09

Jump Start # 2670

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2670

1 Timothy 3:6 “and not a new convert, let he become conceited and fall into condemnation incurred by the devil.”

Our verse today is layered among what we commonly call the qualifications of an elder. The Holy Spirit uses the word “bishop” or “overseer” which refers to the same office and same group of leaders as elders. What is found here are the qualities and characteristics of the man who is able to do the job. This is not so much a job description but rather a description of the type of person who can do the job.

And, our verse today opens the door to a much larger thought and discussion. What happens when someone has made the wrong choice? Our verse warns about appointing someone too new in the faith. Without maturity and experience, the leadership role can become a power trip and rather than leading by influence and example, one forces by threats and fear. The wrong guy became a bishop. He should have never been appointed. He wasn’t ready and possibly, he may never be ready. And, things have gone downhill ever since he’s been chosen. It was a mistake.

This can also happen in marriage. After a few years, rather than getting better and better, the marriage becomes more and more strained and difficult. A person realizes that he made a mistake. He married someone that he shouldn’t have. The world has a simple and easy answer, get a divorce. But the child of God goes by a higher standard than his feelings. He must follow the law of God. God is very specific about divorce and when the reason isn’t there, it simply isn’t there. And, looking for a way out is looking the wrong direction.

What happens when the wrong choice has been made? What is one to do when there has been a mistake?

First, the damage, both with a congregation and in a marriage, can be severe. The wrong person leading can result in people dropping out, quitting or going elsewhere. Those that hang in suffer. Things are just not right when the wrong person leads. Rather than helping, people are hurt and injured. Tensions rise. Worship becomes difficult. And, in a marriage, the heated arguments, icy feelings and indifference to each other leads to living alone in different parts of the house. The kids sense the turmoil. Most often, things pile up, both in a congregation and in a marriage, until it reaches a boiling point. I saw some boiling points when at Yellowstone. Old Faithful blasts high into the air. It’s a beautiful sight when it is a geyser. But in a church it often leads to a split and in a marriage it often leads to separation. Doing nothing is not the right course of action. These situations will not improve on their own. They will not fix themselves.

Second, the solutions are hard. One cannot just “fire” an elder because he lacks leadership qualities. Our verse today actually reveals some problems associated with appointing the wrong person. He becomes conceited. Now he’s in and he’s certainly not stepping down without a real dog fight. His misunderstanding of what he is supposed to do causes more troubles. He views himself as a CEO of the church. He loves bossing people around and giving orders and running the place to his liking. He won’t step away from this.

The other shepherds need to talk with him face to face. It’s time for “come to Jesus” meeting about his attitude, example and the way he is treating people. This won’t be a nice conversation. Feeling his power is about to be taken away from him, he’ll fight tooth and nail and rally people to support him to stay in that role. I’ve seen this. It’s not pretty. And, after this conversation, one of the things that may have to happen is for all the other elders to step down. Biblically, one man alone, can not serve as an elder. It is a plurality. Without a plurality, there is no eldership. But this likely won’t settle things down. The man who should have never been appointed with campaign to try to get himself and anyone else reappointed. His actions show that he is not the humble servant of Christ. And, in some places, the man succeeds and he is once again back upon his little throne of power, crushing hearts and running the church as if it was all his.

In a marriage, a conversation must take place. Feelings must be put on the table. It’s time to consider counseling. And, this often is not well received. And, in a drastic manner, a person may have to leave for a very short time. But leaving always invites the devil in. Leaving can be the first step towards a divorce. The solutions are hard, especially when on side does not want to cooperate or listen.

Third, you continue to walk with the Lord and PRAY. You need God more than ever. You pray for that man who has no leadership qualities. You pray for that mate who is not on the same page with the Lord. You continue to worship. You continue to live as God wants you to. It is so easy when things are not right, for us to drop our responsibilities and commitment to Christ. We can leave grace, patience, forgiveness and love at the door and engage in heated arguments that are laced with threats, unkindness and shouting that only worsens the terrible situations. I have heard the stories of a preacher and an elder shouting at each other across the auditorium full of people on a Sunday morning. I’ve known people who walked out of worship because things were not going well. I know the stories of people spitting on the preacher as they walked out the door because they disagreed with him or doing mean things to others to get them to leave. I expect the Lord wasn’t pleased with those actions. Remaining true when others are not is valuable and shows the true character, heart and colors of a person. In difficult times, one must search the Scriptures for help. What does the Lord want him to do? Remember the example of Jesus. When He was reviled, He uttered no threats in return. You must continue to walk with the Lord.

