17

Jump Start # 3188

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3188

Daniel 9:23 “At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.”

Daniel nine is among the most difficult chapters in the Bible to understand. Seventy weeks, then sixty-two weeks, then another week. In the middle of the last week abominations come. The most humble scholars admit that this is tough to interpret. Are the weeks years? Are they literal or figurative? What is the starting point? Lots of tough things to work through.

The chapter has Daniel praying a heartfelt confession to the Lord. He acknowledges the sins of the nation as well as his own sins. The chapter begins in the first year of Darius. Babylon is no more. Already, the vision of the statue representing various nations in the second chapter is unfolding. Daniel’s prayer is about the holy city, Jerusalem and the temple. When will it be restored, he wants to know.

God sends the angel Gabriel with a message to Daniel. Not only is he told when the city will be restored, God reveals much, much more. The Messiah. The death of the Messiah. A new covenant. The future of Jerusalem. So much that God sees and knows. The angelic messenger uncovers all of this in four verses.

Our verse today, the words of God spoken through the angel come right before the news about the seventy weeks. There are several things to see here. Often, we are so quick to jump into the what the seventy weeks might mean that we miss a valuable lesson here.

First, the swiftness of God. Our verse says, “At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued”. As Daniel started his prayer, God was busy answering it. God didn’t wait until He heard all the prayer. God didn’t have to think things over. At the beginning, is when God moved into action.

This is similar to how God answered King Hezekiah’s prayer. When told to set his house in order because he was going to die, Hezekiah turned to the wall and prayed. Before the prophet who delivered that grim message had left the palace, God had him go back to Hezekiah with the news that his words were heard and his tears were seen.

I love the swiftness of God. Nothing is faster. Nothing is more sure. You send me a text, and it might be a while until I see it and I may not get back to you until later in the day or even another day. Emails are that way. Sometimes phone messages are that way. But with Daniel, God was forming a command even as Daniel was praying.

Second, as we pray to God, we cannot see what God is doing. Daniel was praying and God was commanding. Daniel was praying and God was sending an angel. Daniel was praying and the wheels in Heaven were turning. Daniel could not see these things. You and I cannot see these things. We pray and we might wonder if God heard us. We pray and hope that sometime, somehow the prayer will be answered. Yet, I wonder, if God is busy moving things in our way even as we pray. We cannot see and more so, often cannot understand why and how God does things for us. He moves people into our lives to help us and encourage us. He puts us in positions to serve others and to help others see Him. We may consider some of these things as chance or coincidences, but Heaven knows that God was directly behind those things. Think about the wonderful Christians that have intersected your life. Someone becomes a part of the congregation. You meet a Christian while visiting another place. Not only are life long friendships formed, but a real source of help, counsel and encouragement are found.

I think when this life is over, we will be amazed at what all God has done that we never realized.

Third, Gabriel tells Daniel that he is highly esteemed. Other translations stated, “greatly loved.” Those are God’s words. Having emptied his heart in an honest confession, Daniel might have felt very low. He might have wondered what God thought of him. Now he knows. You are greatly loved. Daniel was trying. Daniel believed. Daniel wanted God’s presence restored in the temple. And, God let him know that he was greatly loved.

As disciples, do we wonder about this ourselves? Sure God so loved the world, we got that. God is love, John tells us. But personally, individually, does God greatly love us? We’d love for an angel to come and tell us this, but the Scriptures do. The death of Jesus shows that. And, the blessings and answers to our prayers confirm that. We are loved by God. And, in a toxic, empty world that we live in these days, what a powerful, powerful thought and confidence that is for us. We are greatly loved by God.

A prayer that was quickly answered by God and an affirmation of love sent by an angel. That’s enough to fill one’s heart and to get our thankfulness shooting upward.

God is so good…He is so good to me!

Roger

14

Jump Start # 3187

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3187

 Titus 3:14 “And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful.”

Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin has an enrollment of 1,500 students. Of that number, 52% of the student body has signed up to take one particular class. It’s the most popular class in the school’s history. The class is entitled, “Do nothing.” More than half of the university wants to learn how to “Do Nothing.”

There are so many layers of questions and concerns that comes to my mind. How can there be homework in a class called, “Do nothing?” Is it possible to flunk “Do nothing?” How does one teach, “Do nothing?” It seems that if there was one thing our culture understand perfectly, it is how to do nothing. A parent walks in a room and his teens are glued to their phones. Dad says, “What’s going on?” You know the answer, “Nothin’.”Why is a university teaching young people how to do nothing? Maybe they ought to teach them how to excel. Maybe they ought to teach them how to achieve. Do nothing leads to indifference and laziness.

The one talent man in Matthew 25 did just that, nothing. He buried his talent in the ground. The master called him wicked, lazy and worthless. What he had was taken from him. He was cast into the outer darkness of punishment.

