24

Jump Start # 2557

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2557

Acts 5:14 “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number.”

We love powerful verses like this. Growth. Success. The word of God being preached and the word of God being believed and obeyed. What is fascinating is seeing where this passage fits in this chapter. Up to this point things were going well. Occasionally, the apostles were told not to preach or spent a night in prison, but nothing too serious.

As chapter five opens, we read of the deaths of two Christians. Biblically, the first Christians to die. They were not martyrs. They didn’t die taking great risks for the kingdom. God struck them down in a form of punishment. They had lied. God wouldn’t tolerate that. And, in the course of a very short time, both husband and wife were dead. Fear came over the church. And, it’s in this atmosphere that our verse is found. The apostles didn’t fall back and regroup. They didn’t take a few days off. They didn’t let people catch their breath. Onward they preached. And, as they preached, the kingdom grew.

This is a great reminder for us in these awkward times of a world wide virus. It’s easy to just hunker down and hold on until all passes. So many things we can’t do now. Most Spring Gospel Meetings have been cancelled. But in the midst of all of this, the kingdom can continue to grow. Out of difficulties, trials and hard times, good things can happen. They can happen if the people of God continue on as we ought to.

Here are a few thoughts:

First, rather than sharing all the toilet paper jokes on social media, which some are really funny, why not post things about your congregation’s website? Tell others of the resources that your congregation is offering. People may look at something like that before they come to a church building. Facebook and Twitter are great places to spread the gospel, especially in times like this.

Second, many people are scared. Panic drives people like a mob. Some get caught up in things without thinking things out. A steady voice. A reassuring confidence. Pointing people to the Scriptures and the Lord can go a long way in helping people see the big picture and that God remains upon the throne.

Third, being stuck at home with the kids is a great time to grow closer, lead them spiritually and help them to see through problems. The examples we put before them may help them for the next crisis. Do they see you giving up? Do they see you not worshipping because we can’t get to the church building? Do they see you still talking about the goodness of the Lord and finding hope within God’s word?

Fourth, this is a great time to show family members the truth of God’s word. Some will fly off the handle. Some look at this as a political conspiracy. But to show throughout the Scriptures that there have been earthquakes, famines, wars, hardships, and even persecution upon the people of God. Some don’t understand this. They’d assume that if God was God then His people would always be sheltered. The world sees no value in trials and suffering. The people of God know differently. The world dreads death. The people of God know that it’s nothing more than passing through a door into another room in God’s house. Things do not work out as we often plan. Many have had to cancel vacations. Many have had to make changes in their routines. We can complain, gossip and be bitter about those things, or we can be thankful to the Lord.

Fifth, hard times often leads on to focus upon the problem and not upon the Lord. This is a time for prayer. We need to pray that this virus ends. We need to pray for the leaders of our community and nation. We need to pray for those in the front lines of medicine. They are exposed often to the virus. We need to pray for our shepherds that they keep us connected and growing. We need to pray for our older members. They are at the highest risk. We need to pray for ourselves that our lights will shine and that we can be an example to others.

Sixth, we need to look inward and see what all of this is doing to our hearts, souls and attitudes. Are we getting overcome by all the gloom and doom on the news? Are we slipping spiritually because we are not worshipping in a church building? Is our faith defined by the church building? Through this crisis, am I walking closer and closer to my Lord?

In Acts 5, a couple died but the kingdom grew. Sure is something to think about isn’t it?

Roger

23

Jump Start # 2556

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2556

Matthew 6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

One of the hymns that we sing begins with the words, “Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear.” Troublesome times. The song doesn’t say troublesome times are some day. Nor does it say, we might have a bit of troublesome times in the future. No. It’s troublesome times are here. We are in it. It’s arrived. Like it or not, troublesome times have come. I’ve never seen a song leader lead that song and then followed with the song, “I’m happy today.” I’m happy today and troublesome times just do not make a good match. And, troublesome times are what we are in now. Gas is cheap but there’s no place to go. Schools are out. Stores are closed. People are working from home. Restaurants only serve take out. Grocery stores are out of so many items. Even congregations are not assembling. The experts keep telling us that things will get worse before they get better. Troublesome times, they are here.

Our verse today is taken from the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. In this unit the Lord is telling His audience not to be anxious or worried. Five times the word “worry” or “worried” is used. Here is a summation of what the Lord says:

  • Do not worry (15, 31, 34)
  • Worry cannot accomplish what you want (27)?
  • Why do you worry (28)?