Finally, you must get yourself to Heaven. If you cannot do that worshipping and being part of a congregation that is dysfunctionally led by incompetent elders, then you may have to find another congregation to worship with. Leaving is never easy. One should not leave just because they do not like things. If you do, you’ll spend the rest of your life leaving and leaving and leaving. It’s a matter of right and wrong, not like and dislike. It’s a matter of souls being strengthened or souls being ruined. It’s a matter of following what the Bible says or following someone who is acting like a dictator.

In a marriage, leaving isn’t an option. The situation is much more complicated and harder. One must dig in and try this and then try that to find a way that improves things. One must always look in the mirror as well. We often want others to change, without realizing that we can step up our game as well.

Backseat driving tells us that you should have never married that person, and, that guy should never have been appointed as an elder. And, there will be those who say that. Those words do not help, encourage or make matters any better. Everyone knows by this point that a mistake was made. Now, what to do with that mistake and how can one turn that around into something positive, godly and healthy. Lessons will be learned that ought to be shared with others. Don’t appoint someone too quickly. Don’t get married too fast. Take your time and look, observe and think things through. Look beyond the surface. Those are great thoughts on one side of the choice. But on the other side, it’s tough. And, often one must live with the choices, even the wrong ones, that they have made. Simply changing your mind doesn’t give you an easy door to exit through.

Making the most of a bad situation is often the only option one has, especially in a marriage. If this is you, you need encouragement. You need to be reminded of the right direction that you need to travel. Satan will tempt you with choices that are even worse. When we know others who are like this, we need to support right and help them. So often a person feels alone, embarrassed and unsure what to do. Strong preaching helps both a congregation and an individual when wrong choices have been made.

In a perfect world, we would never make a wrong choice. But this world is not perfect…

Roger

08

Jump Start # 2669

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2669

Ecclesiastes 3:8 “A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.”

The other day while mowing and listening to my “oldies” music, the song, “Turn, turn, turn,” came on by the Byrds. The words are straight from Ecclesiastes 3. It’s a great song. I doubt that the Lord got any royalty money for the words, even though they were His. While listening, our verse, was sung, “a time to love and a time to hate.”

We pretty much have the love time down. We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Husbands are to love their wives. Loving God is the greatest commandment. We are even to love and pray for our enemies. In weddings, 1 Corinthians 13, the Biblical concept of love is read. Behind evangelism and before forgiveness is the principle of love. We hear many, many sermons on love.

But when is the time to hate? Hate is always seen as bad. In the current social unrest a lot of hatred is being expressed and demonstrated. Politicians say mean things about each other. When an angry child shouts that he hates his sibling, parents are quick to turn that around and stop that kind of talk. But, here, Solomon tells us that just as there is a time to love, there is a time to hate. Solomon not only being one of the smartest people in the Bible, endowed by wisdom from God, he was also guided by the Holy Spirit to write what he did. So, in essence, God is saying there is a time to hate.

This is one of those topics that generically is misunderstood. Like the subject of judging, we are led to believe that all judging is wrong. But, it’s not. The very passage that tells us not to judge, tells us to judge. Contextually, one comes to understand what is meant by “judge not.” Hatred is like that. You’ve likely not heard a sermon about the upside of hating. “Ten great ways to hate,” usually doesn’t make it to Sunday morning.

What is even more shocking to those who haven’t delved into the Bible much is that God hates. This seems counter to the passages that says “God is love.”

  • Proverbs 6 identifies a list of things that God hates
  • Psalms 5:5 says that God hates those who do iniquity

A time to hate? When is it ever a time to hate?

First, hatred is an emotion and a reaction. It is never an excuse to harm someone or to break laws. We can never hide behind, “A time to hate,” as a justification for being cruel, unkind or hurtful to others. One passage does not eliminate another passage. A time to hate doesn’t give reason to ignore the golden rule or to love your enemies. Hatred expressed in offensive and bad language isn’t right. Hatred that leads to hurting someone isn’t right. With some, hatred is a green light to do criminal activity, be ugly and out shout everyone else. A time to hate isn’t a time to close the rest of the Bible.