In our passage today, the apostle tells the Titus, “let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs.” Doing nothing isn’t in the vocabulary of a disciple of Jesus. We need to be busy busting it for the kingdom. Hard working preachers, busy in the church shepherds, diligent deacons, Bible class teachers who are going out of their way, members who are engaged in serving others—that’s the heart of our fellowship and what makes our connections so powerful.

Engaging in good deeds is something that we need to learn. This is something that needs to be taught. We need to be studying how to do good deeds not how to do nothing. It’s easy to do nothing. Nothing is required to do nothing. But to do good deeds you have to think of others. You have to make plans and find ways to lift the burdens of others.

Here are some thoughts:

First, as disciples of Jesus, doing nothing ought never be said of us. We don’t all preach nor need to preach. We can’t all shepherd. We are all public teachers. But there are many other wonderful and powerful things that can be done. Taking food, giving rides, calling, texting, writing others, being a fresh air of encouragement to others—these are the things that truly make a difference.

In the hymn, “I gave My life for thee,” the chorus pointedly asks, “What hast thou giv’n for Me?” And, how would we answer that question? “Nothing.” Have we done any more than just show up for worship? Our people must learn to engage in good deeds. Get busy. Find your talent.

Second, it seems that everyone is afraid of the younger generation and they are catering to their selfish ways. Rather than do nothing, I think of the woman who anointed Jesus and the Lord said, “She has done what she could.” Doing what you can do, would be a much better class to offer. Do nothing will not help society. Do nothing will not make families stronger. Do nothing won’t build business. Do nothing is the death of a church. Won’t anyone stand up and scream, “Enough!” Won’t anyone be brave enough to say, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” Won’t anyone declare, when you come into this congregation, here is what is expected of you? A culture of do nothing Christians leads to indifference in the Lord.

Third, how can we as disciples do nothing when we look to our Savior who did so much. But there are some things that Jesus won’t do. You have to do them. Jesus won’t give you faith. He will give you the reasons to believe, but belief is something that comes from us. Jesus won’t live your life for you. You have to make the choices that reflect faith in the Lord. Jesus shows us why we ought to follow Him. He shows us the consequences if we don’t follow Him. But, in the end, each of us must decide that for ourselves. Jesus won’t pick you up out of bed on Sunday morning and carry you down to the church house. You have to do that. Jesus won’t make you worship. You have to do that.

Have you ever noticed that in the Gospels you never find a verse that reads, “Today, Jesus did nothing.” On this day, Jesus took the day off, and nothing was accomplished. Nope. You won’t find anything like that. Always teaching. Always on the move. Always helping. Always being the Savior. Always.

And, as His people, we must work until He stops us. If you want to retire from your secular job, great. Don’t even think about retiring from what you can do in the kingdom. Maybe time and age keeps you from doing some things, but there is always something you can do for the Lord. Always.

A class on Do Nothing. Next there will be a college degree in “Doing Nothing.” The times we live in sure are messed up. Come, Lord Jesus!

Roger

13

Jump Start # 3186

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3186

Matthew 24:38 “For in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark”

I have to confess, I have a really cool office. It’s so me. I spend a ton of hours in that place so I have made it comfortable in a setting that invites me to get busy about the work that I need to do. I have lots of pictures on my shelves. Pictures of family. Pictures of preachers that mean so much to me. Books line my shelves with special things I’ve collected from all over the world. I have a rock taken from the brook where David got his rock before he ran to face Goliath. I have a rock taken from a catacomb in Rome. I have a replica of a Viking boat. I have a wooden cutout of a church building that my grandparents once worshipped in. I have some really old restoration items on the walls. On the back of my door, is an art gallery from my grandchildren. Sitting at my desk I can see on the walls pictures I have taken from six different vacations. I have a statue of Martin Luther on one side of my desk and a statue of Walt Disney on the other side. I have a picture of Babe Ruth hugging Lou Gherig. A picture of my dad sits on my desk. I have a very old pulpit that stands in my office. It’s a reminder of where we came from as a congregation. My desk is beautiful. There is a picture of a tree high above the shelves. When you look at it, the tree is full of green leaves. But if you move a bit, the light hits that picture in a different way and the tree is full of orange leaves. Move a bit more and it’s a winter scene.  There is a giraffe that sits on the floor. My dad’s old putter leans in a corner. It’s a great office.  I love my office. It’s filled with books and stuff, and it’s functional and completely me.

But one of the best things about my office is the window that sits opposite my desk. It’s high on the wall, horizontal, but through it today, the sky is a rich, deep blue. I see the tops of trees and they are beginning to turn the powerful fall colors that God richly blesses us with. As I was looking at that scene, our verse came to my mind. I wonder what the day started like when God sent the flood. Did people wake up thinking it was just another day? But before long, the storm clouds thickened, lightning flashed and then the skies opened up.