Worry steals our sleep. It ruins our appetite. It invites doubt, fear and unwholesome thoughts. Worry never leads to good things. And, as the Lord teaches throughout this section, worry pushes faith out of our hearts. The more worry we have, the less faith there is. And, the opposite is just as true. The stronger our faith, the less we worry.

In the verses leading up to our passage today, the Lord talked about worrying about food and clothing. Now, in our verse, the Lord centers upon one of the greatest aspects of worry—tomorrow. What about tomorrow? Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” But we do. When you have a medical test or surgery the next day, it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep. You think about it all night long. You worry about how much you think it will hurt. You worry about the costs involved. You worry about how long your recovery will be. You worry if the surgery will be successful. We worry about having enough money to retire or, if you are retired, you worry if you are going to run out of money.

Tomorrow—that’s the land of dreams, plans and goals. Tomorrow is another day, is what Scarlett said at the end of the movie, Gone with the Wind. Tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, is what James us warned about saying. The rich farmer in Luke 12 was living in tomorrow. He was planning to tear down barns, build larger ones and take his ease. His life was in tomorrow and he forget to live for today.

Jesus tells us three things about tomorrow:

First, do not worry about it.

Second, tomorrow will take care of itself.

Third, there’s enough trouble today.

How fitting it is for us to talk about worry, tomorrow, troublesome times and today. Put those all in a big pot, stir them around a bit and you’ll have the perfect mixture for a headache and a heartache and you’ll just feel like going to bed and pulling the covers over your head. What if we run out of toilet paper and we can’t find any? What if we are forced to stay at home? What if we have to cook? Vacations are shot. Jobs may be teetering. What about graduations? What about the up coming election? What if I get this flu? Worry…worry…worry.

Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear. And, our Lord says, Do not worry about tomorrow.

Here are a few thoughts:

First, there is enough going on today. There is enough to pray about today. There is enough temptation to fight today. There is enough choices to make today. There is enough opportunities to let our light shine today. Getting through today will take all that we have. And, it’s more than just surviving until another day. It’s getting through this rightly. It’s getting through this by glorifying God. It’s getting through this and staying connected to God. It’s getting through this and leaving footprints for others to follow.

Your plate is full today. You don’t need to borrow anything from tomorrow. There is enough for you to handle mentally, emotionally and spiritually today.

Second, things change. Life is very fluid. We understand this in normal times. You have your week all planned out and suddenly there is a death in your family. Your plans are tossed out the window. Everything changes. By Jesus saying, “Tomorrow will care for itself,” how I see things today may not be how they are. Things will work out. It may not be as I planned. God can even change our plans. Paul wanted to preach in Asia. God said “No.” That door remained closed. There was another place. It wasn’t on Paul’s radar, but it was on God’s.

Third, some day there will be no tomorrow. All the plans that the rich farmer had ended the night he died. He had no more tomorrows. Some day will be our last day. There won’t be any tomorrows after that. Once we pass through that door of death, everything changes for us. We will run out of tomorrows someday. In eternity time will be no more. Calendars, schedules, clocks will have no place in eternity. There is no aging in eternity. Tomorrow will have taken care of itself.

Fourth, the present is all we can work in. We can’t go back and change the past. We can set things up for tomorrow, but it’s today where we operate. We must be walking with God today. We must be making choices today that will shape our eternity. We can influence others in the future, but that is done by what we do today. We live and move in the present.

Don’t worry about tomorrow. Don’t worry about yesterday. Don’t worry about today. After a while, a guy gets the idea that we aren’t supposed to worry. And, that’s it. Don’t worry. Trust God. Walk with the Lord. Do the best you can. Make a difference where you are. Live in the grace of God and honor the Lord all that you can.

These are troublesome times—but “I’m happy today.” I’m happy because I belong to the Lord. I’m Heaven Bound. And, I don’t have to worry about tomorrow. The Lord is already there. He’ll take care of things. The Lord is good, He is so good to me.

Roger

20

Jump Start # 2555

Posted on March 20, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2555

1 Corinthians 11:33 “So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.”

One of the things that the current flu crisis has created is for many brethren to look deeply within the Word of God. Fear, worry and panic are not the characteristics of people of faith. Knowing that God remains on the throne is helpful and hopeful.