Second, God’s level of things will never be ours. God forgives much greater than we ever can. God loves greater than we can. And, God’s hatred is much different than ours. The anger of God is seen throughout the Bible. The casting of Adam and Eve out of the garden, the worldwide flood, sending worms to arrogant Herod, the instant death of Nadab, Abihu, Ananias and Sapphira all illustrate the anger and wrath of God. The justice of God justifies these things. We are not God and we are not to take the law into our own hands. God established the government as a means to punish evildoers.

Third, hatred can blind us and destroy us. Some people can be eaten up with hatred and refuse to reason or listen to others. Their hatred drives them to be prejudicial, evil and even mean towards those they do not like. In anger, people have said things that they wish they never did. Anger has hurt many innocent people. It is nearly impossible to be filled with hatred and not be an angry person. That unchecked anger invites the devil into our hearts to take us places that are not kind, wholesome or good. And, once hatred has settled within us, it is hard to get rid of it. Some are living in hatred all of their lives. And, that hatred makes them miserable. I’ve met a few brethren through the years that allowed hatred to dominate their thinking. They were a mess. They were trouble in the church and in their homes. Not much good came from hateful hearts.

Fourth, having put all of these prequalifies on hatred, when if ever, is the time to hate? Can I ever hate and still be right with God? Does hate even belong within the heart of a child of God? Great questions to consider. Here is my short list that I came up with:

  • First, I ought to hate when I disappoint God, let others down and choose sin. We tend to think of hatred as outward and directed toward others. But, a positive way to use this negative is to look within. We ought to hate doing wrong. We ought to hate hurting others. For some of us, the way we grew up, we have a little Pharisee within us that wants to be judgmental towards others. One ought to hate that about his own heart. And, this hatred of doing wrong should lead us to forgive others and to seek to walk with the Lord more. A time to hate? Every time you and I do wrong.
  • Second, I ought to hate when people abuse the God I love. God’s name is holy and sacred. When people blaspheme that name, use that name in vain, and use it as causally as air, giving no thought to the Lord, that ought to disturb me. It ought to bother me. I cannot like on Facebook any message that trashes God’s divine name. Saying, “My God,” or, “Oh, my God,” is not wrong if one is truly thinking about the Lord. But when someone doesn’t know what to say, and they just say that as nothing, that ought to bother me. If someone was trash talking my sweet wife, they’d get a truckload of trouble from me. You don’t do that. She means too much to me. Shouldn’t we feel the same about the God we love and follow? Someone starts abusing God’s name, I’ll correct them, or I’ll leave the conversation. I will not act as if I approve or if there is nothing wrong with that. There is.
  • Third, I hate every false way. The Psalmist expressed that. We ought to as well. Sin is not ok, whether it’s done by us, a family member or seen in the movies. Sin mocks God’s holy word. I cannot be happy about couples who are living together unmarried. That’s wrong. I cannot be happy about people getting divorced just because they don’t like each other anymore. That’s wrong. I cannot be happy about wrong. Some misuse their position in universities or sports or Hollywood or politics to mock and ridicule God. I cannot be afraid of them nor approve of that. In this current season of national politics, I’m hearing brethren say, “abortion isn’t the only issue.” That’s right. But, abortion is an issue. Abortion is legalized murder. I cannot overlook that. I cannot say the other matters are more important. Current culture wants to legalize drugs, especially marijuana. I cannot support that. Nothing godly, righteous or good will come from that. It leads to cancer faster than cigarettes do. It is addictive. It does not strengthen families, marriages or souls. Now, what I do when I hate false ways is important. Hating one wrong does not give me the permission to do wrong. I hate abortion. That does not give me the right to bomb abortion clinics or hunt down doctors that preform abortions and harm them. One wrong does not justify another wrong. I do not like abusive police who use their badge to do what they want. But, in disliking abusive police, I do not and can not throw a brick through a store window in protest or spit in another policeman’s eye. Not all police are abusive. Not all police are bad. Hating the bad does not give me the right to be bad.

There is a time to hate. How you express it says much. Our power is not in tearing down things physically, but in arguments of truth. Jesus reminded His disciples to turn the cheek when they have been struck. He ordered Peter to put away the sword when He was arrested. The world hates. It hates goodness. It hates truth. It hates Jesus. We will be hated because of the name of Jesus. While on the cross Jesus uttered no threats. Rather, He forgave His crucifiers. His hatred of sin took Him to the cross.