Our passage tells us of the days leading up to the flood. There are some thoughts for us:

First, most of the world thought that life was going to continue on. They were marrying and giving in marriage. One gets married with the idea of spending a future with another. Why go through the process of a wedding if your life was going to end in a few hours by being carried away by the waters of a flood? What an assumption to conclude that tomorrow will be just like today? What a mistake to think that there will be another month?

Second, most of the world had ignored Noah. As the ark was being built, Noah was preaching. It seems that no one was listening. How much information about the coming flood he knew or he preached, we do not know. But the gospel of repentance would have been at the heart of his words. His generation was stuck on wrong. Every thought was evil. As the planks of the ark were going up, Noah’s words must have sounded louder and louder. Time is running out. Yet, no one heeded except his family.

Third, I wonder if Noah felt like a failure. He tried, but no one listened. He preached but nothing happened. We preachers often wonder if anyone listens to us. Week after week, we preach our hearts out but nothing happens. Is it us? Are we not doing something right? Are we missing something in our delivery? I wonder if Noah felt that way. God never holds Noah responsible. It wasn’t Noah. It wasn’t his sermons. It wasn’t his approach. It was the evil hearts that wanted nothing to do with God. That was the problem.

Fourth, I wonder what the day will be like when Jesus comes? I wonder, like the days of Noah, if it will start out like a regular, ordinary day. People will have errands to run. Some will be hurrying off to work. Some will have a long list of things to do that day. Just another day. But then, somewhere in that day, everything changes. The sky fills with angels. So many angels. A loud sound like a trumpet is heard. Everything stops. Nothing else matters. Skyward we see Jesus. There He is. What is so important to us, suddenly is not important. What matters at that moment is “do you know my Savior?” Some will be crying, because they are scared and they are not ready. Others will be crying because they have awaited this moment all of their lives. He is finally here. Today is the day.

And, when that moment happens, somewhere in the world, a baby will be born and that child will be the last person ever born on the earth. Somewhere, someone has been baptized into Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins. And, that person will be the last person to obey the Gospel of Christ. That person will be the last person to become a Christian. Somewhere on the planet, a preacher will be preaching the last sermon ever preached on the earth.

Much more important than knowing who those “lasts” will be, is the thought will you and I be ready for Jesus to come. Don’t kick the can down the road of what you need to do. Got some apologizes that you need to offer, then get to it. Got some things that need to be said, then say them.

Blue skies out of an office window—Noah and Jesus. Important stuff to think about!

Roger

12

Jump Start # 3185

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3185

Acts 12:24 “But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.”

Ever so often a person gets to do something very special. It might be a bucket list item, something you really want to do in life. And, even more rare than that, is when a person gets to do it a second time. That happened to me last week. A year ago I was invited to speak in the old Cane Ridge log church building that was built in 1791. The same building that Barton W. Stone preached in and was the one of the driving forces for the American Restoration movement. I’ve been in that building often. Stood in the pulpit before. Always thought it would be so wonderful to actually preach there. I got to do that last year. And, this past Saturday, I was invited to come back and to do it again. Lessons on the restoration in one of the oldest exciting log church buildings in our country, amazing!

My lesson this time was on what happened after Cane Ridge. There was a greater emphasis upon the word of God. The preaching at Cane Ridge drove a stake through the heart of Calvinistic theology in that region. The free will of man meant that all could be saved and it also allowed simple farmers to take up the word of God and preach. They didn’t have to be licensed or ordained before a board. Farmers by day and preachers by night is what they were. And, all those years later, there I stood preaching in that same building. Amazing!

In my lesson I shared four powerful reminders as we sat in the log cabin:

  First, the authoritative nature of the N.T. must not be forgotten. There is no greater threat to this today than putting one’s personal feelings above the Scriptures. God’s word is absolute. Those early pioneer preachers understood that. We must do the same. How I feel about something cannot be the standard that we go by. Feelings can change. Feelings can be misleading. We do not all feel the same way about the same thing. God’s word is absolute and unchanging. It’s the same for those first disciples as it is for us. It’s the same for those in Europe as it is for us.

Second, the uniqueness of the primitive church must be maintained. What God did in the first century worked. Those same patterns and methods work today. Preach the word into honest and good hearts and lives will change. A threat we face today is when people think of God’s church as just any ole’ church. It’s just a denomination among denominations. The uniqueness of what was taught and practiced must be taught today. We must preach Christ. We must preach righteousness.

