29

Jump Start # 2769

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2769

Job 2:9 “Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!’”

This week I have been writing about my dad’s death and funeral. I hope you haven’t been discouraged by my ramblings about death and funerals. We all must go through those things and I hope that somewhere in these thoughts, some hope, help and assurance can be found. Grief is a journey that each person takes in their own way. Some do alright with it. Others don’t do so well.

I remember telling a couple years ago, who had a shaky marriage, after the death of their teenage son, that they would either pull together or pull apart. They chose to pull apart. A death was followed by a divorce.

Our verse today is a similar reminder. We talk about the sufferings of Job, but we forget that Mrs. Job suffered as well, if not more. It was her children that died. She sat watching her husband suffer. It was their livelihood that was turned upside down. Joy to misery. Happiness to defeat. Smiles to sorrows. That’s where we find Mrs. Job. Her advice? Blame God and throw in the towel. Don’t finish the course. Don’t keep the faith. Point your finger to Heaven and roll over and die. Two sentences is all Mrs. Job speaks in this book. Eleven words. She has the fewest words of anyone in this book. She is finished. She is ready to surrender.

Job wouldn’t have any of that. He rebuked his wife. He said she talked like a foolish person, a person having no faith, which probably well described her at that moment. Job did not sin with his lips. Not sure that could be said about his wife.

And, right here, what we learn is that men and women, husbands and wives, deal with suffering and grief in different ways. And, because each is dealing with it or actually, not dealing with it in their own way, spiritual loneliness can fill the heart.

The feeling of spiritual loneliness is found in:

  • Prayers that do not seem to be answered
  • Worship that seems empty and not helpful
  • Feeling burdened and overwhelmed
  • Feeling like you are alone, even though you may be surrounded by people
  • Feeling like no one else cares or understands
  • Feeling that sorrow is about to overcome you

Spiritual loneliness can be one of the great tests of our faith. It can lead us to being angry. Angry with God. Angry with family. Angry with the world. Seeing Job and Mrs. Job not on the same page ought to help us realize that:

First, as we deal with our own sorrow and grief there are others who also need us. Our examples and our faith can do much to help others as they journey though these feelings. Big ones and little ones in a family have lots of questions, sorrow and concerns. People of faith need to be a rock and point to the Scriptures for help and assurance.

Second, be patient. Healing takes time and not everyone is on the same pace as the rest. Some journey through quickly. Others, takes a much longer time. Don’t expect everyone else to be doing fine just because you are. Don’t be upset with others because you are teary and they are not.

Third, pull together and not apart. Talk if the other person feels like talking. Some will want to just look at pictures over and over. Others won’t. What works for one may not work for others.

Fourth, find ways to busy yourself. For me, it’s work. It takes my mind off of things and puts deadlines on the table. Keeping busy works for many of us.

Fifth, keep connected to God. This is true in home as well as in worship. Don’t drop out for a while. You need the Lord. You need encouragement. You need support. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others. Don’t let yourself slip away without doing something. God’s people are there to help you, if you will let them. God’s word is amazing. It will comfort your heart. It will challenge you to get up and get going. It will remind you, teach you and inform you. The more you can pour God’s word into your soul during the journey of grief, the better you will be on the other side.

Finally, someday you will be on the other side of sorrow. Time is a great healer. There is no way to fast forward to that period. You must walk there, day by day. Some days are better than others. A song, a hymn, a movie, is often all it takes for the flood of sorrow to return. Making wise and godly choices helps. But one day, you’ll be able to talk without the tears. One day, fond memories will fill your heart. Like a surgery, there may always be a scar, but the pain fades. And, with your experiences, you will be able to help others on their journey. Could that be one reason we have the book of Job? Death is part of life and understanding that and going through that, we learn much from the book of Job.

I want to think that Mrs. Job changed her tune. I want to believe, because of Job, that she stopped blaming God and counted her blessings. I want to think that by the end of the book, she stood with Job, side by side, in name and in destination, as they helped each other.

I wonder if we talk so much about death that we rarely mention grief. I wonder if we expect people just to know what to do. I wonder if we do not realize how intense the feeling of sorrow or loss is until we have experienced it ourselves. And, maybe, just maybe, through this little series, we will be more sympathetic, kind and patient when others grieve. Maybe we will teach more about finding right ways to grieve. Maybe we  will understand shepherding and comforting are valuable essentials to our fellowship together. And, maybe, just maybe, we can keep one of us from standing in the shadows of Mrs. Job and being angry with God.