In these turbulent times, it is easy to become what we don’t like in others. There is a time to hate. Know when that time is and know just how to do that and remain holy, righteous and godly. Those qualities go together when manifested properly.

Roger

04

Jump Start # 2668

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2668

2 Corinthians 2:11 “so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”

NOTE: Monday is a holiday so there will be no Jump Start.

In our verse, the apostle reveals two important truths. First, Satan has schemes. He’s trying to trick us, fool us, and blind us to the reality of wrong. He is hoping to cover our eyes to the consequences and destructive outcome that sin has in our lives. “It’s not so bad,” is one of Satan’s greatest lines.

The second truth in this passage is about us, the people of God. We are on to Satan. We see through the smoke and the slick talk. We are not buying what he is saying. In the language of the passage, “We are not ignorant of his schemes.” Satan has schemes and we know what they are. We have his play book. He’ll lie. He’ll use people close to us. He’ll jumble things up in our minds. He’ll twist Scripture. He’ll march pleasure right before our eyes. He’s good, real good at what he does, however, we are on to him. He’s not surprising us.

It is interesting how Satan will make danger look innocent. We are attracted to what seems nice and cute, only to find out how terrifying sin can be. There is a section of Yellowstone Park where the mighty bison roam freely. They cross the road. Some even walk down the road. Hundreds and hundreds of massive bison. Cars stop on both sides of the rode. People get out and take pictures. Stories are told of how some parents put their small children next to one of the bison for a picture. Some foolish parents even try to put their child on top of a bison. The bison are a wonder to watch. Big. Gentle looking. One is drawn to go and pet one. But every year someone is seriously hurt and some even die because these adorable bison are massive wild animals. People believe that they are harmless, even domesticated. But they are not. They can toss a person in the air, charge a car and become very aggressive.

And, Satan does that with temptation. It appears innocent, sweet, nice and we do not see how wild, aggressive and destructive it can be. Temptation looks at the now, not the later. Temptation focuses upon the fun, not the consequences. Temptation fools one into believing a dangerous situation is not dangerous at all. But in an instant, all that fun, all that excitement can change. The step is taken, temptation turns into sin and now one has crossed that forbidden line. Now that person is standing out of bounds. Now that person has violated the law of God. And, at first, the person seems to get away with it. This is great. It’s fun, he believes. But just as a mouse trap comes rapidly upon the unsuspecting mouse, sin traps us, changes us and hurts us.

Temptation can wear lipstick and be nothing more than a little office flirting. Cute. Fun. No harm. But like standing beside that giant bison, in a moment, everything changes. The little flirting turns into a sexual affair. And, trouble begins. Lies must be told to hide things. Deception, secrets and fear of getting caught becomes the focus. Emotions get involved. Things get tangled up. The kids. The wife. The house. Does one leave it all and get a divorce? What a mess one has gotten into. That adorable bison charged and now we are in trouble.

Temptation can appear as black and white numbers on a spread sheet. So many numbers. Such a large corporation. Such waste. Just change a few numbers here and there. Nothing too great. Nothing that the company will not miss. And, now temptation has you skimming money from an account that is not yours. You justify it so easily. They waste that much money on paper every month. The big shots always get such big bonuses and yet you are carrying the load of the work. Do that just a few more times and you can afford to purchase the truck you’ve always wanted. It will be ok. And, like that temptation becomes a sin. That cute bison becomes aggressive. And one day, it is discovered. People show up at your desk. You are escorted out and now you have a court date. You lost your job. You will face jail time. You must pay an enormous amount of money back. And you wonder how did all of this happen?

Temptation can appear as a little white pill. You’ve been bothered and stressed with the pandemic and school at home. You can’t sleep. You are anxious and just not yourself. A friend passes a white pill to you. Take this, it will make you feel better. You look at the pill and think “why not?” And, she was right. You don’t feel so anxious. You seem to be in a better mood. The kids don’t irritate you so much. Your friend was right. But that one pill didn’t last very long. So you ask your friend for some more. You find a way to get some from a doctor. You take more than what you are supposed to, but they sure make you feel better. And, like that temptation has become an addiction. Now, you must have more of these pills. You ask others if you can have one or two of theirs. You come up with ways to get more, and some of the ways are not good, right or legal. Every bit of extra money you can scrape up goes to getting more pills. And, when you are without the pills, your life is a tragic mess. That adorable bison that you wanted to pet, has turned and gored you. He was wild but you wouldn’t believe it.