  Third, a contentment and satisfaction of what God has established must be developed. The history of the restoration movement is a history of division and trouble. Progressive spirits collide with those that want to stay the course with the way the Bible reads. When one appreciates and understands that what God has given us cannot be improved upon then one will be satisfied to continue onward with God. It’s when we believe there are better ways, other ways, new ways, whether in worship, organization, or other areas, then changes start taking place. A contented heart stays with God. A satisfied heart stays with God. When we want different, different is usually what we will get. And, most times, that different is not found in the Bible. God did not ask for our input when He planned the Gospel way.

Fourth, the elevation of the holiness of God in our lives and worship must be at the forefront. It’s about God. It’s always been about God. The emphasis within the N.T. letters to the churches is not about them, but about God. When we honor the Lord first, things will be as they ought to be. A reverence must be realized as we approach God. The temple worship stressed that. Somehow we’ve lost some of that. Casual, laid back, sloppy, careless, and we’ve lost the sense of awe before the Lord.

I wondered as I left that log church building how many prayers had been said in that old building? I wondered how many hearts were comforted by the teaching of God’s word? I wondered how many lives came to know Jesus through the preaching of His gospel.

Our passage today tells us that the word grew and was multiplied. As the word spread throughout the world, more and more were becoming disciples of Jesus. Cane Ridge was a force a long time ago that got some preaching out in the frontier land.

Preaching at Cane Ridge—simply a honor that I won’t ever forget.

Roger

11

Jump Start # 3184

Posted on October 11, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3184

Acts 9:31 “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”

What a great passage. Preachers love verses like this because the Lord has listed all the points that need to be emphasized. What a great story about the early church this tells us.

Now, let’s work through some of the expressions:

First, notice it’s the church, not the churches. Did you see that? Singular. This is not talking about specific congregations but the church as a unit or as some call it, universal. The church. Upon this rock, our Lord said, I will build My church.

Second, the church in all these regions enjoyed peace. What a profound thought that is. Peace. Moms long for some peace and quiet. The world longs for peace among the nations. But most importantly, is that peace within ourselves that comes from walking with the Lord.

There are two modes of peace. One is external and that may be the thought here. No persecution. No troubles from those who oppose. No one being put into prison. There was peace.

The other mode of peace is internal. Often, that is harder to maintain. It means getting along with one another. To have peace is to have unity. To have peace is to have understanding. To have peace is to enjoy the fellowship and company of one another. No competition. No fussing about this and that. No pointing fingers. No letting others down. No threats of leaving. No splits. No division. Peace.

Third, the church was being built up. That’s stated twice in this passage. Here, being built up. At the end, continued to increase. That’s missing in many places today. Some are closing the doors for the last time. Others are barely hanging on. Don’t you think there is a connection between peace and growth? It’s hard to get folks in when those that are in are wanting out. Fighting, judging, blaming that’s all it takes to put a stop to any growth. Built up also carries the idea of internal growth. On the inside they were getting stronger. On the inside they were acting more like Christ. On the inside they were getting what it’s all about. Built up and increasing, two great components that the church needs to work towards.

Fourth, going on in the fear of the Lord. Fear can mean reverence or devotion. And, fear can mean just that, fear. There is a godly fear that brings about the respect. When one doesn’t fear God, they are likely to bend the rules, follow at a distance and do their own thing in their own way. But with a fear of God all of that changes. God is just. God has a wrathful side to Him. It is terrifying to fall into the hands of the living God the Hebrews were told. Fear of the Lord will keep one close to God’s word. Fear of the Lord will keep reverence in worship. Fear of the Lord will keep God at the top of our priorities.

It wasn’t that they just understood the concept of the fear of the Lord, the passage tells us that they were “going on” in the fear of the Lord. That’s movement and direction. They did more than understand the fear, they were dwelling in it.

Fifth, and, they were going on in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. This comfort wasn’t a feeling or something mysterious. It’s about the word of God. The Spirit gave us the word. It is that word, that Spirit that brings comfort to our hearts and our souls. The Thessalonians were told to comfort one another with these words. The comfort that is found in walking with the Lord. The comfort in knowing the assurance that the Lord is with us. The comfort that is wrapped around the love of God. The comfort that gets us through the darkest nights and the strongest storms.

Fear and comfort—not opposites but side by side, not only in the same passage, but in the same heart.

Sixth, the church continued to increase. Peace. Going on. Fear of the Lord. Comfort of the Spirit. These are the elements that will cause a church to grow. It grows because the Gospel is believed. It grows because the Gospel is practiced. It grows because God is behind it.

Don’t drop the fear aspect. Don’t forget the comfort of the Spirit. It’s not one or the other, it’s both. A healthy fear of the Lord keeps us close to the book. Being comforted by the Spirit keeps us close to the Lord.

We see a balance. Balance in our preaching. Balance in our attitudes. Balance in our outlook.

These are the things that sure can be preached.

Roger