The majority of congregations throughout the country have cancelled worship services. That is true where I worship. This has caused a lot of extra work to try to keep people informed, connected and growing. Videos, podcasts, emails have become essential tools to help with this. So, many are having to worship at home. Through technology we are able to sing, hear a sermon and have a sense of being in worship. But the question arises about the Lord’s Supper. How do we do that? How do we do that when we are not together? Is it wrong to do that when we are separated from one another? What about this Corinthian principle, “when you come together?” We are not coming together. We are staying at home. The shepherds have told us to stay at home. I have had so many calls all over the country about this very thought.

Since we are in this crisis at the moment, I thought this would be a good time to talk about this. I understand that not everyone will agree with my conclusions. I can only express things from how I see them in the Scriptures.

First, I really appreciate how so many are thinking about this. Brethren want to do right. They want to honor the Lord in a Biblical manner according to the pattern we find in the Scriptures. I suppose we ought to be more concerned if no one brought this up. Those that have questions about the logistics of taking the Lord’s Supper are not being divisive, trouble makers or a pain in the neck. They have good hearts. Their questions deserve a serious study of the Bible, likely much more deeply than what we can do here. Understand we are going down paths that we have never traveled before. Many judgments will have to be made. Those that lead God’s people are looking out for the spiritual and physical wellbeing of the flock.

Second, we must be careful and not compare apples to oranges, as they say. Paul’s words to the Corinthian church was addressing a serious spiritual problem. Division had never torn that church apart. They were fellowshiping an immoral member. They were suing one another. Some were denying the resurrection. And with the Lord’s Supper, some were eating it like a common meal and others were not getting any of it. They had left the Lord out of the Lord’s Supper. So, the coming together and waiting for one another was a principle addressing this problem. One of the hallmarks of our worship is sharing together in the Lord’s Supper. We do that together. I believe that’s what God wants us to do.

Now, the question arises, what is one to do when he can’t be with the church? For instance, what did the eunuch do when he got back to Ethiopia? Did he have to wait until another was baptized and a church was formed before he could take the Lord’s Supper? What about Paul when he traveled to places where there was no congregation? Some places Paul stayed for weeks, even months. On those Sundays, did he just not take the Lord’s Supper until a church was formed?

Then there are those unknowns that were common in the N.T. What if a brother or sister got leprosy? They were to be excluded from the community. They were to live in a leper colony. While there, would they take the Lord’s Supper? What about a Roman soldier? We know that Cornelius, an officer in the Roman army became a Christian. What if he was sent to some outpost where there were no congregations? Should he or should he not take the Lord’s Supper?

Third, what we are experiencing is most unusual. This is not a form of government persecution. Stop using, “We must obey God rather than man” passages. The government is not telling us to stop preaching. They are not keeping us from God. They are trying to keep us alive and keep this virus from getting out of control. Once the threat passes, we will be able to assemble as before. It’s hard for a congregation to demonstrate the second greatest command in the Bible, loving your neighbor as yourself, when we ignore health guidelines and put ourselves and our community at risk by meeting together. If we really love our community, then we want to help them. In our community a man was feeling bad for a couple of weeks. He went to work. He went to a basketball game. He went to a high school event. He went to his church. He is now in ICU at the hospital having been diagnosed positive for the Coronavirus. His story was on the local news. Look how many people, many hundreds, that he came in contact with. Most will be fine. But there are some who won’t be fine. This is why church leaders are making the very difficult decision to cancel services. It’s not fear, but love driven. It’s not that we think we will get it, but we don’t want to be responsible, or even liable if we give it to someone else.

Having said that, these are unique times. We worship at home. Should I take the Lord’s Supper? We don’t know how long this will last. It could go into months. I will continue to honor and glorify my Lord who died for me. I will worship on Sunday as best as I can. I will sing praises. I will listen to His word preached. I will contribute as the elders tell us how. I will pray. And, above all, I will remember the most important thing in my life, my Savior and my Lord. I will remember how He changed my life. I will remember how He loved me enough to die for my sins. I will remember how he arose from the grave to crush the head of Satan. I will remember the grand hope of Heaven that He promises.

Do I think God will frown upon me for remembering His Son’s death? Do I think God will feel dishonored because I partook of the Lord’s Supper with my wife in our home? Do I think the Lord considers that I have trashed His word and ignored His authority? No. I don’t think so. I think He will be glad under these stressful times that I put Him first. I think He will be honored that I have put the cross before the virus. I think He understands what we are going through.

