31

Jump Start # 2562

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2562

2 Chronicles 29:16 “So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the Lord they brought out to the court of the house of the Lord. Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron valley.”

It’s spring time. While many of us are homebound thoughts turn to cleaning up the place. It’s time to pitch clothes that we do not wear, get rid of toys that the kids no longer play with and give the ole’ place a real spit bath and shine. My grandparents lived in a small house. About every spring, my grandma would move the furniture around in the living room. It gave it a new look.

Our verse today comes from the days of Hezekiah. In the midst of his reforms and returns to the ways of God, the temple needed some cleaning. It wasn’t just dust and sweeping that needed to be done. Radical reforms and restoration was needed. Kings before Hezekiah had allowed idolatry to run the land and ruin the people. There were things in the temple that were offensive to true worship of God.

So, as our verse illustrates, things were removed. They were taken to the Kidron and burned there. And, what we find here is the true aspects of restoration. Most of us have heard of the Restoration Movement in America in the early 1800’s. That spirit and that movement, removed many of the practices that were common in churches in that day.

The keys to restoration begin with an understanding of how things ought to be. This is true whether one is restoring an old car, a piece of furniture, an understanding of what the founding fathers intended or New Testament Christianity. When one is content and satisfied with the way things are, and one has no understanding of what things ought to look like, then restoration will never take place. It begins with going back to the original. What was the original practice? What did things look like originally?

The restoration and reforms of Hezekiah began because they found the law of God. They read that law and understood that what they were doing was not following the law. So many are forward looking that they do not care about looking backward. So many have no understanding of what the original was supposed to look like. Without that basis, the little balloon that they are holding on to will fly farther and farther away from the true aspect of what was intended.

Knowing what things ought to look like, Hezekiah then began the reforms. They couldn’t move onward until they stripped away all the old things that did not belong. Cleaning out the temple was essential. Throwing away all the items that did not belong in there was critical. Purging of the junk allowed the nation to get back to where things ought to be.

You see that with restoring old furniture. One must strip all the old paint and varnish before they can begin to get things looking like it did originally.

The restoration principles are true for a church. They are also true of our individual hearts. All of this takes time. It’s hard work. There are many things that must be tossed. And, as we try to be the people of God, we find that our hearts need to be restored. There are things that need to be tossed. They do not belong in our hearts and as long as they remain we can never be the people that God wants us to be.

For instance:

We must toss worry. Worry crowds out faith and worry chips away at our trust in the Lord. The more we worry, the less we believe. Worry invites fear. Worry encourages doubt. Worry is negative and worry sees problems rather than solutions. The temple of our hearts cannot hold the idols of worry.

We must toss anger, regrets, and hurts. These keep us from the powerful fellowship possible in Christ. These will make us think the worst of each other. And, as these are tossed, they need to be replaced with forgiveness, grace and mercy. God gives us a second chance. We need to do the same for others. It’s hard to worship God when anger, regrets and hurts are all that we see.

We must toss materialism and selfishness. Being a disciple of Jesus begins with denying ourselves. Thinking too much of self is just another idol that keeps us from worshipping the Lord in purity and holiness. Our society is in love with self. Self doesn’t belong in our hearts. Remove it. Toss it. Then, you’ll become a servant of the Lord. Then you’ll be able to put the Lord first in all things.

Things are so nice once they are clean. Nothing beats clean sheets, a clean car, a clean house and a clean heart. The Psalmist said the one who may ascend to the hill of the Lord was one with clean hands and a pure heart. James tells us to cleanse your hands.

Restoration…spring cleaning…this is a good time to get rid of the things that are keeping you from God.

Roger

30

Jump Start # 2561

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2561

2 Timothy 2:22 “Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue after righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

Our verse today is one that is often left to teenage classes, devos, and young people gatherings. I doubt that was the target audience that God exclusively had in mind when Paul wrote those words. Many of the troubles that young people get caught up in were not created by their peers, but those older. I doubt that teens have the know how to smuggle drugs in from drug cartels in foreign countries. I doubt that teens have the money it takes to produce and distribute pornography. It’s an older generation that is using a younger generation to addict and profit from.

There are times in our lives when we need to dig our heels in and put up a fight. But there are other times when we just need to leave. We need to flee as the passage states. We need to run as fast as we can away from temptation. Don’t try to argue with it. Don’t try to convert it. Don’t try to reason with it. Run and run fast.