Paul’s words are: we are not ignorant of his schemes. I wonder if that is true? I wonder if we simply refuse to think that something dangerous can be inside something so wonderful like a mighty bison? Sure gives us something to think about.

Roger

03

Jump Start # 2667

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2667

Ephesians 4:22-24 “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which, in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

There is one word that can sum up our verses today. That word is change. Change the way you think. Change the way you act. Change the way you do things. And, that one word is often hard for us. We don’t do well with change. We get accustomed to the way things are. We drive down the same roads. We shop at the same stores. Many of us even sit in the same pew during worship. And, when life forces us to change, it’s hard on us.

It takes awhile to get used to a new phone, a new remote, finding things in a new store. And, the older one gets, the more he wishes that things would go back to the way they used to be. But that never happens. So, one is forced to embrace change or be left behind.

The passages today are not about new technology, or new roads, but a new way of life. Conversion is called “the newness of life.” Things are different. Things are no longer what they once were. It’s not a matter of simply adding church to your busy life. You, through Jesus Christ, have changed. You are not the same person as you once were. Your value system changed. What impresses you has changed. What you are after has changed. On the outside, you look the same, but on the inside, you are not the same. You have changed.

Some thoughts for us:

First, this change comes in the form of choices that we must make. Once in a while, you’ll run into someone who was baptized but he never really changed. He’s still rough, raw and offensive. He’s remained selfish and indifferent to others. He speaks cruel and judgmental things. He’s hard on his family. He doesn’t seem to care much about his church family. This guy got into the baptistery, but somehow he left his heart out. He never changed. And, the waters of baptism will not magically change a person, he has to make the right choices in his life.

Paul uses two action words in our verses today. First, laying aside. Putting off. Stopping, is a much clearer understanding. Second, put on. Start doing. So, change is manifested in both a positive and a negative. One has stopped doing the things that are not healthy spiritually and now he has chosen to do the right things spiritually. His choice. His actions. His new life.

Second, this change is possible for all of us. The old saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” may be true of dogs, but we are not dogs. We are created in the image of God. You can change. You can stop wrong behavior and wrong thinking. You can start doing what is right and thinking right. No one is too old to do this. It takes some effort. It takes some “want to” and will power and diligence, but it can be done. It can be done because God says so.

Third, once this change has been made, it will be noticed by you, by your family, by those you associate with. A different and better attitude will be seen. A better and more positive spirit will be expressed. A kinder, more compassionate, more willing to help out heart will be part of you. You’ll be more patient. You’ll forgive more. You’ll check your words before you say them. You’ll listen more and talk less. And, what people will see is a better you. It ought to improve your marriage. It ought to give you a better relationship with your children and siblings. You’ll feel better about yourself. You’ll realize what a mess and how miserable you once were.

Fourth, you’ll find that you have much more in common with your church family. You’re thinking, ideas, dreams and hopes will gel into a common love for the Lord and His kingdom. You’ll like worship much more. You’ll find that people enjoy your company and want to know what you are thinking about things.

Finally, you’ll see that you cannot really change others. You can only change yourself. You can show others. You can influence others. You can teach and even warn others. But, in the end, they have to change themselves, just as you had to change yourself. Sometimes we invite trouble and battles when we try to pressure or even force others to change when they don’t want to. This is hard for parents of grown children to deal with. You remember when your child was three, you told him what to eat, what to wear and when to go to bed. But when that child is now thirty-three, he doesn’t and probably won’t listen to you. Your role has changed. You have gone from controlling his life to being an advisor. And, the truth is, our children often do not want nor like our advice. You can only change yourself.

Change. Some fight it. Some find it hard to deal with. But when we change our insides for the Lord, what a wonderful, wonderful world is opened up to us.

Roger

02

Jump Start # 2666

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2666

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.”

