22

Jump Start # 2989

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2989

Luke 24:21 “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, beside all this, it is the third day since these things happened.”

This week we are counting down. The children are excited about Christmas coming. Parents are trying to squeeze everything that needs to be done in what few days remain. Counting down. Growing up in the ‘60’s I vividly remember America’s big push into space. It started with the Mercury program. Then two man space shots, called Gemini. That quickly moved to Apollo and the race for the moon. I loved those early astronauts. I knew their names and followed their quests into space. I don’t know how many space launches I watched on TV. They always had that famous “countdown.” Three. Two. One. LIFT OFF. That was exciting for a kid like me.

Long before that, there was a greater countdown—THREE, TWO, ONE. But instead of a rocket blasting off into space, there was a stone that rolled away and our Lord came out of that tomb. Most didn’t get it, not at first. Our passage today comes from that long, slow walk to Emmaus. Two disciples were walking home. They were sad. They were disappointed. Things didn’t turn out like they thought it would.

You and I know that walk. It’s a slow walk. It’s a walk in which a person looks down at the ground. The coach places a list of all the people that made the team. You were hoping that your name was on that list. But it wasn’t. A long walk home. The school play, and you didn’t make that either. A job you didn’t get. A date that never happened. A baby that was never born. A medical tests that wasn’t favorable. An insurance claim denied. A promotion that went to someone else. A vacation cancelled because of Covid. A house sold before you could put an offer in. Disappointments. You and I have tasted that many times in life.

For the two heading home to Emmaus, they were hoping that this Jesus would turn things around for the Jewish people. Redeem Israel was their words. No more oppressive nations. No more having to walk carefully through Roman lines. No more Caesars. No more Roman taxes. Independent. Free. Just like the days of David. They were hoping, but now they were walking home. Walking home sadly.

Within our verse is found the element of a countdown. “It is the third day since these things happened.” They knew that day three was to be special. They weren’t waiting for next week. It wasn’t the next day. It was three days. Jesus had promised that in three days He would be raised. In John’s gospel, He put it this way, “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Maybe these two sad fellows thought that Jesus was talking about the temple literally. They must have thought in three days, there would be some kind of show of force against Rome. It was the third day. They saw nothing. They gave up. They were going home. It was over, they thought. This was a a huge failure.

Where was Jesus for those three days?

First, His body was in the grave. That’s where Joseph and Nicodemus put it. It was in the new grave belonging to Joseph. What came out of the grave was His resurrected body. See my hands, is what the Lord would tell Thomas. There was something to see.

Second, the soul of Jesus went to hades. That’s what Peter tells us in Acts. Hades is not just for bad people. We know that because Jesus went there. The penitent went with Jesus. He was promised to be where Jesus was. The Gospels tell us that they would be in paradise. In the account of the rich man and Lazarus, the poor Lazarus, went to Abraham’s bosom. Hades is where the souls go at death.

What happened to Jesus is an illustration and a definition of death. The soul and the body separate. James tells us that the body without the spirit is dead. Death is the separation of the body and soul. Resurrection is the uniting of the body and the soul.

What did Jesus do while in Hades? Many believe, based upon a passage in Peter, that Jesus went and preached to the wicked souls in torment. But that idea raises multiple questions. Peter refers to the dead in Noah’s day. What about all the others since then? Did they not count? And, what was the purpose, if Jesus really did that? Was He offering a second chance? That’s against Biblical wisdom. Was it just to say, “I told you so.” Or, maybe, Jesus didn’t go and preach to them. The Peter passage has Noah preaching. Noah preached and built the ark.

So, what did Jesus do while in Hades? We are not told. Was He comforted like Lazarus? Was He resting from His labors, like what we read in Revelation? Was He counting down the days until He would be resurrected? Your guess is as good as mine.

Third, that third day came and early in the morning, Jesus came forth. Up from the grave He arose! His resurrection was the crushing defeat of Satan. There was nothing left in Satan’s arsenal. He delivered his strongest punch—death. And, three days later, just as Jesus had said He would, that stone rolled and Jesus came out. The world might have held it’s breath, wondering. Satan likely had his eyes on that stone to see if it would move. But Jesus knew. He always knew. He was sure. That stone rolled and out came Jesus.

