31

Jump Start # 2499

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2499

James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

A while back I wrote about a bumper sticker that I saw (Jump Start # 2482). I have yet another one to tell you about. I was driving behind a van. I could see a baby seat in the van. It was being driven by a young dad who was wearing a ball cap. The bumper sticker said it all: “I once was cool.” I felt for him. Been there. It’s hard for a van to be cool. I had several through the years. You need them when you have kids. People buy vans out of necessity not because they want to or think that they are cool.

You give up being cool when you become a parent. Diaper bags, strollers, sippy cups and armloads of toys, books and stuff to keep the little one happy is a long way from cool-ville. I was with some young parents the other day, and they were talking about how hard it is just to get out of the house without having something spilled on them. By the end of the day, tired, stressed, hair a mess, young parents just give up on trying to look cool. They are happy if they can just survive through another day. “I used to be cool,” so true and for many such a sad commentary of their current status.

For God’s people, our verse is a good reminder. Friendship with the world makes us the enemy of God. You can’t follow both. They are moving in different directions and in eternity they wind up in different places. But in the broad expanse of things, why do we have to allow others to define what is cool? What do we have to allow others to define what is successful? Why does a label make the difference? The reality, many labels come with very high price tags. And, they are a means to show off. Look what I have and you don’t. And, for some, the more high profile and expensive labels they have, the more important they feel on the inside. For some, it means I am better than most. I have achieved. And, in too many situations, it’s nothing more than trying to impress people that you do not even like. I saw a news report about an actress at a recent award show. She was wearing a $60,000 dress. Why? Is it really worth that much? Probably not. It probably made her feel important and that she was somebody.

And, that is the difference between the world and the child of God. I don’t need to wear a $5,000 Italian suit to make me feel that I am important. God has proven my value by sending Jesus to rescue me. My worth, my value is not defined by real estate, brand of car, watch, size of TV screen or where I vacation. Those first disciples of Jesus were simple, common people. Many never knew what a vacation was. They were poor, yet they had a heart and a faith that shames many of us today.

A young person going to a local community college may feel intimidated because he didn’t go to a prestigious Ivy league university. But when it is over, he got his degree and likely he didn’t leave with a mountain of debt that the Ivy leaguer will have. Within a few short years, it will not matter about which school, but rather, what ability and talents one has.

We are the people of God who are heading to Heaven. Nothing can top that! Nothing is better than that! The world is constantly telling us that you have to buy this, go here, do this, to be someone. We don’t need the world to tell us what shows to watch, what music to listen to, and what items to buy. We don’t need the world to tell us what is cool.

Your worth, your happiness, your wellbeing, is not based upon what someone else says. It’s not based upon what you own. It’s not based upon where you are. It is an internal, not an external thing. It’s based upon you and the Lord. This is why a prisoner in a Philippian jail could tell the disciples on the outside to rejoice. He wasn’t miserable. Prisons do not take away your joy. Joy comes from within. It’s a choice. It’s realizing who you are and where you are headed.

So, can a guy be cool driving a van? It’s not the van that defines his “coolness.” It’s not even what others say. It’s what he thinks and that is based upon where he is with the Lord. If you have to buy something in order to be someone, then the world has you by the tail and it will forever pull you, lead you and convince you to do things that are not necessary.

We are the people of God. It doesn’t matter whether you have a new car, or, old car, a big house or a little house. What matters is how big your heart is. What matters is how much you believe. The difference between the child of God and the world? The world would buy that $60,000 dress and say, “Look at me.” The child of God would buy a much cheaper dress and use the rest of that money to help the kingdom of God.

The story is told, back in the 1940’s, the two leading men in Hollywood were Clark Gabel and Gary Cooper. Gabel bought a very expensive and rare Duesenberg car. When it hit the press, Cooper ordered one, except his was made longer than Gabel’s. “I’m better than you!” Cool? No, just showing off, and wasting money.