In the news recently, yet another well known evangelical preacher is in trouble for moral indiscretions. This has given critics of faith another reason to boast that all Christians, especially preachers, are frauds, hypocrites, and are only interested in fleecing the flock of their finances. Lest we think that is only “among them,” and not us, our own fellowship has been hammered by unfaithfulness, divorce and broken promises, even among our preachers. Years of good in the pulpit can be wiped away by just a few fleeting moments of sin. And, the aftermath, is like a major bomb that has exploded. Reputation ruined. Confidence shattered. There are those who will use dark moments like that to find the exit door and never come back. It taints and colors people’s attitudes. It makes everyone suspicious of all the others. It’s hard as a preacher to follow a disaster in a church. I followed a preacher who borrowed a bunch of money from members and others and then skipped town. Boy, that left a sour taste in the mouths of the brethren. I was asked several times about my finances and if I ever borrowed money from individuals. It took me a while to figure out why they kept asking me all those questions. But I learned. They didn’t know if they could trust me.

Our verse is about the wonderful impact that a good influence can have. The Lord shows us the two step direction which people see. First, they see the good that you have done. You have helped others. You have been there. You have been an encouragement. But the second step, is not to praise you, or pat you on the back, but rather, to glorify God. Your good points to God. Now this is done as we give credit, honor and praise to God. People might not naturally do that, but with our lead they will. Don’t steal the glory that belongs to the Lord.

There is something special about influence. Right or wrong, people will make three judgments based upon what you do.

First, they will make a judgment about you personally. They will determine whether you are genuine and sincere or not. They will sense whether you are after something, want something, or whether you are truly a good hearted person. We must be careful about this in evangelism. We run into someone and we really want them to be a part of our congregation. We lay it on thick. We invite them out to eat with us. We have them over. Lots of attention is given. But when they decide not to be a part of the church, suddenly, we are finished with them. No more invites. No more getting together. And, it doesn’t take much to see through the smoke. You were trying to buy them and when they didn’t, you moved on to someone else.

How we act under fire often shows our true colors. How do we handle stress at work? How do we respond to gossip? The same is true when around family members. They see us. Does our walk match our talk? If we are seen to be “two-faced,” then there will not be much interest in what we say. How honest are we in business? How kind and generous are we when out to eat? Does anger change us and get the best of us? There are all kinds of eyes seeing you every day. Little eyes at home. The eyes of co-workers and business associates. The eyes of neighbors. And, from what they see, they make a determination about your faith.

Second, they will make a judgment about the congregation based upon what they see in you. I don’t know how many times through the years I’ve heard someone say, “Oh, I know someone that goes to your church.” And then what follows is negative. He lies. He’s a cheat. He cusses. He’s a big flirt, even though he’s married. It’s hard to overcome those negative judgments. People see you and they assume everyone in the congregation is like you. So, if the image is kind, friendly, caring, generous, helpful, that judgment will do more good than a mountain of tracts. Doctrinal truth is not as important to most people as is kindness, goodness and hearts that care.

So, this tells us that we must be careful about our influence. “Burning bridges,” leaving a place of work with ugly words, threats and things that just shouldn’t be said, might make you feel good for the moment, but it may well have ruined any opportunity for those people to ever visit the congregation. They will see the church through you. So if you have been dishonest to make a sell, cut corners that shouldn’t have been, bent the rules, the person of the world will conclude that the church is a bunch of hypocrites and fakes. The message from the pulpit can be ruined by the message of our lives. But, when you have gone out of your way to make things right, even if it costs you, people will remember. They will take note of that. And, that impression may open their eyes to listen to the message of the Gospel.

Third, people will make a judgment about Jesus and the system of Christianity from what they see in you. It trickles about to the Lord. Just as our good works brings glory to the Lord, our bad ways makes people want nothing to do with the Lord. We are a reflection of Jesus. This is why in this Matthew account Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” and “you are the salt of the earth.” Jesus did not say, “You need to become that,” or, “you ought to be that.” His words were, “YOU ARE.” If indeed Christ lives in me, than the impression I leave with others is much more important than myself. Making a scene, loosing your temper, giving someone a piece of your mind, only distorts the perception one has of the Lord.

We have been blessed. And when we become a blessing to others, it shows the goodness of God. We have been forgiven. And, when we forgive others, we show the goodness of God. When we serve, we show the goodness of God. When we are thankful, we show the goodness of God.

Impressions. What we do outside the church building can be the greatest help or the biggest hindrance to everything that we do. People are watching. People are making a decision about what they see. Make sure, they see what God wants you to illustrate. You are the light…You are the salt.

Roger