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Jump Start # 2888

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2888

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

A marriage was unraveling. It was taking place right before me. I was in a store having some service done. The owner was on the phone. His door was open. While I was sitting in the waiting room, I heard. I heard too much. I heard more than I wanted to hear. He was mad. He was cussing. He was yelling. Ugly names were being called. He referred to his lawyer and then her lawyer. I quickly got the picture. He was talking to his wife. They were in the process of getting a divorce. And, it wasn’t going to be a sweet parting of the ways. The daggers were out. He ended the conversation. I expected to see smoke billowing out of this office. The phone rang again. He said, “I was just talking to stupid.”

I don’t know the story or the pain, but the anger was real. When he stormed out of the office, I looked down at my phone. I was afraid that he was going to turn on me if I said anything. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent, the wise man told us. That was a time to be silent. It’s hard to talk and harder still to reason with someone who is angry. Let things cool down.

How do we allow our relationships to sink like that? There was a time I expect when he truly loved his wife. They had a wedding. The “I dos” were repeated. A home was bought. But instead of living happily ever after, for them, it came to a screeching halt. Name calling. Cuss words. Shouting. Referring to one as “stupid.”

Some lessons I saw:

First, a person must be careful about what is said when others are around. What took place certainly wasn’t very professional. I expect in some homes, children are witnesses to the ugly things we adults say. And, what is said, doesn’t have to be cussing or even against each other. The trash talking of the church, the shepherds, the preachers, before little ears leaves a lasting impression. What we say about other family members can be heard and damage can result from that. There is a time and a place to say things. Going out the church door on Sunday morning, with a crowd behind you, is not the time nor the place to air your complaints.

It is often hard to recover after we have verbally chewed someone out. It’s like squeezing all the toothpaste out of a tube. It sure does come out fast and easy. But once it’s out, it’s nearly impossible to put back in. So are our words. James tells us to be quick to hear and slow to speak. It seems these days that we do just the opposite. We are fast on the draw when it comes to sharing our opinion or our feelings, but we are slow as a turtle when it comes to listening. Some never do listen. All they do is talk.

Second, relationships rarely stay in the same place. They move. They move forward or they move backward. They move to a better place or they move to a dangerous place. Often they move, much like a boat that is drifting, and we hardly notice, until it’s dangerously close to going over a waterfall. The more good we put in a relationship, the more it will move to a better place. However, the more we ignore a relationship and the more we pour negative and ugly attitudes into it, the more it will likely crash on the rocks or go over a waterfall.

All relationships are like this. This is true in a marriage. This is true between parent and child. This is true among friends. This is true with God. Relationships move. We move with them. We move to good places or we move to terrible places.

I can tell you the man on the phone didn’t just explode out of no reason. Things go south for a long time. Poor choices and indifference and neglect drive out love. Then one day something triggers all of these emotions and the kettle explodes. It’s been coming. It’s not been dealt with. And, it gets to a point that getting out of a relationship seems to be the only option.

Third, disciples of Jesus must do better. Grace and forgiveness must be part of the foundation that we build our homes upon. Trust, love, and the Lord must go beyond the wedding ceremony to everyday living. Without a foundation in the Lord and a commitment to His word, all a person has is his own feelings. And, when those feelings have been trashed, there remains no other reason to stay in that relationship.

Speak kindly, even when you are upset. Get ahold of your emotions. Don’t let them take over and steer your mind and your decisions. Pray. Seek godly counsel. Put the Lord first. Take a breath and think things through. Anger won’t bring you positive results. Much too often, anger only makes things worse. Don’t wait until you see the waterfall before you start thinking of what actions you ought to take.

Death and life are in words—use them wisely.

Roger

28

Jump Start # 2886

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

Jump Start # 2886

Luke 9:23 “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

This is the last segment in this short series on lessons learned from the land where Jesus walked. Going to Israel was something I was always interested in visiting but I had a reluctance as well. I was fearful of how commercial some of the places would be and how much they would try to market what they thought were actual places where Jesus was. To my surprise it wasn’t as bad as I expected. Two places that draw a lot of attention are the “Garden Tomb” near Jerusalem where some claim Jesus was buried. It is worth seeing because of the age of the tomb and how people were buried. But historically, it is unlikely the tomb of Jesus because it dates many years before. And, then there is the Jordan River. There is a place where some claim Jesus was baptized. It is commercialized. One can buy water from the Jordan or, pay even more and get a baptismal gown and be baptized in the river. Many were doing that. It is very unlikely that Jesus was baptized at that location. It’s too far north and John likely would not have been there.

