09

Jump Start # 2693

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

Jump Start # 2693

2 John 12 “Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy made be made complete.”

I got something to tell you, that’s the thought behind this verse. But instead of writing, I want to tell you face to face. Some of the great lessons we learn from the Bible are not wrapped in the obvious, but they are tucked in layers of narrative thought. Such is what we find in our verse today.

It is easy as one gets to the end of some of the N.T. letters to just fly through the names, the greetings and the final words. Yet, as in our verse today, those final sentences hold so many wonderful and powerful lessons for us.

Today, let’s consider “face to face.”

First, there is great value in face to face conversations. Ideas can be lost as one writes. Even in phone calls, emails, and the world of instant messages and texting, nothing beats face to face. Face to face, shows that you care enough to come and talk. It’s easy to type out some message, send it and then be done with it. It takes effort, time and a bit of risk to sit down face to face. Face to face is even better than phone calls. When one is face to face, we can see eyes roll in disgust, wrinkled foreheads in confusion, see the body language and pick up on the attitudes through tones, inflections and sighs. You can’t get that on paper. You can’t get that on the text screen of your phone.

Second, face to face allows you the opportunity to explain yourself, clarify things, and hear the other person right there in the context of the conversation. Life is busy. You text me and I may not text you back for a while. You send me an email, and it may be hours later until I get to it. By then, you can get all worked up about my silence when it has been nothing more than a busy day with lots of interruptions. Sometimes what we say is not the way people hear it. A little explaining can defuse the situation and keep things from blowing up. Sometimes questions come up when we are talking with a person. That exchange of question and answers helps us to see where they are coming from.

Third, face to face allows one to earnestly plead what is important. Think about all the face to face conversations in the Bible. The prophet Nathan with King David. The eunuch and Philip. Zacchaeus and Jesus. Moses and Pharaoh. Priscilla and Aquila with Apollos. Hezekiah and Isaiah. Lots and lots of private conversations that God allows us to eavesdrop in on. We see things. We learn things. It shows us how we ought to conduct ourselves.

Consider some great times where face to face works the best:

First, imagine a couple of shepherds going to the home of a member who is falling off the rails. His attendance stinks. His attitude is indifferent. He’s spinning out of control and is in need of discipline. The old method would be to send a cold letter in the mail, telling him he best straighten up in two weeks or he’s withdrawn from. This is how most deal with those situations. But imagine, just imagine, a couple of those shepherds meeting with this man, face to face, in his home and having a conversation about his choices, his commitment, and His Lord. Certainly, it’s a lot harder to do it this way, but the results might be much different if this man saw just how much these shepherds truly cared. Help could be offered. Suggestions made. Hope planted. It could be just the thing to turn this man around and get him walking with the Lord.

Second, imagine a church wanting to hire a new preacher. But before the preacher brings his family and on a Sunday delivers his “tryout” sermon, he meets face to face with the shepherds. Not just for a short meet and greet, but dozens of times. They talk. They find out if they are thinking the same. He sees how the shepherds interact. Ideas are shared. Concerns are expressed. Lots and lots of face to face. And, finally, after all that, he brings his family and “tries out.” What a different experience that would be. What a confident and healthy feeling both sides would have. But as it is, the preacher parade continues. A new preacher and family shows up one Sunday. He preaches. The church meets at a pitch-in. The elders ask the two most important questions, “How much money will it take to get you,” and, “How soon can you start.” From that a phone call is made midweek and the preacher is hired and he walks blindly into the fog of not knowing the leaders, what they expect, nor where they are headed. And, time after time, disaster happens. Within a few months the preacher realizes what a terrible mistake he has made. Within five years he has moved on, and the process continues. More face to face would change that culture and help find the best fit for that congregation.

Third, imagine someone having a disagreement with what was said in a class, having a face to face conversation with the teacher. Instead, what often happens is that someone says things publically and things are made worse than what they really are. Emails and texts fly through the congregation which only build taller barriers. A misunderstanding becomes a major problem and sprinkled with a heavy dose of pride, feelings get hurt and people leave. Those that leave make claims that the teacher never believes. A face to face conversation would have smoothed things out very peaceably.

I have found that some will never say things to your face. But on social media they can be bold, aggressive and even offensive. That’s a bit cowardly. It’s easy to hide behind a email. Face to face brings just you and the person of disagreement. Face to face, however, offers the best opportunity to apologize, forgive and restore fellowship among two.