That resurrection is proclaimed every Sunday as we take the Lord’s Supper. That resurrection was THE NUMBER ONE point in demonstrating just who Jesus was. He was declared to be the Son of God by the Resurrection, is what the Romans were told.

Counting down…three, two, one!

Roger

21

Jump Start # 2988

Posted on December 21, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2988

Matthew 19:5 “and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?’”

This is the week of Christmas. It’s a time for festive holiday events, family gatherings, and the excitement of children. There is a lot that goes into getting everything ready for the “big day.” This week, using that idea, we are looking at “Countdowns” in our lives. Yesterday, it was Sunday worship. Today, our focus is upon marriage.

I know a couple that will be getting married next spring. They are in the “countdown” mode. You ask one of them and they can tell you exactly how many days until the wedding. They are excited. They ought to be. Marriage, when it is done right, God’s way, is a wonderful blessing and powerful spiritual help. It was God who realized that man needs help. It’s not good for man to be alone. We need to share life together. We need someone to talk to and someone who understands and can help us.

The “Countdown” for marriage. Let’s put some thoughts behind that.

First, far too many put more emphasis and energy into the wedding and not the marriage. The wedding is the start, but it’s not the finish. The wedding is one day, not the lifetime. Certainly, every bride wants her wedding to be a fairytale in her own way. I’ve seen country weddings. I’ve been to weddings in barns. I’ve been to weddings that are outdoors. I been to big fancy weddings. I conducted a wedding once in my front room. All of those are a reflection of the couple and their tastes. But that day quickly comes and quickly goes. The guests arrive and the guests go home. The presents come and the presents are opened. But after that wedding day, there is a life to be lived. And, this is where the emphasis needs to be directed. They are starting a home, their own home. They both bring ideas from how they were raised and those must be merged into what they want for their home.

Before the “I do’s” are said there are several items that need conversation:

  • How are we going to serve the Lord together?
  • What about hospitality?
  • How much should we give to the Lord?
  • How do we handle finances? Do we have a budget? Do we have a goal? What about the debts we bring to the marriage?
  • How are we going to do the holidays?

Two different ideas…two different attitudes…two different ways—the two, God said, become one. One in spirit. One in heart. One in body. One in goals. One in direction.

Second, as wedding day approaches, everyone has ideas and opinions about how the couple ought to do things. This includes this guy who is writing this Jump Start. Parents have their ideas. The couple has their own ideas. One has to consider the ideas that are presented, consider who it is that is expressing them and see if they will work. What works for one, may not work for someone else. What has worked for you may not work for someone else. And, for parents of grown children, it’s very hard to keep our mouths closed about things. This is our child. There was a time when we controlled their lives. We picked out their clothes. We decided what they would eat. We determined when they went to bed. But now, they are grown and we can’t do that. We are only advisors and there are days that our grown children do not want our advice. It’s hard on parents. In our family, we’ve decided to stay out of things unless asked and we only inject our feelings when we see something not right spiritually. One can be odd, weird, unusual, different and even dumb and go to Heaven. It may not be the way the parents would do things, but if it won’t keep them from Heaven, stay out of it. It hurts young families when both sets of parents are constantly telling them how to do things. You may not like how they decorate their houses. You may not like the pets they have. You may not like the cars they buy. But if those things won’t keep them from Heaven, try to be quiet about that. The opinions from parents can wreck a young marriage. It’s putting the couple at the crossroads of standing with parents or standing with the spouse. We parents shouldn’t put our kids in that situation.

Third, all around us God has given us examples of Christians who have been married for decades and decades. There are all kinds of books on the market that deal with conversations, sex, raising kids, money management, establishing boundaries—and many of them have useful and helpful ideas, but nothing beats someone who has actually done it. Pick out an older couple from the congregation. Ask them out for dinner and then talk. Ask them some questions. Listen to wisdom. Listen to godliness lived. Living examples are the best help. Living examples beat anything you’ll read in a modern book.

Marriage is a journey. It’s going up that big, big hill and it’s going down that big, big hill. There are stressful days. There are challenging days. There are plain, ordinary days. There are wonderful, great days. And, what makes all of those days is the spirit you choose to carry and the walk you have in faith.

Countdowns…weddings are just one of them in our lives.

Roger

20

Jump Start # 2987

Posted on December 20, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2987

Acts 20:7 “And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.”