“I once was cool.” I expect if one did as he should, his family would think the world of him. I expect if he was a vital part of God’s church, those brethren would think the world of him. And, whether he realized it or not, God thinks so much of him that He sent Jesus.

It seems when you are young, you want to do what everyone else is doing. When you get old, you want to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing.

We are the people of God– don’t forget that! We won’t fit in with the world. What matters is what the Lord thinks of you.

Roger

30

Jump Start # 2498

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2498

Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.”

Our verse today is what we call the great commission. Jesus was sending the apostles into all the world. I expect they were heading to places that they never thought that they would ever visit. They probably went to places that they may not have wanted to go to, but the commission and the words of Salvation were much too important to think about personal preferences.

Preach to all creation. That means on every continent. That means in every nation. That means in every city. That means on every street. That means to every house. That means to every person in every house.

For a long time, how this was accomplished was a few brave preachers would head overseas for a period of time to preach. Folks back home supported and prayed for them. But, today, with technology, more places can be reached on a regular basis than ever before. More people can be reached with fewer dollars than ever before. There may have been a time when “go into all the world” meant the tiny village those poor Christians lived in. But today, the church needs to lift up her eyes and realize the great potential in becoming a global church.

With that being said, I need to tell you about some things that our congregation is doing. Our preachers and elders have got that global bug and we are putting out through technology things every day. And, we are now days away from launching yet another massive step in this direction.

Our website is: www.Charlestownroad.org. If you haven’t looked at it you ought to. Here are some things you’ll find:

  • Quick Quotes: Daily pithy quote. Just a thought to help our attitudes.
  • Jump Starts daily: You know about this. On the Jump Start website (www.jumpstartsdaily.com) one can use the search engines to look up passages or key words. Soon all 25 of our Jump Start books will be listed as PDF files for you to download for free.
  • Daily Bible Reading: not only do we list the passages for the day, but we have a few comments to help us with our reading.
  • Friday Fives: every Friday at noon we post on our Facebook page and website five bullet points about a subject. These are easy to read and easy to share.
  • Livestream and achieved sermons: these can be watched or listened to.

Launching next week will be “Heaven Bound,” our new weekly podcast. You can subscribe to this for free. It will be listed as “Heaven Bound.”

On Mondays the podcast will feature “Jump Start Rewind.” I will read a Jump Start from the past. It is a way to listen to some of the Jump Starts.

On Wednesdays the podcast will feature “This week at Charlestown Rd.” We will look back to the past week’s sermon or classes and pull out a few thoughts and then look ahead to what is coming the next Sunday.

On Fridays the podcast will feature “Heaven Bound” a 15-20 minute discussion with myself and fellow preacher, Jason Hardin. We have a variety of topics that we will explore and will host a few guests speakers now and then.

This congregation continues to keep rolling out more and more ideas. All of these are just bridges to connect us to the Lord. They are tools of encouragement. They keep us busy, very busy. No one makes us do this other than the deep drive within our hearts to do all that we can do. Our Jump Starts are being read by thousands worldwide. Our livestreaming is being viewed by hundreds every week. The volume of people being reached, helped and changed is unbelievable. For this to happen, it takes a network of help and a congregation that has a love and heart as big as the world. Our shepherds back what we are doing 110%. We have a team of folks that understand media and all the background knowledge to do these things. Then we have a powerful congregation that supports all of these tools financially. As a proud parent that likes to brag on his children, I like to brag about this church. I feel it is one of the best in this generation. Are we perfect? No. Can we do more? Certainly, and we are trying.

If you are ever in our area, drop by. Let us show you around and share with you what we are doing. It’s impressive. Send your preacher or elders over to spend a day with us. Let us share ideas with you.

You can help by sharing the things you like with others. Subscribe to our podcast and share that with others.

We truly believe that we are the eyes, feet and hands of Jesus today. What a wonderful time to be living. There are so many wonderful tools to spread the Gospel.

Heaven Bound—that’s the new podcast. You can find it on our website, Facebook page or where you get your other podcasts.