Finally, in teaching the disciples to pray, Jesus told them to go into the closet and shut the door. Just you and God. Face to face with God. There is no bragging when it’s just you and God. There is no hiding the truth when it’s just you and God. He knows. He already knows. He has always known. Face to face. It’s a time to be honest, humble, and penitent.

I got things to write, but I’d rather tell you face to face. Great thought!

Roger

09

Jump Start # 2692

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

Jump Start # 2692

Mark 4: 41 “And they became very much afraid and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Our verse today ends the fourth chapter of Mark. There was a violent storm on the sea. The disciples did all they could, but it wasn’t enough. They thought they were going down. They truly believed that they were going to die. Scared, they awoke Jesus who had been sleeping. Mark’s account reveals three words Jesus said, “Hush, be still.” Those weren’t magical words. Had the disciples said those same words, the storm would have continued on in intensity. It was Jesus. He is Lord of Heaven and Earth. He has all authority. No, it wasn’t the words, it was the power of God that stilled the sea.

Then our verse. Hearts pounding in fear, the sea settled and the storm over, wet, shaken, they look at Jesus and become even more frightened. No one has ever done what He just did. No one can stop storms, but He did. No one can calm a sea, but He has. Just who is this Jesus? Their minds were swirling with thoughts.

After the storm. I just finished a short little book called “The Post Quarantine Church.” There are about five or six sentences that are good, and the rest, not so hot. It’s written by someone who doesn’t understand the place and purpose of the Biblical church. But what the book does create is the idea and thoughts of what happens after the storm. What happens after the pandemic is over? And, instead of waiting until we are there, it is good to start thinking, planning and envisioning what the post quarantine church will be like.

Here are a few of my thoughts:

First, experts and stats indicate that more people are injured and killed after a storm than during the storm. This is true physically. After a hurricane or tornado, people start cleaning up the debris. Live electrical wires, unsafe walls, exposed nails and things like that cause more harm to lives than the storm does. Taking that thought spiritually, once all the videos stop and the classes resume and the assembling returns, there may be more spiritual causalities than what the separation created. It’s been a long time since folks sat in a Bible classroom and many have gotten use to watching videos when time allowed, there may be some attitudes, emotions and feelings that need adjusting. There is not too much of a team spirit and being a team player when one is separate. Unity, fellowship, tolerance, getting along, subjection may be some themes that once again need to be addressed. Understanding the role of being a member and the value of gathering together are some fundamentals that may have been lost during the storm.

Second, returning to normal may not be the best thing. So many are talking about getting back to the way things were. This is a good time to evaluate how “good” normal was. Did the way we do things truly help people and reach people and move people closer to the Lord? There may be some “new” normal that come out. This is being talked about in the business community. Many are finding that working from home works. The real estate that so many businesses were leasing could be dumped and better productivity comes from the home. Restaurants are looking at better ways of using menus. Everyone touches those menus. Maybe a cleaner, safer way is better. And, for congregations, we’ve had to make many adjustments to navigate through the quarantine period. Rather than passing communion and contribution plates, which everyone touches, maybe a stationary basket for contribution and disposable communion which people pick up on their own is the way to go. Maybe offering video classes will be a permanent part of the future.

The adjustments made during the pandemic may have opened our eyes to better ways of doing things. The old normal may not have been the best way to do things. Often, we do things just because we always have. We have survived a year without Gospel meetings. Could it be that the purpose and the way we do those will now be looked at more carefully?

After a terrible storm has destroyed a home, it is not uncommon for the owners to rebuild. But what is rebuilt is often different, better and stronger than what was standing before the storm. A thought for us as we try to rebuild after the pandemic storm.

Third, the use of videos, livestream, podcasts and blogs has shown for many, many congregations that they have a wider and larger audience than what shows up on Sunday morning. For us, in the height of the quarantine, we had more than a thousand people watching our Sunday services. Even after congregations started returning to assembling, we have a continual steady number in the hundreds who are engaged with what is being sent out. We have received emails and texts worldwide. Once the storm passes, should these things stop? Ought a congregation draw the circle inward or should they continue to spread the message out as far and as wide as possible? I know the answer for us. It’s global. There are many lives being touched that will never assemble in our church building, but what is the focus and point? Build up the size of the Sunday attendance or grow the kingdom worldwide?

After the storm—there is always some cleaning up to be done. There is always some work that needs our attention. But there is also a window of opportunity to make things better than they were before. Now is the time to put some thought into that.