There is a great little expression in our verse that I want to focus upon. It’s often overlooked. We spend so much time talking about lusts and fleeing that we may not even see the two little words, “with those.” It’s the “with those” that can make all the difference in your spiritual journey.

Get away from youthful lusts. Go after the godly characters. But do that “with those” who are following the Lord. Do that with those who have a pure heart. Do that with those who call upon the Lord. The “with those” is our circle of influence and friends that helps us spiritually.

Now, think how wonderful this is:

First, when things are not going well in your life and you are facing storms, isn’t it great to have a “with those” who love you and the Lord. They will not tire of serving. They will not complain. They will not seek to get something from you. Like you, like the Lord, they have a pure heart. They love you and they love the Lord. You can count upon these folks. You know that they will be praying for you. Where would we be without our Lord and our church family.

Second, it is great to know that there are others who believe as you do. There are others who have a deep love and respect for the Lord as you do. Sometimes a person gets to thinking that they are the only one. Being alone and outnumbered is not a good place to be. For Elijah, it led him to some dark thoughts that he shouldn’t have had. The same can happen to us, but it shouldn’t. We a “with those” among us. It is our “with those,” that reminds us and encourages us.

Third, the “with those” represents our church family, our fellowship in Christ. Together, we encourage each other. Together, we remind, teach and support each other. Together, we are the body of Christ. One mind. One voice. One heart. One mission.

Many of us have been separated from each other during this epidemic. We call. We text. We share things on Facebook. But it’s not the same. And, being apart really makes us miss each other. And, it brings some lessons that we can learn.

First, it makes us realize what a wonderful blessing our church family is. It doesn’t matter whether you are in a small congregation or a large one, each face, each family, each heart, is loved by the Lord and is special. Sometimes we complain about each other more than we ought to. Sometimes we fuss about the preaching, the song service, but that sure seems different when you are worshipping at home on Sunday.

Second, it makes us understand the great work that the shepherds do. It’s hard keeping us all going the same direction. Some of us are stubborn. Some of us have a wild spirit. Some of us like to be independent. Some of us think we know better. What a job it is keeping everyone moving forward and with the Lord. Sure makes us be thankful for the great leaders among us.

Third, it makes us realize that it takes all of us to make us who we are. The little ones, the old ones, the new ones, the seasoned ones—we all have a story. We all have a background. We all came to the Lord and He graciously forgave each of us. We are the “with those” that we need to be pursuing life and the Lord with.

With those…we need these folks in our lives.

Roger

27

Jump Start # 2560

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2560

Job 19:14 “My relatives have failed, And my intimate friends have forgotten me.”

One of the things the current coronavirus has created is much more home time with the family. Many are spending all day long in the house. The first few days is an adventure. Puzzles. Special lunches. Cleaning up the house together. But as days drag on, and days turn into weeks, this adventure can quickly become a nightmare. Stress levels are pushed. Kids fighting. Kids bored. Mom and dad trying to find some quiet time to work. Suddenly, your house seems too small. Everyone seems to be on top of each other. And, before long, you feel like you need to get away and have a break from your family.

Our verse today, spoken by Job, reflects the emptiness of the pain that he was carrying. His family failed. His friends had forsaken him. He felt alone. No one to sympathize with him. No one to encourage him. No one to support him. No one to be there for him. And, what makes this so tragic is the fact the very people that one would expect to step up, family and friends, were not there. Even, more tragic is that this verse is repeated over and over, even today. There are those who feel cut off from their family. No one to talk to. No one to count upon. No one to be there for them. Some have spoken to family members in years.

Now, let’s give this some thoughts:

First, the dynamics of family are complex. Drama, dysfunction, complicated relationship issues make the jelling together of a family difficult and in some cases, nearly impossible. This is especially true when one marries into a family. They do things differently than your family. I’ve heard from many grandparents who cry that they rarely get to see their grandchildren because a son-in-law or a daughter-in-law doesn’t want to come around. They don’t like their spouses family. Judgmental spirits, jealousy and an unwillingness to forgive makes getting together difficult. Things were said that shouldn’t have been. Things were taken out of context that shouldn’t have been. And, now, there is a wedge within the family. And, now, some don’t want to spend time with each other.