But other places, although maybe not the actual spot are very near to where events took place. The Byzantine era, which started in the 300’s is when many churches were being built to protect “sacred” spots. Word of mouth passed from one generation to the next could very likely be accurate just a few hundred years later. But what is most impressive, is looking beyond these various church buildings and seeing the area, still very natural like the days of Jesus. Cascading hillsides that would make a perfect setting for teaching. The beautiful sea of Galilee that He crisscrossed so many times. Hilltop fortresses from which one can see for miles and miles. So many places remained untouched and natural and very much like it was in Biblical times.

It was a blessing to visit Israel. I would recommend the trip to anyone, but go with brethren, it makes all the difference. Go with someone who has been before. But for many, many brethren, they will not be able to make such a trip. The costs. The time. The journey there and back. Not everyone can do that. Our group was tested and tested multiple times for Covid, including blood tests. It was a bother, but it was worth it. Through modern technology, there are many videos taken at the Bible lands and one can get a good impression just from watching those.

Our faith does not rely upon standing on the same hillside that Jesus did or sitting in a boat on the sea of Galilee. Our faith comes from the word of God. That’s how the Lord designed it. Going to Israel does not make one a better Christian. Our walk with the Lord does that. Being in Israel adds color and insight to so many passages that we read, but it is not necessary to go to Heaven.

As I watched a long line of people in white baptismal robes waiting to be baptized, I wonder what was running through their minds? Did they think that this would make them more dedicated or purer? Did they think that this would assure their salvation? The Jordan River isn’t a pretty river. It’s muddy. There are places where it’s pretty polluted. What the Lord wants from us is not to sit where He sat and stand where He stood, but to walk by faith and imitate His character. Through the Scriptures, not the land of Israel, we learn to be kind, patient, forgiving, and helpful to one another. It is through the Scriptures that we learn to worship as God designed. It is through the Scriptures that we learn the promises and hope that is in the Lord.

Seeing the land is fascinating. There are places, especially around Qumran and the Dead Sea that are desert. It’s rocks and dirt. There are not very many trees. It’s hot. It’s dusty. It’s not very pretty. And, had special events in the Bible not taken place there, most would never visit there. But what is beautiful is to see a life that has been marred by sin and living day to day in misery come alive in Jesus Christ. It is wonderful to see faith springing forth and the changes it produces as one comes to know the Lord.

One should never feel that he is better than others because he got to go to Israel. Our faith isn’t measured by the places we visit. It is a blessing. And, as with all blessings, one needs to be thankful and share with others what he can.

But one thing is sure, as wonderful as our trip was to Israel, our entrance into Heaven will be even greater. And, unlike Israel, you can be in Heaven. There won’t be a cost factor that keeps some out. You may not be able to afford Israel, but you can go to Heaven. I’ve talked to some since I have returned from Israel, and they have said, “We sure wish we could have gone, but it’s too late in life for us to go now.” Heaven is not that way. The only thing that will keep you out of Heaven is YOU. Your faith. Your walk. Your belief. Your hope. Your journey. It’s all there in Jesus Christ.

And, unlike our trip to Israel, Heaven won’t end after ten days. We won’t go back home after a visit to Heaven. Heaven will be our home. And, all the photos I took, just to remember and share with others, won’t be necessary in Heaven. We’ll be there. We’ll be there forever.

So, if you don’t get to make the trip to Israel, don’t be sad. There’s a greater place you are going to. It’s far better than Israel. It’s beautiful. It’s forever. And, it’s with God.

Heaven Bound…that’s us!

Roger

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Jump Start # 2885

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

Jump Start # 2885

Mark 15:25 “It was the third hour when they crucified Him.”

One of the must sees in Israel is the Israeli museum. Amazing collection of artifacts, including, in a separate building, the Dead Sea scrolls. Within the museum there are collections from Canaanites, Crusaders, Egyptians, Romans and Israelite. A stone inscription with Pilate’s name, early reference to Solomon’s temple, an inscription referring to King Uzziah’s death, the sarcophagus of Herod the Great, an inscription referring to David, the ossuary of Caiaphas, a metal inscription with a verse from Numbers six that dates 400 years earlier than the Dead Sea Scrolls are just some of the amazing, one-of-a-kind, priceless pieces in the collection. The history and the significance of those items are breath-taking. I could stare at those things for days.

In one section of the museum was a collection of ossuaries, or commonly called ’bone boxes.’ About a year after one has been buried, the bones would be collected in placed in a stone ossuary. Inscriptions would be carved on the ossuary. One belonged to Caiaphas, the high priest that tried Jesus.

Another ossuary revealed something very unique. I had seen pictures of this, but there before my eyes was the actual item. A bone from that particular ossuary was displayed. Piercing the bone was an iron nail. That person had been crucified. Lost to history was the story behind this person. Had he been a criminal that Rome executed? Was he a follower of Jesus that was later executed? That person’s soul belonged to God but now, the world could witness a metal nail that had gone through his bone. How painful that must have been. Taken down from the cross, he was buried with the nail through his foot. Later, as his bones were collected, the nail remained.