Now, when all of this passes, and it will some day, don’t you fear that some will just stay home all the time and take the Lord’s Supper at home? If you can do it at home in a crisis, why can’t you do it all the time? The answer is because of the crisis. Earlier in Corinthians Paul said that it would be better not to marry. Ought we to discourage all weddings? Should we pressure young people to break up and cancel their wedding plans? No. Contextually, he says because of the present distress. There was a current crisis. God is not anti-marriage. God was the one who introduced marriage to the world. But with the crisis in Corinth, things not being normal, it was best not to marry. That crisis passed. We get married. No problem. When this flu crisis passes, we will assemble. Those that don’t, need to be talked to. They have a greater problem than just staying home.

Where would we be without Jesus?

Those are my thoughts. Agree, disagree, or just not sure, we must work through this crisis and be patient with each other and respect each other’s conscience.

Pray that things get better quickly…or, better still, ‘Come, Lord Jesus.’

Roger

19

Jump Start # 2554

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2554

Mark 14:8 “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.”

He was a Russian composer by the name of Igor Stravinsky. At the end of World War I he composed a fictitious story about a soldier who trades his prized violin to the devil. The violin represented the soldier’s soul. What is special about this piece is that it involves a narrator, dancers and puppets. Stravinsky understood the times. Some of his other orchestra pieces were not being played because there were so few orchestras. The war had pulled orchestras apart. Stravinsky used a septet to play his new composition. A tiny seven piece orchestra made up of one violin, double bass, clarinet, bassoon, cornet, trombone, and percussion. And, rather than preforming in large concert halls, as they had commonly used, Stravinsky took his show on the road. “A Soldier’s Tale,” was an innovative way to deal with the times that he was in. He found a way to make music and present it to the people. I recently got to see a performance of the “Soldier’s tale.” It was strange to my liking but the best thing I pulled from this was the masterful way Stravinsky adopted, changed and dealt with the circumstances that he was in. He could have sat in his office and cried and cried that there was no orchestra to play his compositions. But in stead, he found a way to deal with his times.

Our verse today is about the woman who came to Simon’s house and anointed the Lord. What she used was very expensive. Rather than keeping it for herself, she used it for the Lord. The disciples complained. They thought it would have been more prudent to sell the perfume and help the poor. They viewed her actions as being wasteful. The Lord defended her. He said, as our verse states, “She has done what she could.” She couldn’t do everything. She couldn’t heal the sick. She couldn’t raise the dead. She couldn’t inspire the Bible. And, she certainly couldn’t die for our sins. One can focus upon all that they cannot do, or they can simply do what they can do. She did what she could.

And, it is that thought, tied in with the example of the Russian composer, Stravinsky, that preachers and churches need to consider today. We are living in unusual times. There is a crisis about us. We can’t assemble. We can’t be together. Our fellowship is strained. We can stay home and cry because no one can come to the church buildings or, like Stravinsky, we can put some thought into different ways to keep the church connected, growing and worshipping the Lord. Stravinsky tried some innovative ways to take the music to the people. For us, we must try some innovative ways to take the word to the people.

Emails and texts are wonderful and easy ways to connect. Shepherds need to be out in the front so the flock can see them. Put messages out weekly that help the flock be encouraged. When we are separate from one another we can stay in touch by messages. The shepherds must still lead the flock. How are the older members doing? Are there things that they need?

Here are a few things we are doing at Charlestown Road:

Jump Starts: Monday-Friday, our devotional blog.

Quick Quotes: Monday-Friday, a pithy quote to help set our thoughts.

Jump Start Rewind: Our Monday podcast

This week at Charlestown Road: Our Wednesday Podcast

Friday Fives: Five simple point reminder about life.

Heaven Bound: Our Friday podcast

This is what we have been doing since January. These things are found on our website, Facebook and other social media outlets. Now, because of the national virus, we are:

  1. videotaping adult classes and sending out handouts via email and posting them on our website
  2. recording new sermons to be used on Sundays for worship
  3. preparing material for parents to use with their children at home

There are many congregations stepping up and doing things like this. This is the time for the spirit of Igor Stravinsky. Maybe you are in a small congregation that does not have these resources or you are in a congregation that does not have the manpower to produce things like this. Connect with some of these other congregations and use their tools to keep you walking with the Lord. Share what you find with others.

This is the first time in American history that brethren can not assemble for a long period of time. Some might check out from the Lord. Fear may get the best of some. Use technology and the tools of today to keep teaching, growing and connecting, first with the Lord and then with one another. Put some thoughts, ideas, and plans into this. Be diligent. This is not the time to slack off. This is not the time for preachers to get lazy. It’s not a time to spend the day watching TV. Get busy Mr. Preacher. Keep writing new sermons. Start a blog. Do some podcasts. Get some videos recorded. There is so much that needs to be done. We are busier now than we ever have been.

