other person. I do not wish well for the other person. My attention is upon how I have been hurt and how the person that caused it needs to pay. Multiple Bible passages such as how Jesus suffered (1 Pet 2), leaving room for the vengeance of God (Rom 12), the golden rule (Mt 7), all remind us that in a instant I can lose all the ground that I have gained with God. Thoughts of suing enter the mind. Thoughts of violence enter the mind. Thoughts of doing something wicked back enter the mind. And, not one of those thoughts are right.

 

Fourth, what really angers me the most is how anger can turn me back into the person I tried to leave. I don’t like having those thoughts about others. I don’t like the fiery feeling that burns in the heart when I am angry. I don’t like looking back and realizing that I said things that I wish I hadn’t. It angers me what anger does to me. So, we must get a hold on it. We must not let it overcome us. We must be in control. The mind must master the heart. The will must master the emotions. Faith must run deep within us. And, in time it works. It does. You find yourself catching that burning feeling in you and you immediately put it out. You catch yourself wanting to say something and you don’t. You catch yourself and that’s faith, will and mind staying in control. Too many allow what happens to them to dictate how they feel. Something bad happens and they explode. They justify it because something bad happened. Their day is up and down. Happy and angry. It all depends upon what happens to them. The wind blows this way and they react to that. The wind shifts and their reaction shifts. They are really out of control. Circumstances and others are determining how they feel and how they act. They follow whatever happens to them. They are reactionary.

 

For the child of God, it’s totally different. He knows how he is supposed to be. Certainly bad things will happen. Storms, wind and floods come upon his house, but it has a different foundation. He is following the Lord. The Lord is his example. There are things that upsets him. There are things that are not right. There are times he even gets angry. But he doesn’t lose his cool. He doesn’t lose his focus. His mind, will and faith are always in the pilot seat of his heart. As he grows in Christ, fewer and fewer things upset him. Traffic, becomes an opportunity to pray. When people are late and he must wait, he finds useful things to do. When things break, he finds ways to make it right. He doesn’t close his eyes to wrong, but he doesn’t go Rambo either. He finds positive ways to make things right. He remembers at all times, and especially around people of the world, that he is a light and he is salt.

 

Anger does not achieve the righteousness of God. What does achieve the righteousness of God? Godly living. Grace and forgiveness. Acting like Jesus. Walking by faith. Being in control of our selves.

 

All of this sure makes a person look in the mirror, doesn’t it.

 

Roger

 

 

 

07

Jump Start # 2342

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2342

Proverbs 15:3 “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good.”

Our verse today reminds me of the song children sing in Bible class, “Be careful little eyes what you see, for the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little eyes what you see.” The Father up above is looking. His eyes, our verse says, are in every place. He sees the good as well as the bad.

 

Let’s think about this for a moment:

 

As parents, there are certain things we do not want our children to see. It’s not the wrong stuff in movies, because none of us ought to be seeing wrong stuff, but even the nightly news shows crime, violence and evil in the world. We want to protect our children from images that may scare them. God sees it all.

 

First, God sees things that breaks His heart. He sees sin and blasphemy. He sees people misusing His name and taking advantage of others. He sees violence. He sees His commands being ignored and broken. He sees people living like animals and living as if He never existed. Made in His image is what we are, but many don’t show that, nor appreciate that.

 

These wrongs certainly angers God. How we never realize how patient He is with humanity. In an instance, He could wipe out all of us and be done with us. But He doesn’t. Each day is a gift. Each day is a demonstration of His continual love, grace and hope for humanity to follow Him. His name is cursed. His word is mocked. His church is made fun of. His way considered narrow, bigoted and out of touch. And, another day passes and more of this continues.

 

There will be a day in which the Lord will have enough. His patience will reach it’s end. He will send Jesus and that will end all things. Then the truth will be known. Then folks will fall to their knees. But then, it will be too late. I don’t think we can understand the patience of God. Even today, God is giving some of us yet another opportunity to change our ways and to follow Him.