The thought I had as I looked at that pierced bone, was our Lord. The same likely happened to Him. I wonder if Joseph and Nicodemus removed the nails out of Jesus’ before they buried Him? What a reminder of the violent oppression by Rome. What a reminder of the slow, tortuous death that the crucified endured. What a shameful way to die.

We can read of the crucifixion of Jesus and forget about the agony, pain and suffering that He went through. His death was not quick. It was not humane. It was not as gentle as possible. In fact, it was just the opposite. It was a statement that one doesn’t mess with Rome.

The hallmark of the Bible is the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Remove that event, and Jesus becomes just a good example, a great teacher, a kind person. But through the crucifixion and the resurrection Jesus becomes our Savior, our Lord and He crushes Satan.

And, an interesting thought for us to consider is that we too are crucified. We are crucified with Christ. Paul said this in Galatians 2. The Colossians were told that “they had died.” The Romans were told that they had “died to sin.” I wonder if we try to take the effort and the pain out of Christianity? I wonder if we try to make it soft, easy and nice? The crucifixion of Jesus was not nice. Nails were driven through Him.

Consider:

First, leaving the world behind can be hard, very hard. Old ways. Old habits. Old friends. Putting on Christ is much more than simply adding church to our schedule. It’s reshaping how we think. It’s developing a new value system. It’s seeing things different for the first time. And, as nails went through the body of our Lord, this change can be hard for us. We have to fight going back to what we were used to and even liked. Saying ’no,’ to self is hard. The way of the world is easy. The path that Satan has for you is convenient, popular and full of companions. The encouragement to do wrong is loud and strong. Living for Jesus and standing for Jesus can be like a nail through our soul. It’s the right thing to do, but it can be very hard.

Second, much of our battles must be fought alone. We can receive instruction, encouragement and support from our church family, but it’s up to us to trash those old negative attitudes. Putting on grace and forgiveness is something that no one can do for us. How we see the world, how we see others is a matter of our own choices. Just as our Lord went to the cross on His own, so we must develop the heart and mind of Christ on our own. Others may cook our food, clean our clothes and do things for us. But our character is something that only the individual person can build. It takes time and it takes effort.

Third, as I looked at that nail sticking through that bone, that’s how that person is remembered. He was crucified. He was put to death by Rome. Years from now, if the Lord allows, how will you and I be remembered? Will it be a moody spirit? Will it be a helpful hand? Will it be someone who cooperated or were you a stick in the mud? Will it be our stuff that defines us or our character?

A nail through a bone—a powerful statement. A sad reminder. Something for us to consider.

Roger

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Jump Start # 2884

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

Jump Start # 2884

Psalms 88:6 You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths.

 At Jerusalem there are the remains of a home that belonged to a person of both wealth and power. There are reasons to believe that it may well have been the home of Caiaphas, the high priest that condemned Jesus.

The events in Matthew’s Gospel lead us to believe that Jesus was arrested in garden at night. He was taken immediately down the valley and to the place of Caiaphas. After an exchange there Jesus is held until the counsel convenes in the morning. Where was Jesus being held while all that was taking place?

Within the ruins of this home was a pit. Down, deep inside, under the house, was prison cells. It may have been very likely that our Lord was lowered down that pit, and with guards down there, He was beaten, scourged and put in prison awaiting the proceedings the next morning.

We looked down that pit. Then we journeyed down to the prison cells and could look up through that pit. It was dark, even though we had a few lights. It was here, in that pit, that I was asked to read Psalms 88, a passage that I never thought about being connected to Jesus. Here as our verse states, he was put in the lowest pit, in dark places.

I read that passage slowly. I paused often. Tears were flowing from our group as we thought about our Lord being down there without a friend and without any help. Above, the Jews were planning, scheming and plotting to end His life. This was something that had to be done. Without this, there would be no redemption for us.

So many people have asked about what our favorite part of Israel was. There were so many. But the most impactful moment for me was reading Ps 88 in a darkened prison, knowing that my Lord may very well have stood where I was. There are no words that can describe that feeling.

Here are a few thoughts:

First, it is hard for us to grasp what our Lord endured in His death. Just seeing the places that He was taken  from the garden to Caiaphas’ to Pilate to the cross, there was a lot of walking involved with all of that. It is easy to read over the abuse and the mistreatment and not think much about it. Being in that stone prison, our voices echoed. One can only imagine the echoing cries of pain as our Savior was beaten and mistreated.

Second, seeing that place sure changes the color of sin. Our choices put the Lord in that pit. Our sins are what led Him to the cross. Sin can look so good. Sin can seem like so much fun. But standing in that stone pit, dark, lonely, it sure shows how superficial, fake and empty sin is. We can sin so easily. We can sin so often. We can think nothing of it.