A few years ago I wrote a thirteen week class book on Job. It wasn’t so much a chapter by chapter study as it was lessons we learn. The book was entitled, “Life Lessons from the book of Job.” It may be a good thing to take a look at having gone through this series this week. If you would like a free printed copy, email me: Rogshouse@aol.com. Be sure to include your mailing address.

Thank you,

Roger

28

Jump Start # 2768

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2768

1 Thessalonians 4:18 “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

  This week I have been writing about the death of my father. His funeral was last Friday. Shakespeare once wrote, “Every man can master grief, except the one who has it.” And, I found truth in what that ole’ Englishman wrote. My sweet dad was ninety-five years old. His short term memory was not good. He was frail. We constantly worried about him falling and breaking a bone. And, he was a Christian since he was a teenager. I have preached and preached about death for decades. I have described it as nothing more than a door that you go through. And, as much as I was ready for dad to get to the other side where I knew he would be safe and cared for in ways we never could, the tears still come.

And, through this I want to share some lessons:

First, God’s people are amazing. The number of people that have reached out, and offered to do things, even in this crazy world of Covid is amazing. The family of God world wide reached out to us. There were people who I don’t think we’ve ever met, sending us the sweetest and kindest messages. And, what I found is that folks want to do something, but sometimes there just isn’t anything to be done other than pray and share your love. We tend to be a “doing” type of people. Engaged in good deeds is what we find in Titus. But there are times when there just isn’t much to be done. Sorrow and grief is a journey and each person must work their own way through it. Some do fairly well with this journey. For some, it’s a short journey. But others struggle. For others, it’s a long, long journey.

Second, as to our passage today, God’s word really helps. This is especially true when the one who passed away was a N.T. Christian. We know the hope. We know where they are. We know what God has promised. Although I cannot talk to my dad now, I know where he is. A course completed. A race finished well. Footprints left everywhere of hope, kindness, generosity, love and faith. The hope we find in Christ is that our walk is well worth it. Our sacrifices are well worth it. The dedication, commitment, worship and trust in the Lord are all well worth it. And, with these promises and hope comes the belief that I’ll see him again. I’ll see him on the other side. Those were my final words to him.

Third, making funeral arrangements are hard. If you have never been through that you ought to talk to someone before you do. We had an amazing funeral home that was so kind and wonderful. Not all are like that. I’ve done lots of funerals and I know a lot of funeral directors. I have a favorite down in my area. Some are strictly business. Cold, pushy and lacking patience. The funeral director is working for you. You are paying him. Take your time and arrange it the way you want. Covid restrictions made us dance through a few hoops to get what we wanted, but they worked with us. Also, a key factor is having siblings that are on the same page. We are. Through dad’s final days and death, the communication between the four of us was excellent. So when it’s time to make choices at the funeral home and there are literally dozens and dozens of choices from caskets, to vaults, to guest books, to obit wording, to the service, we worked well together. So many decisions. It took us about three hours, and we were all on the same page. My dad being a World War II vet, there was a lot of paper work that had to be filled out.

Fourth, stay close to God. Don’t use your sorrow as a time to skip worship. You may not feel like going and worse, you may not feel like talking to people, but it is necessary to stay connected. Your heart is hurting and no one understands better than the Lord. Hymns and prayers are helpful. Reading the Psalms helps. Reading the context of our passage helps. Understanding what happens after death is important. Not only does God know that your heart is breaking, God understands. He saw His Son die upon the cross. The death of Jesus crushed Satan. Jesus rose to never die again. That’s the hope the Christian has.

Finally, it’s ok to cry. I think we have somewhere slipped in the idea that if a Christian dies, we ought to have a party and be dancing in the streets. Jesus cried when He was a the grave of Lazarus. He cried knowing that in a few minutes He was going to bring Lazarus out of that grave again. Some folks don’t understand, and worse, they don’t get it. When someone boastfully proclaims, “You shouldn’t cry,” don’t respond. That person needs to put a bucket on their head and go stand outside are my thoughts. Just smile. Some folks don’t know tact. Some want to know details that are none of their business. Just smile. Some want to know about costs of funeral. Point them to the funeral director and he will gladly sell them three or four caskets if they want. Some want to know about life insurance. Unless they have their wallet opened up and are ready to help, it’s none of their business. One learns to smile a lot, even though he is crying on the inside.