Roger

08

Jump Start # 2691

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

Jump Start # 2691

 John 14:30 “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me,“

Our verse today nears the end of Jesus’ discourse with His disciples. The cross was looming in His mind. The time was near. And, in the words of our passage, “the rule of this world is coming.” That of course, would be Satan. It was Satan that tempted Judas. It was Satan that tempted Peter. And, it’s Satan that knocks on the doors of each of our hearts. He is a ruler, but he is not, nor will he ever be “the King of kings and the Lord of lords.”

There is an interesting statement at the conclusion of our verse. The New American Standard  states, “he has nothing in Me.” The English Standard, our verse today, uses, “He has no claim on me.” No claim. We understand that idea. It’s about ownership. Mortgage titles and car titles and publication rights  are about ownership. Many famous musicians, early in their careers, signed away the rights of their songs to record producers and agents. After those songs became major hits many learned that the owners of those rights were making all the money. The musicians wrote the songs, recorded the songs, and toured the world, but the money came in to those who owned the rights of those songs.

Here, in our passage, Jesus is declaring that Satan doesn’t own Him. He has no claim on me. He has nothing  in Me. Jesus didn’t owe Satan anything. Satan couldn’t declare that part of Jesus belonged to the wicked one. Jesus was 100% committed to God. He was all in. And, this is evident throughout the Gospels.

  • Pilate investigated and interrogated Jesus and found Him to be innocent. There was nothing worthy of death.
  • The Pharisees tried and tried to trip Jesus up. They tried to trick Jesus. They tried to trap Jesus against the law. They never could.
  • The Sadducees also tried to find a flaw in Jesus. They made up hypothetical situations that they believed would confuse and catch Jesus in a doctrinal spider web that He could not escape. He did.
  • Alone with Satan in the wilderness for more than a month, Satan tried and tried to get Jesus to sin. He couldn’t do it. Satan even used the word of God against Jesus. It didn’t work.

Blameless. Perfect. Flawless. Consistent. All this was true in His teachings and in His character and behavior. He was tempted but He never sinned. Satan had no claim in Jesus.

Now, some lessons for us.

First, this hasn’t been true of us. Satan has had a claim on us. In fact, there was a time when Satan owned us. Temptation has knocked and we not only answered the door, we invited temptation in. We have struggled and we have often slipped. We have done things worthy of death. We have not acted as we should have. We’ve thought things, said things, and did things that we should never have. Ours has been a struggle. There have been some skirmishes and battles that we lost. There has been some causalities and consequences to our sins. There has been times in our past that there has been more Satan in us than there has been God.

Second, because of the love of Jesus and His saving blood, we have been cleansed, washed and redeemed. And, we needed to be. It’s not a matter of simply “going to church” on Sundays, but a total rewiring and a reclaiming of who owns us. We have retitled our hearts and given that title to Jesus. He now claims us. We belong to Him. He has opened the prison door that Satan locked and convinced us that the key was thrown away and we would never get out. But, that’s not true. Because of Jesus we are free.

These concepts are hard for some to understand. The American spirit has led some to believe that spiritually I belong to no one. I am on my own. Independent. Answering to no one. Calling my own shots. This is how many think it is, but they are wrong. You are either claimed by the ‘ruler of this world,’ or you belong to Christ. There is no true independence. That very idea is nothing more than the Gospel of Satan. Doing what you want, when you want, as you want, is just Satan talk.

Third, it is an honor to be claimed by God. Broken as we were, God could have declared that He had no purpose or use for us. But He didn’t. Loved. Forgiven. Wanted. Needed. God claims Christians. Being a Christian is nothing to apologize for. It’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s not something that we try to keep hidden. It’s just the opposite. Tell the world, scream it from the rooftops, let the world know, we belong to Christ. Jesus matters and He matters the most to us. Satan has nothing on Jesus. And, as long as we stay very close to Jesus, and step where He stepped and follow Him, we will get through this world and find ourselves with the Savior forever.

There is a scene in Disney’s first Toy Story movie where on the bottom of Woody’s cowboy boot is written the name “Andy,” the little boy who owned him. And, if you could see written on the hearts of disciples, you would find the name “Jesus.” He claims us. Paul told the Galatians, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

These thoughts are important and important to share with others. Many seem to travel in a fog these days. They are uncertain who they are and where they fit in. Society pushes them this way and then back that way. Family, friends, work, just where do we fit in. We belong to Jesus. He claims us. He’s paid the price to purchase us. It wasn’t cash. It wasn’t a loan. It was His blood. We are a blood bought people. And, with that, He claims us. We belong to Jesus.

Who has a claim on you? Do you know?