There are so many places that I wish everyone could visit. The Mediterranean Sea is beautiful. The food is off the charts. Being on the Sea of Galilee is peaceful. But standing in that dark stone pit, that hits your insides. Crosses carved in the stone, likely from the Byzantine time, illustrates that the prison was used again and again. How many others were tortured there? How many others cried for help and no one heard them? How many others went to their deaths? Yet, it was that One death, that we remember. It was that One death that changed everything.

Third, that pit, those prison bars, and the place where people were scourged made all of us reflective. There was a lot of silence among us. We were thinking. We were taking it in. And, what it showed was just how much the Lord loves us. He went through that for us. It certainly makes one stop complaining. It certainly makes one want to be more devoted and committed. It certainly touches the heart. Even now, more than a week since we’ve been home, thinking about that stone pit has brought tears to my eyes.

When we returned to the bus and were traveling down the road, we broke out into a hymn, “My Jesus, I love Thee.” God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

“If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.”

Roger

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Jump Start # 2883

Posted on July 23, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2883

1 Peter 1:16 “because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

  In Israel we visited many archaeological sites that have uncovered settlements, fortified walls, temples, palaces, wine presses, synagogues, and homes. Common to so many of these places was purification baths. Large rectangular stone line structures were used for Jews to purify themselves before they went to worship. The priest would purify themselves. There were even places in Jerusalem to purify animals before they were sacrificed. Making oneself pure before he came into worship was an essential aspect of the Old Testament system of faith and religion. A way to purify the people was found in most of these places we visited.

And all of that sure makes us think about our own way of worshipping God. Ancient Israel purified the outside by going to these purification pools. We must purify our hearts and our minds. The Psalms asked, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord and who may stand in His holy place?” The answer follows: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart..” James said to “cleanse your hands and purify your hearts.”

The purification pools reminded us that Israel just didn’t hop into worship and then go on their way. There was a tedious and ritual cleansing that took place first. They put time into doing this so that they could worship. This makes us wonder if we “rush” through worship too quickly and if we are putting any prep time into getting ready for worship? Are our heads, hearts and minds ready to worship? Work, kids, household projects, sports can occupy our conversations and our time before worship. We can be so busily talking about here and now things that it’s hard to get focused upon the words we are singing or the prayers that are offered to God. Little preparation is given to our worship. It is so easy just to show up, with our minds and hearts filled with secular things that our attention to the Lord isn’t the best.

So, what are some good prep suggestions before worship:

First, get there early. The opposite of early is late. Late makes you rush. Late puts you in the stress mode. With little ones, it is hard to be anything but late, but it can be done. I’ve seen it done. So, Saturday night have everything lined up and ready to go for worship the next day. Find the Bibles, the shoes, get outfits ironed and ready to go. Get to bed early on Saturday night. That’s hard for some families but when you don’t sleepy is what we give the Lord. In bed early on Saturday and up and ready to go on Sunday. Make Sunday the best day of the week around your house. Talk about Sunday on other days.

Then arrive early at the church house. This gives you time to get focused, read some passages, look at some hymns, fellowship some brethren and be ready to give your God your best.

Second, as Israel went to the purification pools, you strive and set your mind to be pure before the Lord. Focus upon the Spiritual. Put away worldly thoughts. Pray. Ask for forgiveness. Enter worship with a pure heart and a pure mind. Put up guards around those things that are distracting to you. Count your blessings. Pray for your church family. Pray for those you know who are not saved.

Third, get into God’s word quickly and deeply. God’s word will pull you into a spiritual mindset. It will help you to think about the things above. It will help you to be pure and righteous. Read some passages before you leave your house. Bring your Bible. Bring a pen. Anticipate writhing something down. Focus upon the Holy Jesus who loves you and died for you.

Fourth, focus upon the goodness of the Lord. It is easy to get our minds thinking about things that do not matter. We see who comes in late. We see who is sitting with who. We see how long the preacher preached. We see new cars in the parking lot. We see so many things, and all of those things can take our minds and thoughts to other places. Look at how many came and how many love the Lord. Look at the wonderful words of the hymns. Look at all the blessings around us. Godly shepherds. Deacons with a servant heart. Preachers who love the word and love telling that old, old story of Jesus Christ to others. Look what the Lord has done for you. Look at how many times He has blessed you, forgiven you and been there for you.

It’s like the poem: Two prisoners sat looking through the bars,

One saw the mud and the other saw the stars.

Perspective. Vision. Blessings. Gratitude. Faith. That’s our purification pools today. We need to dip in them. We need to spend some time around them. We need to give our best to the Lord because He not only deserves the best, but He gave us the best—Jesus Christ.

Purification—it sure helps with our worship.

Roger