Second, this is complicated more when some or all that are involved are not Christians. The right thing to do is often not what is chosen when one isn’t with the Lord. The leaving of father and mother, that the Lord puts before the first marriage, is not about location as it is maturity, responsibility and establishing a new home. But the leaving doesn’t mean to cut all ties. There are obligations to our parents that we must fulfill and that God is counting upon us to do. When two become one, it no longer is “his” family or “her” family, but our family. We are in this together.

Among the people of God, we must step up and do what is right. Your in-laws may not be your favorite people, I suppose that is why there are so many mother-in-law jokes. The principles of Christ, to love our enemies, put others first, be a servant, demands that we do what we ought to do. One of the cold facts of life is that we do not pick our family. We don’t get to pick our parents. We don’t get to pick our brothers and sisters. Some have a very close and amazing family. Others, can’t stand each other.

Third, remember the golden rule in all of this. Treat your family, including your in-laws, as you would want to be treated. How would you want your kids to treat you when you are old? Give people a chance. In fact, give them a second chance. Isn’t that what the Lord has done for us?

So, how do we keep from failing in our families? How do we get along with people that we do not like? How do we keep from having others crush our spirit and walk over us?

First, you can not change others, but you can keep what they are doing from changing you. Establish borders. You do not have to answer every question that you feel is too nosey. You don’t have to go down roads that you are uncomfortable with. However, you can be kind, gentle and engaged in good deeds. That’s what God expects of us. Let your light shine, even among your family, and, especially among your family. Putting a person in the awkward position of having to chose between spouse or parents isn’t healthy and the outcome likely will not end well. Our first obligation is to our spouse. However, it’s not to the exclusion of our parents.

Second, kindness usually finds a way to bring a smile, open a door, and generate a pleasant conversation. Work on this. Pray about this. Don’t pressure your kids to like one set of grandparents more than another. That’s not kind, nice or healthy. Are there people in my life that I do not particularly like? Sure. We all have some. What do you do? Avoiding them at all cost is not the right answer. Be pleasant. Be thoughtful. Listen. Try to find good. Try to leave them with a good impression.

Third, remember what the Lord would do. That’s the key. That’s what we must be doing. Job felt that his family failed. We don’t know much about Job’s family. All his children died. His wife gave up. Was there others? Possibly? Where were they? He felt they let him down. Maybe, they did. Maybe, Job was in such a foul mood that they couldn’t do anything right. It’s easy to point fingers and blame. It’s easy to find the faults of others.

Remember, you may be the only connection your family has to the Lord. Through you, they see Jesus. Through you, they make decisions about church, God and faith. It’s important that we shine the best that we can. It’s important that we do our best to be our best. Not, for us, but for the Lord.

Job’s family failed. How sad. How are we doing in that area?

Roger

26

Jump Start # 2559

Posted on March 26, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2559

Mark 4:38 “And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Our passage today is taken from the fascinating story of the storm upon the sea. It was a violent storm. The disciples, many of them who had made a living on that very sea were scared. Somehow, Jesus remained asleep through all of this. Mark tells us that there was a fierce gale of wind. The waves were above the boat. The boat was filling up with water. That alone tells me that just about everyone inside the boat is wet. They are in a desperate and near panic mode to keep the boat afloat. They are losing this battle. They begin to lose hope. And, when that happens, enters the worse thoughts. We are going to die!

They awaken Jesus. They do not ask Him to save them. They do not ask Him to stop the storm. They do not ask if He has seen anything like this before. They ask a question, not about power, authority or ability, but heart. Do you not care? Caring, that’s a heart issue. We are about to die, Jesus. We are going to die and You are sleeping. We’ve done all that we can do and we can’t turn this around. We are unable to stop this storm. All hope seems to be gone.

We sing a hymn that is titled, “Does Jesus Care?” That’s what people want to know. Does God care? Some would conclude that if God cared then there ought to never be a storm. Yet, here we are, in a storm. Does Jesus care? Now, some thoughts:

First, It seems that the disciples did everything except include Jesus. Maybe they should have awaken Jesus much sooner. It’s easy to be a backseat driver and look at passages like this and declare, ‘This is what they should have done,’ and, when our boats are filling up with water, we scream like there is no tomorrow. Like the disciples, we think we got this. It’s tough, but we can handle this. Don’t need to call Jesus in on this one, because we know what to do. Really? Are you sure?