Go into all the world…let’s get going!

Roger

27

Jump Start # 2497

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2497

Philemon 18 “But if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.”

Philemon is among five books of the Bible that have only one chapter. It’s size doesn’t indicate it’s place, power or significance. Philemon was a wealthy man who lived in Colossae. The church met in his home. He owned slaves. And, one slave took off. He ran. He was a fugitive. We are not told why he ran. Interestingly, the book of Colossians contains instructions for both slaves and masters about how they were to treat each other.

The run-a-way found Paul. He stayed and was helpful to Paul. In our times today, we might say, “Finders-keepers”, but that wasn’t the right thing to do. Paul was sending the slave back. This letter, the book of Philemon, accompanied his return. The slave was a Christian. The master was a Christian. Paul was a Christian. All of that changed the playing field. Forgiveness, grace, patience and love now dominate the air. What’s the right thing to do?

This is where our verse enters. The slave was being sent back. Had he made a mess when he left? Did he steal when he left? The slave ought to pay, but he can’t. He’s a slave. I guess Paul could tell Philemon just to write it off and let it go. But, he didn’t even do that. “Charge that to my account,” are the words of the apostle. Not only did Paul standup for the slave, he was now backing him financially. I will pay for what he has done, is what Paul is saying. He can’t, but I will. Don’t let money keep you from doing what is good and right.

You just have to love the spirit and attitude of Paul. Sure wish there were more like him around today. Had Paul not backed the run-a-way, there would always be the potential for grudges, regret and hatred. Paul removed all of that. He believed in the slave. Paul is acting like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son.

Now, to us. Do we sit back and watch someone crawl and suffer and stumble along because of sins they have made and they are trying to get back on their feet, but they just can’t. We say that we forgive them, but our actions just don’t show it. We wait. We watch.

It could be the young college student who flunked out and is now back home. It could be the young mother who is recently divorced. It could be the alcoholic who is trying to beat his addiction. It could be the couple who are up to their eyeballs in debt. Struggling saints. Their hearts are often right. They have learned deep lessons. They are working on doing the right things. But, in the immediate, they struggle.

They sure could use a Paul in their lives. They sure could benefit from someone being in their corner and believing in them. How did Paul know that the slave would not run again? How did he know that the slave might not even steal from him? It wasn’t wishing for the best. Paul saw changes. Paul saw a heart that was now focused upon the Lord. As Paul sent the slave back to Philemon, there was no doubt in his mind that he would make the journey. The slave could have torn up the letter that he carried and ran the other way. He didn’t. He didn’t because he was not the same person that had run. His heart had changed. Paul understood that.

And, that too often is the reason why some are left to struggle on their own. Folks just do not believe that they have changed. People do not believe that they can ever do right again. So, rather than jumping in and helping out, they stay back and merely watch.

Some have said things to make others believe that they changed, when they really didn’t. Some know just the right things people want to hear and they will say those things. Some do that, just to milk more money and help from others. It doesn’t take too much of that for people to get a sour taste about helping anyone, even those who truly have changed, like this slave.

What is to be done?

First, not everyone is the same. Not all addicts are always addicts. Some change. Treat each person as a unique individual. Don’t lump everyone into the same group. Don’t allow bad experiences in the past to color your eyes to what is before you.

Second, the person ought to be able to show you that they have changed. John preached the idea of bringing fruits of repentance. Is the person worshipping? Are they trying? Do they seem interested in the Lord? What’s going on during the week? Sooner or later, a person who is playing a game, will be caught. His words. His attitudes. His choices. They show. They tell us.

Third, the good you do can influence a person for a lifetime. Some just need to know that others believe in them. Some need a cheerleader in their corner. Encouragement is important. In Colossians, Paul referred to the slave as our faithful and beloved brother. Why did he use those words? Because the slave had shown himself to be that way. He was trustworthy now. He was dependable now. He was one you could count upon now. Some of the worst people can become some of the best people. I’ve known preachers who when young in life committed crimes and even spent time in jail. I’ve known men who served as elders who when young fell away from the Lord. They changed. They were given a second chance. People believed in them. And, years later, they are busy in the kingdom, helping others.