 

Second, God sees things that pleases Him. God witnesses kindness. God hears praise in worship. He sees people going out of their way. He sees believers making right choices. He witnesses moms and dads really doing their best to walk in His ways and bring their children up godly. He sees cups of cold water given to others. He sees tears of joy and happiness. He sees preachers pouring their hearts out in their sermons. He sees shepherds laying awake at night, praying to Him about some members. He sees Bible class teachers who put so many hours into making their lessons come alive for the children. He sees folks keeping the church building picked up and clean. He sees those who stop by the hospital to cheer someone up. He sees the earnest conversations that folks have to try to bring one to the Lord. God sees.

 

Now, a couple of things trickle out of this. God sees things that I do not. How easy it is for me to assume that no one is doing anything. We can get that Elijah syndrome where we think we are the only one doing anything. But unknown to us are many things going on all around us. We didn’t know about the cards that were sent. We didn’t hear the prayers going upward. We didn’t know about the food taken or the visits made. And, we don’t need to know. And, when we are doing these things, we certainly do not need to blow our own trumpet and tell others. Don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. Remember that.

 

Third, we can get discouraged because of all the evil and feel like we are on our own. We can feel helpless and that often leads to being hopeless. Imagine ancient Israel in Egypt. Slaves. Oppressed. Not in the position to break free. Not able to change their circumstances. Yet, God who sees all, heard their cry. Imagine Judah in Babylon, or those early Christians in Rome. Helpless. All seems hopeless. Yet, God who sees all is also the God who can do all. He can bring down powerful empires. History shows that. He can liberate His people. They have been rescued from prisons, fiery furnaces and lions dens. His cause is never defeated. His way is never overpowered. The kingdom cannot be shaken. In our discouragement, we must pray. We must trust God. We must realize that He is able to accomplish His will. He really doesn’t need us to help Him.

 

Fourth, it is a twisted thought to conclude that God only sees wrong or God only sees good. He sees both. Those that believe God only sees wrong, imagines God with a frown upon His face and His divine radar gun always pointed at us. Scared, we shuffle into church buildings on Sunday, not because we love Him, but because we don’t want to go to Hell. This thinking concludes that nothing we do is ever enough. God is never pleased. He is never happy with us. Yet, in the parable of the talents we find the master saying two times, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The master was pleased. Paul said, “we make it our ambition to please Him.” How can that be, if he is never pleased?

 

But the other side of this thought is just as dangerous. For others, God only sees good. He closes His eyes to wrongs. Because of that, it is taught that God is too loving to punish any of us. God’s grace covers all things and we really don’t have to fuss over the details because in the end it really doesn’t matter. Just love God and He’ll love you back. This twisted image of God allows people to manufacture a worship that resembles rock concerts, ball games and is driven by fun, feelings and food and very little Scriptures. All’s good, they declare, because God is love. The only thing that matters, we are told, is that one loves God.

 

Yet, God sees the evil and the good. God saw the offering of Cain and that wasn’t good. God saw the offering of Aaron’s two sons and that wasn’t good. God saw the changes that Jeroboam made to worship. God saw the golden calf that Aaron made. All good? All done in love? Details do not matter? Really? Best look at those stories a bit closer. It does matter. Love is demonstrated through trust and obedience and not feelings and certainly not in ignoring His word. To love God is to do what He wants and what He authorizes.

 

Finally, God sees all. Because He sees our sins, He has provided salvation through Jesus. Because He sees goodness, He opens the doors for opportunities. There is no hiding things from God. He sees it. He sees it all. There is no need to brag to God. He sees it. He sees it all. Because of this, we ought to be quick to apologize to God and to beg for His mercy. Because of this, we ought also to understand that God is counting upon us to be His hands, feet, and eyes. We are His instruments. He sees how hard we are trying. He sees how we either do things or could have done things and we just didn’t.

 

And, yet, the God who sees all, still loves you. He still wants to give you a second chance. He still wants you to spend forever with Him in Heaven. He sees. He knows. And, He hasn’t given up on you! We tend to think that if someone really knew us, they probably wouldn’t like us. God knows you. He knows you better than you know yourself. He knows and He still longs for you to be with Him.

 

And, that is amazing!