I have found for me personally, I just want to be alone. I just want to sit in my office where I can control the environment and just sit. I find it hard to fire the engines up to get back to work, even though I need to. There’s no time off. The work goes on. I find myself not really caring any more what is going on in Washington. I find myself wanting to be with family. And, the tears flow.

Thank you for letting me share these thoughts. I hope that somewhere you can find some help for yourselves and to help others when it’s their turn to take this journey of grief.

Roger

27

Jump Start # 2767

Posted on January 27, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2767

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power unto salvation, for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.”

It was very late one night. In fact, it was actually well past midnight and in the early hours before sunrise. I was awake. I was sitting in a room, watching my dying father breathe. The breathes were shallow. Often there were long periods of time between each breath. I couldn’t sleep. I kept watching and listening to every breath. I decided to open up my dad’s Bible. I wanted to read but I also wanted to take a tour through that old book that meant so much to him.

And, what I found amazed me. It was a treasure chest. My dad, being the engineer as he was, loved to make charts. He did that on all kinds of things, from the weather, to the temperature of his oven, to gas mileage of his cars. But here, in this old Bible, pages stained and worn from decades of use, was stuffed all kinds of charts that he had hand made. Abraham’s family tree, the lineage of the Levites, the ages of the Patriarchs. His Bible was full of handwritten notes. On the table of contents page, he had written notes and dates. There was a list of Roman emperors. I turned to Genesis one. To my delight, the page was filled with underlined words, passages written in the margins, definitions of words, words highlighted. I could see the years of study and listening to sermons. I turned the page. Genesis two was just the same. Genesis three, more notes, more passages written in the margins, more words underlined. What I found was on almost every page of his Bible, he had written things that he wanted to remember. I found myself reading what he had written. Occasionally, he had penciled in a date at a top of a chapter. That must have been a reading schedule he was on. From those dates, I could see that he had read the Bible through several times.

When I got to the final pages, those blank white sheets in the back of your Bible, his were filled. Every sheet, front and back. Lists. Timetables. Definitions. Passages. Here in my hands was the evidence of a man who walked by faith. He knew the Lord. He understood the Lord’s way. He didn’t just have a Bible, he had used that Bible and worn that book out by decades and decades of reading, thinking, and writing. I showed that old Bible to my preaching son, Jordan. And, as I watched him flip, oh so carefully through my dad’s Bible, it looked like he was holding the original Declaration of Independence. My eyes teared as his eyes teared. We were beholding the most precious thing my dad owned, his old Bible. It was that very Bible that taught my dad how to walk with the Lord. It was that very Bible that comforted dad when my mom passed away. And, it was that very Bible that gave him hope and assurance when it came time for him to pass through that doorway of death. It was that very Bible that opened his eyes to what Heaven would be like.

My dad’s old Bible is a great reminder to all of us:

First, make your Bible yours. Put things in it that will help you. Others my not like it, but it’s not for them. Some like the tabs to find the different individual books. If you like that, do it. Some tape clippings of poems and sayings that help encourage them. Be careful what kind of pen you use to write in your Bible. Some will “bleed” through to the next pages. Some highlighters will do the same. In my Bible, I have a photograph of Jordan, me and Dad. It is a wonderful memory of a time when we were preaching and dad was in the audience. It’s also a reminder to me of a generation before and a generation that follows. Each loved and important to me.

Second, there are informational things that you learn through the years that are useful to remember. The difference between a Pharisee and a Sadducee, is hard for some to identify. Write down some thoughts that will help you to know. Certain passages are important to build our faith and establish authority and doctrine. Jot those down in your Bible. Often in a class or a sermon, you will hear the definition of a Bible word that you did not know. Write that definition beside the passage.

Third, it helps putting things in a chronological order. Write dates at the top of a chapter. When was this kingdom? When was that kingdom? When did the walls come down? When did the walls go back up? Have a hard time keeping those things straight? Write down some dates in your Bible.