Put it on my account…words of trust, confidence and assurance. Could you do it for someone else?

Roger

26

Jump Start # 2496

Posted on December 26, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2496

1 John 3:8 “the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”

My preacher, Jason, made a great statement the other day in a sermon. It’s the kind of thing you know, but just the way it is worded has a way of sticking with you. He said, “God killed Jesus to kill what was killing us.” WOW! Great thought.

Now, stretch this out and give this some thought.

First, not only is sin wrong and addictive, but it’s killing us. It kills us physically. There are many health related issues that come directly from sin. Sin kills us emotionally. It drains the goodness out of us and makes us selfish. Sin kills relationships. It murders marriages. Gossip, hatred, prejudice, indifference will kill most friendships. But, more than anything else, sin kills us spiritually. Sin is more than having a bad day. It’s more than just being off. It’s not just a mistake. It kills the soul. The wages of sin is death is what the Romans were told. Spiritual death cuts us off from God. Spiritual death is a one way ticket to Hell.

Paul referred to women who were given into sensual pleasure as “being dead even though they live.” Walking dead is not a show about zombies, it is the condition of the world because of sin. Sin is killing us.

Second, Jesus killed what was killing us. Our verse today says that the Lord came for the purpose of destroying the works of the devil. The greatest power Satan had is death. No one could come back from death. Every one who died, stayed dead. Even the handful that were resurrected, eventually died again. But, with Jesus it was different. He was raised to never die again. Jesus crushed that serpents head. He killed it. Paul would taunt, “Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting?” Death doesn’t win. Death isn’t the last word. Because of Jesus, our life’s story never has a final page. We will live on and on and on.

Jesus showed us how to live righteously. Jesus showed us how to have a heart of a servant. Jesus showed us how to forgive. Jesus showed us how to walk through life with a purpose and a love for the Lord. One doesn’t have to sin. One can choose to do what is right. Jesus opened the door so we could escape the clutches of Satan. Through Jesus, we have freedom, hope and life. Jesus killed what was killing us.

Paul told the Galatians that he had “crucified” himself. The Colossians were told to consider the members of your earthly body as dead to sin. The Romans were told that they had buried themselves in baptism. Jesus killed what was killing us.

Third, God killed Jesus. God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son. God gave Jesus is a nice way of saying, God killed Jesus. In the garden Jesus prayed for the cup of suffering to pass. He added, ‘Not my will, but Thy will be done.’ It was the will of God that Jesus be killed. He had to be killed. It was the only way God could kill what was killing us.

The powerful suffering servant prophecy of Isaiah says:

  • Smitten of God (Isa 53:4)
  • The Lord was pleased to crush Him (53:10)
  • Putting Him to grief (53:10)

God killed Jesus. God killed Jesus in order to kill the works of Satan that was destroying us spiritually. God killed Jesus to kill what was killing us.

And, in a strange twist, by God killing Jesus, He not only killed what was killing us, but He through that process, gave us life. It took death to give life. It took death to grant us freedom and victory. It took death to do what we could not do. On our own, we could never escape Satan. On our own, death was a prison without any doors. On our own, spiritual death was our eternal destiny. On our own, we were sunk. Hopeless. Helpless. And, without God.

God killed Jesus to kill what was killing us—and that changed everything. That, opened the door to escape. That, brought in sunshine to a dark, dark world. That, gave us hope, courage and life. That, made it possible for us to see God in Heaven. That, is what the Bible is all about.

God killed Jesus to kill what was killing us. And, the sad thing is many do not understand this. They do not recognize that they are dying spiritually. They don’t see what’s so bad about sin. They don’t get why Jesus had to die.