 

Roger

 

06

Jump Start # 2341

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2341

1 Corinthians 1:11 “For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.”

The congregation at Corinth gets a lot of bad press. We tend only to focus upon the problems, and they had a bunch. Nearly every chapter identifies something wrong. They are the textbook example of what not to do. If Corinth was a congregation near us, most of us would run screaming from that place. What a mess. It’s an elders nightmare. Most preachers would move away from such a dysfunctional group. Some would think of just closing the doors and starting over. Many would seriously consider starting another congregation on the other side of Corinth just to get away from some of these problems.

 

In all of this we must remind ourselves that all churches have problems. They have problems because churches are not buildings but people. And, we the people have problems. We come with a past. We carry baggage with us. We all have opinions. We have attitudes. And, we have differing levels of faith, commitment and Biblical knowledge. The best congregations among us have problems. The worst congregations among us have problems, maybe more problems than others. And, it is easy to only see the problems. We can do that with our homes. All we see are the things that need to be done. Friends come over and they admire the place, and we look around and see walls that need fresh paint, carpet that needs to be changed, landscaping that needs tending, and on and on and on.

 

Focusing on problems is necessary to change and improve things. But we can over do that to the extent that we see nothing but problems. That can discourage us, defeat us and deflate us. We can do that with our homes. We can do that with the church building. We can even do that with our marriages. All we see is what needs to be fixed. And that kind of thinking blinds us to the good things that we ought to be thankful for and be praising. There is that young man who was baptized. There is that new family that has been attending. There is that Bible class that was so well taught and so uplifting. There was that song service that filled our hearts. No, we don’t see those things. We see problems, problems, problems. This thinking can turn the sweetest among us sour. Sour elders. Sour preachers. Sour members.

 

But here at Corinth, there were some good things going on. Near the top of the list was courageous faith. It takes that kind of faith to serve the Lord. Cowards won’t make it. They’ll look for a safe place to hide. The courageous takes risks. The courageous sticks their necks out on the line.

 

Here’s what we find:

 

First, they had brave folks who were not satisfied, nor content with the problems among them. This is where our verse fits. Chloe’s people reached out to Paul. There were quarrels taking place. God’s people shouldn’t act that way. More than that, quarrels do not just go away. They must be solved.

 

Second, they sought apostolic answers. They didn’t gossip. They didn’t just let things ride. They went to the right source. They were humble enough to ask. They wanted things to get better.

 

Third, there was required some tough actions to make things better. In 1 Cor 5, concerning the immoral man who was living with his father’s wife, Paul said to “remove him from your midst.” Cut the cord. Withdraw fellowship. Don’t consider him faithful, because he is not. That wasn’t going to be easy, nor would that set well with some folks. Family too often sides with family and not with Christ. The blood of family can be thicker than the blood of Christ. So, in dealing with this immoral man, you now have a dog fight with the rest of his family. Don’t know if that happened in Corinth, but it sure happens in America. Instead of having to withdraw from one, the church ends up withdrawing from several who support the sinful man. Parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, they all come out of the woodwork to defend and support not the Scriptures but their blood kin. It takes courage to do what is right.

 

Fourth, it takes courage to remain together. The easy thing to do is to separate. It’s easy to find a few others who side with you and start another church. Running from problems and issues is always a lot easier than sticking together and working things out. We do not read of a split in this congregation. We do not find Paul having to write separate letters to separate congregations at Corinth. With all these problems, they seemed to stick together. That is amazing. So many of us could take some lessons here. We’d rather worship with eight people in a small, discouraging, going– nowhere congregation, than to suck up our pride, apologize, forgive and work together with others. For all the problems at Corinth, we do not see them walking away and starting another work.