Fourth, you’ll come across passages that really touch your heart. You want to remember where those verses are. Write those references on those white pages of your Bible. They will be easy for you to find that way.

Fifth, the more comfortable the Bible is in your hands, the more you will feel confident and assured with it. This is the advantage of a printed Bible over an electronic Bible. The ability to have that “feel” in your hand is  priceless. The means to “stuff” your Bible with important things that you never want to forget.

It’s been said that if you carry the Bible when you are young, it will carry you when you are old. Flipping through another person’s Bible, especially one with a deep faith and who has walked with the Lord for a long time, is like stepping into that person’s heart and seeing their faith.

My dad’s old Bible, a reflection of a man’s faith. What would one find if they flipped through your Bible? Something to think about isn’t it?

Roger

26

Jump Start # 2766

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2766

Luke 16:22 “Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.”

This week I am sharing some thoughts concerning the recent passing of my dad. This verse really came to my mind the last time I was with him. Dad was passing away. He was comatose. His breathing was shallow and infrequent. The door of death was opening.

As I sat there watching him in the wee hours of the morning, I wondered if angels were in the room. I wondered how long it took for angels to come. I wondered when they gathered my dad’s soul, how long it would take to get to the other side. I wondered if he would know or even see that journey. I wondered if there would be just one angel or several. So many thoughts that are not answered for us. Don’t read the junk written by moderns about dying and coming back. Those books are bogus, phony, and laced with Biblical inconsistencies and error. They are not worth the paper they are printed on. They will fill your mind with ideas that are not true to Scriptures.

I don’t know if the angels were in the room when I was there. Angels are spirits and you cannot see a spirit. But I thought, just imagine, those angels being in the presence of God Himself and now they might be right here. What all might those angels have done in the past? Could they have been the ones to help Jesus? Were they the ones that opened the prison door for Peter? Do I believe that angels carry the soul of the righteous to the other side? Absolutely!

But as impressive as that might be, there stands yet a greater thought. The Bible teaches that we stand in the presence of God. We do this as we gather to worship Him. We do this as we walk with Him. It is so easy for us to have a “here and there” attitude. We are here and God is there. We are here in all of this muck and mire and He’s there in Heaven. But that’s not a true picture.

The Psalmist declared, “Where can I go from Your presence?” If to Heaven, you are there. If in death, You are there. If in the depths of the sea, even there, You’re there. There is no escaping His presence. There is no place He is kept out. The government can forbid prayers in school, but they can’t keep God’s presence out. The courts can declare that religion doesn’t belong in the state house, but you can’t keep God’s presence out. When one sits alone in a surgery waiting room, God is there. When one walks away from the cemetery, God is there. When one cries at night, God is there.

From these some reminders:

First, we are never really alone. We may be by ourselves, but we are not alone. God is there. God is with us. You may be the only righteous person in your family. Likely, you may be the only righteous person where you work. However, you are not alone. God is with you.

Second, this is much more than just His presence. Presence does much good. You see that with little children. Take a walk with them. One will always want to be the leader. They want to be out front. But as they walk along, you’ll notice them turning around, making sure the big ones are still near by. Presence. Little ones putting their hand into your hand. The storms don’t seem so bad and the night so long when you have someone you trust, love and can assure you.

Having God with us provides the best help possible. God can do all things. When doors are shut, God can open them. When there doesn’t seem to be any options, God has some. This is why we pray. We pray, not because verbalizing your problems is healthy and talking them out will help you come up with answers. That’s not it at all. We pray because God hears. We pray because God can do things. We pray because of God. God with us means we have help and hope.

Third, God’s presence also means that He understands and loves us. God doesn’t have to be with us. God could be anywhere. He could be on the back side of the moon and keep His presence hidden from us. He could play the game, “Come and find Me,” and we would never be able to do that. Because He is near, shows that is where He wants to be. He wants to be with you. He loves you. Yes, even though there has been days in which we have let God down. Yes, even though there have been times when we have not thought much about Him. He’s always thinking of us. What greater expression of love than being with someone. It’s not the gifts. It’s not the places you go to. It’s just being with the one you love.

Fourth, God is with us because He wants us to be with Him. Not just on Sunday in a church building. He wants us to be with Him eternally in Heaven. This is why we were created. This is our purpose. This is what God wants. He’s with us so we could be with Him.