By the end of this week, Christmas will be here. Moms and dads are hurrying to finish everything up. They are checking their list to see if there is anything that they have forgotten. For the little ones, the count down has begun. The tree is decorated. The Christmas shows have been watched. Cookies have been made. Presents magically have appeared under the tree. Boy, I sure remember those days. First, as a child, it seemed that the final days took forever. A lot of excitement. Then, as a parent, you wanted that Christmas morning to be so special to your child. Great memories.

This week, our Jump Starts are going to focus upon that idea of “countdowns.” There are many in life that mean so much to us. I want to begin with one that is often taken for granted, Sunday morning. I love Sundays. I have always believed that Sunday is the best day of the week. For the preacher, it’s also deadline time. Sermon written. Powerpoint finished. Class studied. Although, in many ways, Sunday is a work day for the preacher, it’s still a day for him to worship. Saints gather. The Lord is remembered. Fellowship is enjoyed.

You and I get to enjoy this blessing every week. We can take that for granted. Another Sunday. Another worship. Another song. Another prayer. Another sermon. Yes, another. How special that is. There are people today who would love to get to do what you and I enjoy. There are millions and millions on the other side, through the door of death, who would love to come back one time to be able to honor the Lord and seek His merciful forgiveness.

Count down to Sunday begins. How can I make Sunday special? How can I make every Sunday special? Here’s a few thoughts:

First, do just that, make it special. Years ago, we had what we called our “church clothes.” They were worn to church and no where else, not even school. Special clothes went for a special day. Say a prayer on Saturday for Sunday. Get to bed early. Make decisions on Saturday that will make Sunday morning run smoothly. Figure out what you are going to wear. Find the shoes and Bibles. Get your contribution ready. Get the preparation done. Be thinking of Sunday, even on Saturday.

Second, try sitting in a different place in the building. If you are one who tends to sit in the back, then sit in the middle or even up front. If you sit on the left side, then sit on the right side. It may shock some folks. Some might declare that you are in their seat, but you are not. There is no assigned seating. A change can bring a freshness to your worship.

Third, bring a pen and take notes. You’ll remember better and learn more that way. Look at things in your own Bible. You’ll see words that you may want to underline in your Bible. Come to learn, which means, don’t drag in tired, sleepy, and running late. Half of worship may be completed before you are with it.

Fourth, stick around and greet others. That is how fellowship begins. It is the interaction with others. It’s sharing, caring and connecting with others in Jesus. Put a smile on your face. Talk to those that you don’t often talk to. Spend some time with those of a different age.

Finally, on your way home, keep the worship alive in your hearts. Talk about the songs, the prayers and the sermon. Don’t be a critic. Don’t focus upon the mistakes. Look at the good side of things. Be thankful that you can be part of a church family. Remember how blessed you are and how good the Lord has been to you.

Countdown…Sunday is coming…

Roger

17

Jump Start # 2986

Posted on December 17, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2986

Ephesians 4:31 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”

I have been doing a bit of flying lately. Airports. Luggage. Security checks. Masks. And, a whole lot of waiting. Usually, I have something to work on while I’m sitting in airports, but there are times when I just watch people. I watch the people coming off a plane, I watch the people who are waiting and I watch those who are trying to serve the rest of us. Old people. Young people. Parents with little ones. People with dogs. People who seem to be late and they are hurrying as fast as they can. Lots of people eating. Nearly everyone on their phones, talking, texting, playing games and watching videos. One thing I don’t see much of these days are smiles. I supposed traveling takes the smiles out of us. Some look liked they haven’t smiled in a long time.

This leads us to our verse today. There is a two step principle. The first step is to put away or lay aside. That’s our verse. The second step is to add character, color and Christ to your hearts. That’s the next verse. It’s not enough to dump the junk. One must replace it with the excellent qualities that are found in Jesus. Dumping the junk leaves us empty.

The first word in this list is bitterness. Believe it or not, bitterness is a choice. It can be removed, if one will only do that. Bitterness makes us sour. And, the words that follow, wrath, anger, clamor, slander and malice tend to come from a bitter heart. You won’t find anger in the heart that is blessed, happy and content. People are bitter because they have chosen to be bitter.

Now, that thought is interesting to me. Why would anyone want to be bitter? A bitter person doesn’t have a good day. A bitter person isn’t a joy to be around. Misery, gloom and doom are the trio that follows bitterness.