 

Finally, we need to remind ourselves that everything we do affects us spiritually. What happens at home. What happens in our marriages. What happens at work. Also, every area of our lives are open to God. There’s not one aspect that is off limits to God. Private stuff. Personal stuff. Thoughts. Attitudes. What we think about others. What we whisper under our breath. Social life. Hobbies. It all belongs to God and is open to God. And, the Scriptures are always right and often I am not. The standard throughout Corinthians is the word of God. It wasn’t what the congregation thought, felt, wanted, or liked. God’s word is always on top. What I think may actually not be right. I assume. I hear things. I pick up things. I read somewhere. And all of that gets blended into my thinking and sprinkle a little pride in there and I am pretty sure that I am right. However, that is often not the case. What I thought was right, may not be. What I heard may not have been accurate. What I read may have been distorted to a certain slant. God’s word shines loudly and clearly through all of this.

 

Courageous Corinthians. Bold. Taking steps that were not easy. Following the Lord. Problems, yes they were there. But don’t miss the powerful example of courage, faith and trust in the Lord. It’s hard to imagine what we would have done had we been in Corinth. Would we have been with Cloe’s people, seeking Biblical answers to real problems or would we have just sat in silence, complaining to our family, and wishing for someone to do something. Then I must wonder about what I’m doing now. I’m not in Corinth. But, here I am and what am I doing to try to make things right, better and pleasing to the Lord in my part of the kingdom?

 

Somehow, the view of Corinth takes on a different look when I consider a few of these things.

 

Roger

 

03

Jump Start # 2340

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2340

 

Genesis 3:24 “So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every direction, to guard the way to the tree of life.”

 

I find our verse today very interesting. I’ve never really put much thought into this passage. The background is well known. The serpent spoke. Eve listened. She and Adam ate. God found them hiding. He clothed them and cursed them. And, as our verse illustrates, He drove them out of the garden. Kicked out. Banished.

 

Some know that feeling. They have been kicked out of school. Others were kicked out of the house. Some have been fired and were escorted out of the office building by security. It’s embarrassing. It’s shameful. What’s missing here are apologies by Adam and forgiveness by God. There was no do overs here. There was no second chances. And, as this chapter ends, it literally becomes a brand new chapter for the lives of Adam and Eve.

 

Have you ever thought about what happened next?

 

The text tells of the birth of Cain and Abel. Sheep were raised, because that is what Abel offered. Gardens were grown, because that is what Cain offered. But what’s not told is where do we go from here. Where will we live? God had chosen that when they were created in the garden. Now, they had to pick up the pieces and find a new place to live and a new life to live. There was no returning back to the garden. God didn’t just drive them out, but He made it impossible for them to return. Not much is spoken about Adam after this. He lived a long time. He had children. But nothing is said about he and God. He’s not named in Hebrews 11.

 

But this brings us to a great lesson that we often do give much thought to. How does one pick up the pieces after he has messed things up? How do you go one after you have made a real mess of things back home or in the church?

 

For instance:

 

  • Here is a man who flirted around with women at work. One thing led to another and a sexual affair took place. He tried to hide it, but his wife found out. Now, he’s divorced. He has been driven from the home. What does he do?

 

  • Here is a preacher who got caught with some wild ideas on the internet. He gets excited about reshaping the congregation and trying some new things. He hasn’t really thought these things out Biblically, nor practically. He launches them in a sermon. He pushes them as he continually becomes influenced by error. He meets resistance. The shepherds don’t see nor buy into his speculations and ideas. They feel for the unity of the church, it’s time for him to step down. Things don’t go well. Shouting, accusations made, fingers are pointed and in the end the preacher is fired and withdraw from. He’s made a mess. Others have left. He has been driven out of the pulpit. What does he do?

 

  • Here is a teenager who keeps hanging out with the wrong crowd. One Friday night, after drinking too much alcohol, he flees from an accident. Scared he runs. The police catch up with him. He is handcuffed, arrested and off to the local jail. He’s scared. His parents are furious. What does he do?

 

  • Here is an employee in charge of payroll. Her job seems lifeless and useless. She’s a wiz on the computer. A little changing of numbers here and a little there and instantly she’s learned how to skim some money off the company. With that new found money, she shops on the internet. This becomes fun and exciting. She does it again and again. After several months, auditors have found her scam. The police are called. She is fired. She is arrested. Not only will she serve time in prison, but she must pay back massive amounts of money that may take her the rest of her life. What does she do?