But for believers, what a wonderful, wonderful reason to show our love, appreciation and devotion to God. Why? Because God killed Jesus to kill what was killing you. And, for that, we ought to forever be thankful, committed and following Jesus Christ.

God killed Jesus to kill what was killing us!

Roger

24

Jump Start # 2495

Posted on December 24, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2495

Matthew 26:66 “”What do you think?’ They answered, ‘He deserves death!’”

Note: There will be no Jump Start tomorrow.

Tomorrow is Christmas. Among the young people, they will be saying to each other, “What did you get?” It’s a time of bragging and a bit of envy and jealousy. To be honest, we get more than we deserve. And, that leads us to our passage and a thought for today. Just what do we deserve?

Our verse comes from the trial of Jesus. It’s spoken by the high priest. Jesus was being grilled. He didn’t say much. They wanted to know if He thought He was the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus affirms that. And, that’s all that the assembly needed to hear. The high priest tore his robes. He asked the crowd, “what do you think?” The response, He deserves death! The crowd was the judge, jury and executioner. The next verse states that they spit on Jesus, slapped Him and beat Him with their fists. The innocent was being abused. There was no one there to protect Him, enforce the laws or do what was right.

He deserves death. Under the law, the penalty for blasphemy was execution. In their twisted minds that had clouded their vision, Jesus was guilty. He deserved death.

Sometimes what a person wants and what they deserve are often mixed up together. Young people believe that they deserve a college degree. And, often by deserve, they mean someone needs to give it to them. Others say, I deserve a job. Rights, freedoms and what we deserve makes for many political speeches and the cause for policy changes. I deserve to be happy, many believe. And, because I deserve that, anything that is necessary to accomplish that is right, fair and non-negotiable. So, as the thinking goes, if I feel trapped in a marriage and unhappy, I deserve to be happy. So I can walk away from that marriage without any regrets, guilt or remorse because I deserve to be happy. If I find someone else who makes me happy, and even though they may be married to someone else, I have a right to be with them, because I deserve to be happy. If worship seems boring and plain to me, I deserve to be happy. So, bring in the clowns, bring in the food, bring in the laser show, bring in the fun. Why should church be like this? Because, I deserve to be happy.

Now, let’s open that door for a moment. Just what do we really deserve? You might be surprised. Here’s some things to consider:

  • We deserve God to be angry with us. We’ve broken His commands. We have ignored Him. We have been selfish and have not honored Him. We’ve taken His name in vain. We have trashed His rules and stepped on His heart.
  • We deserve Hell. Boy, that’s blunt. The wages of sin is death. Sin always comes with a paycheck and that paycheck isn’t pretty. And, we’ve spent a long time working in coal mine of Satan. And, when payday comes, it’s not Heaven, but Hell that we deserve.
  • We don’t deserve to have God’s holy word, the Bible in our hands. He’s so holy and we are not. He’s so right and we are not. Yet, by His love and grace He allows us to know His will and His promises.
  • We don’t deserve to even say the name “God,” in worship. We don’t deserve to talk to God, let alone have Him listen to us and even answer our prayers.
  • We don’t deserve to named among His people, or to have our names in His book of life.
  • We don’t deserve to call our selves “Christian,” which means ‘belongs to Christ.’ We don’t deserve that yet He allows that.
  • We certainly do not deserve to stand in His presence, see His face and spend forever with Him. There is nothing about us that deserves that, yet His grace, forgiveness and love will allow that.

The crowd at the trial of Jesus said that the Lord deserved to die. They were wrong. Jesus was innocent. He didn’t deserve to die. The crowd did. They were the ones who deserved to die.

So, when we look at what we really deserve, and we see what we are allowed to have, we recognize how blessed we are from God. We need to remember this and see this. When we get this in our hearts, we stop asking, “Do we have to go to church on Wednesday?” Really? One stops arguing with the Bible and trying to find ways to wiggle around things. We are so blessed. If we got what we really deserve, it wouldn’t be a pretty picture.

God is so good…He is so good to me.

Roger