We wait until our marriage boat is sinking, and there are so many holes in the boat that it is nearly impossible to save. Why did we wait so long? Pride? Fear? Not wanting to admit that we need to change things? Not wanting to apologize or forgive? So, along we sail, deeper and deeper into the storm, until finally we realize that we are sinking. We are not going to make it.

We wait until our finances are such a mess that we may lose the house, the cars, and then we realize that we are sinking. We are not going to make it. Why not ask for help? Is it shameful to admit that we have a money problem? Is it embarrassing to reveal that we’ve overspent for years? So, along we sail, deeper and deeper into the storm, until finally we realize that we are sinking. We are not going to make it.

We wait until our child is arrested before realize that we need help. There’s been signs all along. Trouble in school. Trouble with neighborhood kids. Rebellion at home. But we’ve ignored it. We thought it was just a stage. We believed he’d grow out of it. So, along we sail, deeper and deeper into the storm, until we finally realize that we are sinking. We are not going to make it.

Second, Jesus was the one person who could make a difference. I expect all twelve of the apostles were doing all the could. Matthew, being a tax collector, was likely not much help with boats and water. He may have been the first one scared. They went to Jesus. They awoke Jesus. What a powerful lesson for us. When we are sinking in a storm, we need to turn to the Lord. It’s not the time to get advice from family and friends who do not know the Lord. It’s not time to find answers on web searches. Think about the situation with the disciples. What advice might someone give them? Jump overboard and swim the best you can? Do what the sailors did in the book of Jonah. Draw straws and start pitching people overboard. Say your prayers and go down with the ship? Without Jesus, there was no good answers. Only Jesus could stop the storm and save everyone. No lives were lost. No boats were lost. Jesus saved them all. How does Jesus help us? Turn to the Scriptures and search. See what God says about marriage. See what God says about finances. See what God says about parenting. Seek help from God’s leaders. It’s not enough that we find help, it’s imperative that we find the right help and the best help. Counselors are not better than God. Self help books are not better than the Bible. Advice never tops the principles of God.

Third, Jesus showed that He cared. He didn’t just say, “I’ll be thinking about you.” He did something. He stopped the storm. They were more afraid of the One who could control the weather than the storm itself. How do I know that you care? You show it. Words do not put food on the table. Words do not pay the bills. Words, after a while do not do much good, unless there are some actions attached to them.

Now, in this period of a worldwide flu epidemic, it’s important that we show that we care. How? See after the needs of each other, especially the older ones among us. Call them. Get supplies for them. Watch the close contact, but with safety, things can be left on porches. Emails and texts, checking up on each other is very important.

But stretch this even more. Our neighbors are going through this crisis, most of them without hope, faith and the Lord. Share with them things you find helpful. Pass along blogs, podcasts, video sermons and other things from your congregation. Like with our older members, find out if there are things you can do for them.

This crisis will soon pass. Will people remember that you were one who cared?

Roger

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Jump Start # 2558

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2558

Joshua 7:6 “Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, both he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.”

In this period of Coronavirus epidemic, social distancing and quarantine, there is a need for strong leadership. We are seeing this on many fronts from the government side of things. Many state governors are giving daily updates. The President has a briefing before the press just about every day. They are telling us how to be safe. They are telling us advancements they are working on. They are telling us plans to help turn things around. All of this is good. But, the same needs to be done spiritually. Not by the government, but by shepherds who are watching over their flocks.

Our passage today begins a series of great steps that Joshua took in a crisis. For Israel, it wasn’t a flu that they feared. It was a military defeat. A loss in battle. At Jericho, the walls came down. At Ai, the next battle, Israel fell down. They ran in defeat. Several were killed. How could they go onward. Would there be more defeats? Would all of this come back on Joshua? Maybe he wasn’t the right replacement for Moses.

There are a series of leadership principles that Joshua took, that elders today ought to be looking at and taking.