We will get through this crisis. We’ll look back and see all kinds of lessons. In trying times, good people rise to the top. Keep the lines of communication open. Talk to those in other congregations to find out what they are doing. We don’t want any to be lost during these times.

She did what she could…are we?

Roger

18

Jump Start # 2553

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2553

Matthew 8:3 “And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

I went to grab some lunch. It was noon. The place I went to is usually packed. No one was in there. All the chairs were up on the tables. It was take out only. I handed a card to pay for my meal. The server apologized for having to touch my card. That was a first. We are traveling down some new roads these days. Social distancing or social quarantining is necessary. Don’t touch. Don’t even touch your own face. This is hard for so many reasons.

And, then we come to our passage. Jesus touched. Jesus touched a leper. Jesus was always touching. He touched the eyes of the blind. He touched the hand of a twelve-year-old who had died. When John saw the glorified Jesus in Revelation, he fell like a dead man. The text says that Jesus laid His right hand on John. Touch.

We’d think that Jesus touching lepers would be a big health risk and a real social no-no. But there is something special about a touch. It is an expression of love and acceptance. A smile on the face and an extended hand are hard to beat. They say things without words. They are understood in every language. They demonstrate that you care.

Now, I am not pushing for us to ignore health warnings and risks at the moment. This is not the season to touch. We don’t want to be spreading things and we do not want to be getting viruses. Someday we will be allowed touch again. Bumping elbows is just not the same as a hug.

But there is a much greater lesson for us to see here.

Jesus demonstrated that He cared. We can say that with a million words, but showing it is much more powerful. It’s not only through a touch, but through an act of kindness. It’s expressed through praying for each other. It’s demonstrated by helping out where you can. It’s sad to hear some say that they belong to a church but they are not sure that anyone cares about them. That should never cross anyone’s mind. To be loved, to be accepted, to belong are the three things every human needs. They need that in a home. If they can’t find it there, they will find it in a street gang or through immoral relationships that vainly offer these things. In a church, how we treat one another speaks louder than what we believe. Jesus touched.

Jesus took someone who was unacceptable and made him feel acceptable. We are not told how this person got leprosy. Was he careless? Was he foolish? Did it just happen? Does it matter? Lepers were withdrawn from by society. They were cut off. They couldn’t work. They couldn’t be with their families. They couldn’t worship in the temple. Their only fellowship was other lepers. There was little to hope for among lepers. And, then came Jesus. He changed everything. He brought hope, even for lepers. A death sentence was gone because of Jesus. He made the outcast acceptable. We don’t have lepers walking among us, but we do have the divorced, the former prodigals, former addicts, those who have served time, those whose life story is dark and damaged. There is the single parent. There is the person who never married. There is the person who left the homosexual lifestyle. There is the one with tattoos. There is the one with wild colors in her hair. A piercing. Different, at least from us. From another country. Talks differently. Doesn’t understand our heritage and history. One who keeps calling our Gospel Meetings, Revivals. The one who keeps calling the preacher “pastor.”

We roll our eyes. We sigh so heavily that it could turn pages in our Bibles. We ignore. We look the other way. We don’t invite. We don’t include. We almost wish they’d go away. Jesus touched. Jesus made the unacceptable feel acceptable. Don’t you think we could be better at this?

Jesus put someone back into service. Before this, the leper had to remain quarantined. Jesus cleansed him. Go to the priest, give your offering and he’s back into life. There was a protocol according to the law that had to be followed. Although Jesus knew the man was cleansed, a priest had to declare it. An offering had to be made. Jesus didn’t skip these steps. Jesus understood the importance of following the law. Now this man could go home. He could go to the market place. He could go to the temple. He could return to work. Life would return for this man. And, can we do the same? Can we put someone back into service for the Lord? Can we give someone a chance and an opportunity?

Jesus touched. Amazing. If you were to reach out and try to touch the President, you’d be tackled, arrested and taken away. You don’t reach out and touch the Queen of England. Untouchable are some of them. But not our Lord. Not only has He touched this leper, but by faith, He has touched your heart. He has changed your life. He has given you hope and salvation. He has lifted you up and has entrusted into our hands His kingdom.

Touched by the Savior…what a wonderful thought.

Roger