 

Sadly, I could put more than one name to most of these stories. The trouble we get ourselves into is most unbelievable. Sin can take us down some dark, dark places and the consequences, which we never dream will ever catch up with us, usually do. And, simply saying, “I’m sorry,” isn’t enough. Divorced. Prison time. Fired and your work record ruined. Financial penalties that are staggering. What do you do?

 

Throughout the Bible we have read of people facing difficult circumstances and being afraid. The disciples were afraid during storms on the sea. Gideon downsized his army because many were afraid. It’s one thing to be scared to do what God wants us to, but to be driven out, kicked out, and banished because of our sins and our choices, is something totally different. Adam wasn’t following God when he was kicked out of the garden. His choices, his sins resulted in being driven out. No one’s fault but his. No one to blame but himself. He dug a whole that he fell in and now couldn’t get out of.

 

What does one do? Here are a few thoughts:

 

First, stop the blame game. Be honest with your sins. Too often we point fingers to the church, the family or others. We blame our wives as the reason why we had the affair. That’s a lie and not true. It’s our choices and our sins. We blame the church, the leaders, the classes, the atmosphere, the people, for causing us to be dead in our faith. That’s a lie and not true. It’s our choices and our sins. It’s time to look in the mirror. The mess we are in is because we put ourselves there. You’ll never get back to where you need to be as long as you keep playing this foolish game.

 

Second, be humble. You messed up. You did. You didn’t listen to God. You didn’t take God seriously. That’s right where Adam was. You listened to the wrong voices. You talked to serpents. You were influenced by ungodly people. You followed the wrong crowd. And, what you did certainly hasn’t worked out well for you. You are banished. You are driven out. You are kicked out. It’s time for help. It’s time to realize that you weren’t thinking. It’s time to turn to God.

 

Third, God will allow you to return to Him and be forgiven. You must make some real changes in your life. You need to banish the people that led you away from the Lord. You need a new circle of influences and they best be the people of God. You need to worship. You need to get back into the Bible. You need to change your thinking and your ways.

 

For those who preach, don’t be looking for another church to preach at. Not yet. You need to clear your head and build trust once again. You’ve made a mess and it will take time to clean all of that up.

 

Fourth, you need to apologize. First, to God. Second, to all that you have hurt. Not just a generic, going forward, and saying that “I’ve may have made some mistakes.” YOU MAY HAVE? You did. You need to face the music and apologize to your wife face to face. You need to apologize to the elders face to face. You need to apologize to your boss face to face. Whom you have hurt, you need to apologize. This will be very painful. You may and probably deserve to have tons of rebuke and admonishing rain down upon you. You may need to apologize to your children for ruining their lives. Tears and tears will flow. Such is the result of sin.

 

Fifth, realize that you may never get things restored as they once were. You may be divorced, fired and banned from the pulpit. But that doesn’t mean you sit down and quit. You pick up and do what is right to the best that you can. As a divorced person, serve the Lord. As a person fired from their job, serve the Lord. As a preacher who has been withdrawn from and fired, serve the Lord. Some may never forgive you. Some may hold this over your head the rest of your life. And, as Adam had to, you may have to move on to a new place and try a new start.

 

Finally, realize that we all carry scars and wounds from our sins. We all have hurt others. We all have let God down and disappointed Him. You are not the first and you will not be the last. But what we do is learn and do better. We taste the kindness of the Lord and realize that He never gives up on us. We fight and scratch our way back into righteousness. We may have to toss the computer out the window. We may have to find a job where we are not around many people. We may have to sit in the pew and not stand behind the pulpit, but we can recover. We can overcome. We can be forgiven. We can go to Heaven. And, we can honestly share our story with others so they don’t have to taste the ugliness of sin as we have.

 

Adam was driven out. In many ways, we have too. But God allows us back. We have to change. We have to do better. We have to realize that His ways work. His ways are the best ways.

 

I hope these words help those who are wondering what do I do now? Satan wants you to quit. He wants you to think that you are too far gone. Broken like that prodigal, you must pick yourself up and come back home to God.

 

It’s home where you belong.

 

Roger