Here are some thoughts:

First, it isn’t what happens in life that causes one to be bitter. Most times a bitter person will point to the unfairness, the disappointments, the heartache and the troubles of life and use those things as an excuse as to why he is bitter. I can’t help it. Look what has happened. You’d be bitter too, he reasons, if this happened to you. But this deflates our verse today. If the environment and circumstances around me cause me to be bitter, then I simply can’t help it and I certainly can’t put it aside. In essence, I am along for the ride. What happens to me is beyond my control and how I react to that is not my fault. I wouldn’t be bitter if I had a trouble free day.

But all of this is bologna. A bitter person and a joyful person have the same things happen to them. There are funerals. There are people that disappoint them. There are things that break. There are days when nothing seems to go right. Yet, one is joyous, pleasant, content and a delight to be around. He’s had all those troubles, however he has chosen to be kind, tender-hearted and forgiving, as the next passage states. The bitter person has chosen to focus upon the troubles and not the Lord. The bitter person blames the troubles. The bitter person becomes jealous of the joyful person and believes that the joyful person never has any problems. The bitter person remains bitter because he has chosen that. It’s not the amount of troubles, it’s the choice one makes.

Second, the bitter person has a difficult time counting his blessings. It’s hard to see blessings when you are busy counting your troubles. The focus of the bitter person is inward and towards himself. He has little, he believes, to be thankful for. He wants the world to know about his problems. He wants others to join him in his pity party. Nothing is right. Nothing is good. Even in worship, the bitter person will find something to complain about. His misery is taking over his life. He can’t see anything good. But for the joyful person, his heart explodes with gratitude for the Lord. God has been so good to him. He sees God’s hand in his life in so many ways. Does the joyful person have problems? Certainly. However, he is also aware that the Lord is there and is a present help, even in the midst of troubles.

Third, the bitter person actually has a faith issue. He doesn’t see good in trials. He learns nothing in difficult times. His prayer life is non-existent. His dependence upon God is little. Dickens began his “Tale of Two Cities,” with, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Not for the bitter person. It’s all bad. It’s always bad. And, the only hope for the bitter person turning around is faith in Christ. Understanding that with Jesus, things will only get better. That may not happen here, but it certainly will in Heaven. The best is yet to come for the child of the Lord. Why are some bitter and some joyful? It’s not the amount of problems. It’s choices they made that were based upon what faith they had. The smaller one’s faith, the greater the problems seem to be and the more likely one will be bitter. The greater the faith, the more this person sees the Lord and the more likely he will be joyful.

Put away all bitterness. Not just the big stuff, but even the little stuff. Bitterness will not make you a better person. It will not make you have greater thoughts about the Lord. What it will do is turn you into a miserable person. People don’t like to be around miserable people. The expression, “misery loves company,” is because misery loves to sing the blues and tell others how terrible life is. Misery wants others to join the sad, pitiful, complaining society of bitterness. Some I believe are charter members. They have been bitter so long that they don’t know any other way to be. When they have a joyful moment, they think something is wrong.  Paul tells us to put this away. Put a lid on it. Toss it out. Don’t be bitter. It’s your choice. Those around you would not choose bitterness for you. They would want you to be joyful and happy. Yet, we choose it for ourselves.

Even in festive holiday times, there are those who line up with the Grinch and want to steal the joy from everyone else. Don’t be this way. Choose to be joyful. It will make a difference in you life.

Roger

16

Jump Start # 2985

Posted on December 16, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2985

2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”

We are about to bring this year to a close. What a year it has been for me personally. The year started with the death of my father. I still cry. Along with my older brother, I preached his funeral. In June, I was honored to preach at the Southside lectures in Houston. I love those people and that church. This is where my hero, Dee Bowman has been for decades. He was in the hospital that week and we four speakers got to Facetime him. In August, it was back to Houston for Dee’s funeral. A hero finished his wonderful journey. In October, I was invited to give two lessons in the old Cane Ridge log cabin in Paris, KY. That meant so much to me. I’d been in that old church building, originally built in 1791, many times and have wondered what it would be like to preach in there. I got to do that. A few weeks later, my son, Jordan and I got to spend a weekend preaching together at the Wolf Creek congregation in Ohio. That place has always been dear to me. And, last weekend I was invited to come to Dallas, and preach on what was called, “The Gospel through generations.” Myself, Jordan, my dear friend Rickie Jenkins and his ninety-five year old father, Jess, all spoke that weekend. For Bible class, all four of us were up on the stage sitting in chairs and the sons were asking the fathers questions about generations and legacy. It was rich. Jordan and I got to interview Jess one afternoon and talk candidly about preaching through the years.  What a year it has been for me.