First, Joshua sought the Lord. Before a battle plan was drawn up, before he shouted out orders, before he jumped into action, he went to the Lord. He fell before the ark. He was seeking guidance from the Lord. Joshua did this before he addressed the nation. He did this before he addressed the problem. This needs to be done by God’s leaders. Prayer and an open Bible is how we come before the Lord. A lot of adjustments, decisions and concerns must be addressed. Before an action plan. Before words are said, approach the Lord. Many brethren are asking questions that we’ve never considered before. Is it ok to worship in our homes? Is it ok to take the Lord’s Supper when we are not together in the same place? What are the answers to these questions? Seek the Lord first. We’ve never been down these roads before, but God has. This is not the first epidemic that God went through. Plagues, famines, wars, disease, have dotted the pages of history. God’s been there.

Second, clear and concise communication is essential. A few verses later God tells Joshua, “Rise up! Consecrate the people and say…” (13). Joshua delivered a clear message, here is what we are going to do. In John 10, the picture of the good shepherd, the text tells us that the sheep know the voice of the Good Shepherd (4). How did they know his voice? He was speaking. They recognized it. Today, we need one unified voice coming from the leadership. Here is why we are going to do. Here is what we are planning. Speak often to the flock. You do this through videos, podcasts, emails, text messages and phone calls. Keep brethren in the loop. Let them know you are at the helm and all will be ok. A calm, reassuring voice is what is needed. Fear cripples faith. Believing the sky is falling will cause some to make unwise decisions. The congregation shouldn’t wonder, “what’s the elders doing?” Or, “where are the elders?” They need to hear your voice.

This is a time for the elders and preachers to be on the same page. Private communication between them can set forth plans for lessons, classes and other ways to keep the church growing and connected. Lots of things are being impacted. Meetings have been cancelled. Cancellations have disrupted the flow of classes. So, adjustments have to be talked out and discussed and planned. When everyone is on the same page, good can still be accomplished.

Cancellations have led many congregations to livestream and video tape lessons. Get the word out to the brethren about these things and how they can access them. Make it easy for folks. Thought needs to be given to the older members who may not have the technology or know how to use these tools. It may be necessary to get a few tablets and take them to folks and show them how to set these things up. Be careful about interaction and remember your social distancing, but we can’t assume that everyone is tied in through technology.

Then, there are the children’s classes. Resources, songs and lessons can be sent to parents so they can keep their children growing in the Lord. Reach out to parents, leaders. Find out how they are doing. See if what you are providing is helpful. Again, adjustments may have to be made.

This is a great time for deacons to switch their duties and serve the family in Christ. Assign various families to each deacon. See if there are physical needs or even financial needs that should be taken care of. This will allow the elders to focus upon the spiritual wellbeing of the congregation. Elders and deacons need to have open communication and discuss plans and needs as they become known.

Third, Joshua led the nation to doing the right thing. The right thing wasn’t easy. The right thing was painful. Achan, his family and his possessions were all punished. The bloodline of Achan ended. His greed cost him his life. Joshua didn’t soft soap this. He didn’t say, “Well, we all make mistakes.” That wasn’t said. He didn’t say, “I might have taken that myself.” He didn’t say that. His resolve was absolute. History has given us many great leaders. Churchill during World War II. Lincoln during the Civil War. These were men of incredible conviction, courage and leadership. They said difficult things. They were not always liked nor popular. But they led their people through a crisis. This is what is falling upon spiritual leaders today. This is where your character, courage, insight, vision and faith matters. You are in this role for a reason. You are qualified, appointed and experienced. These are tough times. We must be sure that no one falls through the cracks. This is more than merely surviving until the storm passes, it is a matter of excelling in spite of the storm.

Let the flock hear from you. Let them hear from you often. Let them know that you are praying and that you care for each one of them.

One of my favorite Churchill stories, I’m not sure if it is true or not, but I like it, is when he was speaking before the Parliament. Supplies were running low in Britain. The manufactures needed more metal to make planes, ships and tanks. There just wasn’t any. Churchill knew throughout all those Abbeys and Cathedrals of Great Britain were hundreds and thousands of metal statues of long ago saints. Churchill called upon the churches to turn those statues in to be melted and used for the war effort. “It’s time,” he said, “to put the saints back into circulation.” Leadership often means making touch calls. It’s making the right call, not the easy call. It’s making the call that may not be pleasant, even for the shepherd personally, but it’s the right call spiritually.

Leading through a crisis. Those that do this, will shine. Those that don’t, will suffer.

Roger