Roger

06

Jump Start # 2689

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2689

Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I command you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Our Lord spoke these instructions to the apostles in the context of the great commission. They were being sent out. They would travel to places that they had never dreamed or possibly ever wanted to go to. They would do things they had never done before, particularly stand and preach. And, the Lord expected and anticipated that people would respond to their words. People would believe. They were to baptize those that believed. But that wasn’t it. There was more. They were to teach these new believers to keep the commandments of the Lord. These new believers were to be obedient. It wasn’t just rules that were taught, but it was a new heart and a new thinking that was involved. They were no longer independent, selfish and doing what they wanted. World-wide, people were being taught to obey Jesus. World-wide, different languages, cultures and histories, a unified movement was expanding. Jesus was shaping the world, one heart at a time.

And, for us, many lessons come from this:

First, the importance of teaching those newly baptized. Some leave as quickly as they came. They heard enough to know to be baptized and once that was done, they were left alone, or more accurately, they were ignored. And, being just one step out of the world, it was so easy for them to turn around and go right back to the world, again. But, it’s more than rules that need to be taught. People need to understand that they need Jesus. They need to walk with Jesus. Their way didn’t work. Their way got them into the mess that they were in. “Teaching them to observe,” is a way of thinking, looking at things and understanding that Jesus is right in all things.

Second, what and how to teach is important. This teaching ought to be both one-on-one as well as in congregational settings. Private and public. In congregational settings, the new disciple sees that he is being taught the same thing as others. He sees that others are with him and we are all in this together. In private settings, details and specifics that are personal can be talked about. Questions are more likely to be asked in private settings. And, through this a relationship, friendship and fellowship is developed.

Third, thought needs to be given as to what to teach. A new disciple starting where the congregation is, which might be in the midst of Jeremiah, or Romans, will quickly be lost without some context, history and background being explained to him. In our homes, we do not give a new baby the same food as we do a teen. The teen has been around a while. He can eat just about anything. The little baby cannot and should not be given the same food. So, classes for new people are very helpful. It’s easy to assume that everyone is  in just about the same place spiritually. That is a bad assumption. It’s not true. Some do not know the books of the Bible. Some do not know the abbreviations of the books of the Bible. Some do not know the structure of the Bible. Simple core principles and teachings about the Bible itself is very useful.

Congregationally, insight needs to be given into what the needs are. Just teaching verse by verse, book after book, isn’t the only nor always even the best method. Nor is it the best just to buy a ready made class book. Look at where the congregation is and what they need. Topical studies are valuable as well as textual studies. Having a plan for a year is good. Having a plan for five years is the best. When a college freshman begins his course of studies, the pathway for his degree is laid out. He knows what he is taking the first semester all through the last semester. His course of studies will not be the same for someone in a different major. Imagine a congregation mapping out a four year, quarter by quarter plan which lays out the fundamentals and grows in depth as the student develops knowledge and faith. It takes a lot of planning, forethought and work to do that, but it can be done. Rather than a hodgepodge of whatever the teacher feels like teaching, a specified and designed map is drawn up so each person knows, years in advance, what they will be studying, and learning.

Fourth, the Lord did not intend for the apostles to do all this teaching on their own. Ephesians tells us that God sent apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists and shepherds to train and teach the congregation. Had each apostle been responsible for doing all of this, they would not have traveled beyond the first city they went to. They would have been doing all the teaching right there. As it is, they preached and taught. Others followed. There was Apollos. There was Timothy. There was Titus. There were others. When the weight of teaching falls upon one or a handful of the same ones, they become burdened. Teachers need not only a break but they need time to be taught more. Developing a team of teachers is powerful for a growing church.

Finally, teaching others is such a joy and a blessing. Having a working team that helps with the new disciple, and those that can teach publically is the backbone of a strong church. Want to know how a church is doing…look at what and how they are teaching. Look at the one year, five year plan. Look at what direction their classes are taking them. Look at who is doing the teaching and how many are involved.

Teaching them to observe the Lord’s commands—we still do that today. Some only teach the Lord’s commands. Others teach how to observe. It’s a matter of giving someone a fish or teaching them how to fish on their own. The Lord knew.

Roger

05

Jump Start # 2688

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2688

Galatians 4:16 “Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

The Galatians were mixed up, confused and upside down about several things. This was caused by some strong Jewish influences that were trying to incorporate key points of the Old Testament law that they thought were vital. In many ways, they were trying to make the Gentiles Jewish before they became Christians. It seems that wherever Paul traveled, Jewish troublemakers followed. And, this caused Paul to go back and straighten out these things in these hearts.