On Sunday, as I was watching Jess Jenkins preach, what a profound example and lesson came to me. His voice was solid. His memory amazing. He could quote passages better than I could. He taught me things that I did not know. He is kind, sweet, gentle and loves God. His advice to preachers is priceless. His years of service, dedication and faithfulness to God’s word is truly remarkable. He must be the oldest preacher among us who is still preaching. Ninety-five years old!

Here are some lessons I learned from my friend Jess:

First, one can be faithful to God all of their life. It’s easy to start the race. Many do. Too many drop out of the race. They tire easily. They chase other things. They take their eyes off the goal. They don’t remain focused long. Not my friend, Jess. He shows us that one can walk with the Lord all of their days. It can be done and he is an example of that.

Second, it shows that even late in life, one can be useful and beneficial to others and the kingdom of God. There he was over the weekend, preaching his heart out. What he said was rich. What he said was true. Yet, far too many when they retire from work, retire from the kingdom. Maybe you can’t teach like you once did, find what you can do. Maybe you don’t have the energy to keep up with some things, find other things to do.  What really amazed me was to learn that Jess was preaching new sermons. After seventy plus years of preaching, he could have pulled something out of the achieves, dusted it off and we would never had known. But he would. And he was going to bring excellence to what this weekend meant. This was the first time that Jess and Rickie had ever preached together. Father and son is so special. Words cannot describe what it is like for me to share the pulpit with Jordan. He hears me all the time and I hear him, via websites and livestreaming. However, to be on the same program together, back to back, nothing beats that. Useful to God and to others, that’s the mode of dear Jess.

Third, one can carry the spirit of Jesus all of their life. Jess has. Sometimes when a person gets old, they think that gives them the privilege and even the right to be grumpy. Opinionated. Against everything. Sour. Even ugly. That’s how some senior citizens conduct themselves. And, is it any wonder that the grandkids don’t want to come around. The ole’ grumps are sure to point out something that isn’t agreeable to them. Not brother Jess. I watched him interact with my Jordan. A smile on his old face, a warm embrace and just the kindest words from one in his nineties to one who is in this thirties. Certainly life has changed so much in those ninety years, from outhouses, to cooking on wood stoves, to modern technology. And, believe it or not, Jess used Powerpoint in his final lesson. He understood that technology helps and he wasn’t complaining, gripping, or wishing for the old days. Not at all. He stepped right up and did what the rest of us were doing. How are you in your spirit? Yes, there are days you feel like flushing your phone down the toilet because it’s so complicated. There are days you may not know how to use the remote. Things are moving fast and you are not. But how is your spirit? Has this made you a grump? Do you walk through life with a frown? Are you bitter? Are the first words out of your mouth, “No?” Or, do you see the example in our amazing Jess? These are choices. You can choose to be a blessing or you can walk through life with a chip on your shoulder. Those that choose the chip, will find out that the journey seems longer and harder. It’s not, but it’s that way because you decided to carry a burden and be a burden to others. Jess is not like that. I wish he lived closer to me. I think I’d take a day each week to spend with him. I know it would be to my delight and benefit.

Generations—father and sons preaching. Passing that baton to those who follow. And, to our verse today, there are three “I have” statements. I have fought. I have finished. I have kept. It can be done. And, more than that, it can be done well. It can be done with excellence.

God bless this grand ole’ soldier of the cross. His journey is nearly completed but he won’t stop until the Lord stops him. Only eternity will know all the good that this man has done. How many lives were enriched, taught and encouraged by him. How many churches were made better because of him. How many lives found Jesus because of him. May the rest of us, all of us, realize that God has placed powerful and wonderful examples, like Jess, in our lives. Faithful until the end. Working hard until the Lord stops us. Doing what we can, wherever we can.

I have a new friend. I have a new hero. I have a great example. My beloved Jess.

God bless you, my friend for all that you have done and all that you continue to do. Words cannot describe what that weekend meant to me.

What a year it has been for me.

Roger