In the presence of angels is one thing. In the presence of God is something far greater. I don’t know if I was around angels the other night. I do know that God has been with me. It’s not a feeling. It’s not just one of those things you know. The promises of God in the Scriptures assure us of that.

With God, now and forever.

Roger

25

Jump Start # 2765

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2765

Luke 16:23 “And in Hades he lifts up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

(This was written on Sunday January 17th).

My sweet dad passed away this morning. The tears flow even though this is what I wanted. His long journey here has ended. A World War II vet, a man who never stopped learning and being a delight to others. His smile was endless and his faith was strong. My siblings gather in the morning to plan his funeral, which I will preach. We were so blessed. One of my final words to him, as I kissed his head was to say, “thank you.”

My dad passed through that door of death on a Sunday. He would have liked that. If I was given the choice, that would be my day of the week as well. Sundays are always the best day of the week. And, as I was driving to the church building this morning, my mind was filled with thoughts about dad, what I was to preach this morning, I thought of this passage. Dad was a blessing. He was an example of faith and love.

Our passage is taken from the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man died. He lifted up his eyes and saw things. He saw things that he had never seen before. For instance:

  • He saw that there was nothing he could do about his situation. All the money, all the land, all the power he once had, were worthless on the other side.
  • He saw that his choices in life put him where he was. It wasn’t God that sent him there, it was his choices. He chose to live a life without regard to anything spiritual. In death, he saw the consequences that come with such a life.
  • He saw that there was nothing he could do for others on earth. No messages would be sent. No warnings given. No secret signs. His family had what he had, the word of God. If they followed that, they would not be where he was. But he knew. He knew them. He knew that they wouldn’t pay attention as he had not paid attention.
  • He saw that there was no going back and having a do over. He wasn’t allowed another chance to get things right. That wasn’t going to happen.

But, on this Sunday morning, I thought about what my sweet dad saw when he opened his eyes on the other side. Just what does a righteous person see when they cross through the doorway of death? What’s on the other side for the righteous?

Here are my thoughts:

  • First, there is unbelievable comfort. That’s what Lazarus found. Feeling good, feeling well. I think this is much more than the absence of pain, suffering, and being bothered with pills, shots and procedures. There is an inner comfort. One has reached his journey. This is where God wants him to be. The race is over. The battle has been won. Safely home, never to be tempted again. Safely home, never to be troubled again. Safely home. No other place to be. My dad was one who smiled. Picture after picture shows him smiling. A happy man. And, I expect that journey that ended brought the biggest of smiles to his face.
  • Second, there must be some connection with the people there. I don’t know how all of this works, and I do not worry about it. God will take care of it. The other side is made up of the people of faith. People from all over the globe. People that my dad never met. More than that, people from all times. I like to think he is with my mom and his parents once again. All of those wonderful heroes in the Bible would be on the other side. I like to think that this morning, as he first opened his eyes, and saw that great host of Heaven, that he said, “Boy, I wish Roger was here to see all of this.” And, I do too.
  • Third, I like to think that my dad opened his eyes and saw beauty like he has never seen. Greater than sunsets, mountains and oceans, which he loved, are the joys and splendor on the other side. There is nothing to ruin things. No pollution, graffiti, rudeness or unpleasant sights. Pure, like the Lord. Wonderful, like Jesus. I think he would have seen things that he has never seen before.
  • Fourth, I believe he saw the Lord. The Lord who he has loved, followed, trusted, prayed to and praised for nine decades of his life. The Lord who has blessed him so often. The Lord who forgave him. The Lord who has been there for him. More than anything else, when he opened his eyes this morning, he saw Jesus.

I’m saddened that he won’t be around for me to talk to. I’ve enjoyed my drive home from the office and talking to him on the phone. There will be things that I want to show him, but I won’t be able to. The passing of a parent, especially the last one, closes a huge chapter in one’s life. I have always had a dad around. And around he has always been. Always. Our love and our relationship runs rich and deep. The last thing I said to him, as I kissed his head, was, “I’ll meet you on the other side.”

The more deposits we have in Heaven, the less this ole’ earth appeals to us. Ballgames, politics, TV—just doesn’t seem the same any more. He lifted his eyes…

Someday, it will be our turn. Make sure you’re on the Lord’s side. What things await us…

Roger