Our verse comes from some of this “straightening out” that Paul had to do. And, in explaining why one cannot be under two laws at once and the place of circumcision, Paul was painted as the enemy. Our verse simply asks, “Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

Those words are something that comes to our minds in our culture today. There are a lot of things being said in the arena of race, prejudice, political discussions, violence, law enforcement and even social distancing and wearing masks. The current atmosphere of things rarely allows for honest discussion. If one disagrees on any of these items, he is deemed the enemy and all communication is shut down. I see this especially on social media. Multiple times I have read posts that are not factual, but the person states that if you disagree, you will be blocked and the person is not interested in hearing anything other than praise for their position. That is a sad place to be. Open discussion is healthy. It allows one to consider standpoints that he may not have thought of before. When we surround ourselves with just those who agree with us, they become nothing more than our cheerleaders and we do not allow ourselves to think clearly about important topics.

There was a time, not so long ago, that men who differed religiously would debate those principles in an open and monitored format. I have collections of religious debate books from years gone by. The spirit of our times today would not allow for many of those discussions. We’ve closed the door to anyone who does not agree with the way we think.

Now, give this some thought:

First, not even considering what an opposing thought might be sounds very arrogant. If one has the truth, then there is nothing to fear in hearing what others say. Truth rises to the top. Truth defeats all error. Truth is based upon investigation and facts. The volume one speaks, nor the number of people lined up in support does not determine what is right. This too is not understood today. On the national front, grab some high profile people who voice what you say and that is supposed to end all discussions. It doesn’t. And, shouting doesn’t make one right. It often ends the discussion, because who wants to engage in a shouting match? Listen to what others say. Read what others have written. Don’t drop your bucket only in the well of those who agree with you. This is true for us preachers. Don’t just read what our fellowship writes. Read what others say. Put some thought into where others stand. Then form your conclusions after you have looked at all the evidence carefully. Truth is truth, no matter who says it.

Second, pride will keep us from changing our minds. It is easy to get worked up emotionally and passionately about a topic and when we get all our friends to rally with us it is difficult to look at the truth truthfully. Some would rather be wrong, than have to swallow their pride and admit that their thinking was not clear. Religiously, this keeps some in error. Rather than admit that mom and dad were wrong spiritually, they will continue to believe something that the Bible does not teach because they do not want to admit that they or their parents were wrong. That pride will cause them to lose their soul. The only thing worse than being wrong, is knowing that one is wrong, but having too much pride to change.

Third, having an open mind and considering other views is not the same thing as tolerance or compromise. Some things are just wrong. Some things are plain dumb. Not everything can be accepted because not everything is right. Even though some may want to believe things that are wrong, that does not make them right. Paul said in Romans that the Gentiles exchanged the truth of God for a lie. Was the lie right? No. Was the lie a good second option? No. Was the lie helpful? No. Was there evidence to support the lie? No. Accepting what is wrong doesn’t make it right. There can be no tolerance for error. There can be no room for bending the truth of God’s word. Now, that makes one narrow. That makes one exclusive rather than inclusive. But we do this in other areas all the time. Suppose I go to the local hardware store and buy a board, three feet long for twenty dollars. Now, I pick out a four foot board saying it is a three feet. Right there, a disagreement begins with the hardware guy. He’ll put a tape measure to the board and show me that it is four feet long. Yet, I disagree with the tape measure. I don’t believe it’s right. At the checkout I hand the clerk a ten rather than a twenty. A ten is a twenty, I say. It’s not. I’m leaving that store with no board and the employees wandering how they let someone like me out on the streets. Standards—we have them all around us. Speed limits. Weights. Dollars. Time. You may not like them, but you cannot change them. That’s the way truth is. God’s word is true, Psalms 19 teaches. Jesus declared that “I am the truth.” You may not like it, agree with it and even want something different, but you cannot change it. I can live the rest of my life believing a ten dollar bill is the same as a twenty. I would be wrong. There is no place for tolerance of things that are not right. Who decides what is right? You? Me? The government? The will of the people? Or, the Lord who made us? It is God who determines what is right.

Standing for what is right, makes you an enemy of many people. And, people don’t like their enemies. Unlike what the Bible says, people do not pray for their enemies. They do not help their enemies. They want the enemies to be silenced and to go away. And, that leaves us with the options of either remaining silent about things, or enduring the consequences that some, including family, including friends, may not like us any more.

Have I become your enemy for telling you the truth?

Roger