10

Jump Start # 3183

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3183

Psalms 37:25 “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging for bread.”

Our verse today is wrapped around the personal observations of David, the writer of this Psalm. Been there, done that, is how our passage sounds like. Been young. Now old. This is what I have seen, David says. God has taken care of His people. The wilderness tells us that. God’s promises tells us that. Battles with giants, lions, fires tells us that. God helps His people. Give us this day our daily bread is just another reminder of how God helps us.

There are some thoughts we need to consider from this:

First, because I do not personally witness an aspect of this does not mean that it is not true. One does not have to taste the bread to know that God provided the bread. So much of a person’s thinking and even theology is wrapped around what they have experienced personally. Not everyone in the Bible literally heard God speak. Yet, we know that He did. Not everyone in the Bible experienced a miracle, yet we know that He did miracles. Very few people throughout the Bible were raised from the dead, yet we know God has done that.

From our own perspective is not a fair, accurate nor solid place to stand. We’ve not seen everything. We’ve not known everything. It is easy for us to make broad generalizations based upon our experiences and those conclusions may not be true. It’s easy to assume all Christians are based upon the interaction I’ve had with one. Or, that all congregations are like the one I had witnessed. Those generalizations do not see everything and they are often unfair.

For instance, it is easy for one generation to trash the previous generation and to conclude that they missed things, made a mess of things and failed. How harshly some talk about our spiritual forefathers. Some preachers have no respect for the men who have gone on before. Their words are critical, condemning and harsh when they talk about what was done in the past. Some are saying that the previous generation never talked about grace. It is said that they never preached grace except to condemn grace only. And, it is because of that, they claim, the church is in the hopeless trouble we find it today. It’s all because of the past generation of preachers who spent far too much time talking about issues of cooperation and never about the grace of God.

Those that say such things are foolish. They are ignorant of history and the long pages of evidence that says just the opposite. Read the old, old papers. There are tons of articles about grace that never mention “only.” There have been many, many powerful sermons for decades about the saving grace of God. To say that our forefathers, or the past generation hardly ever preached on grace is historically not true and a statement that stands without evidence. Broad generalities often can be so broad that they are useless. Because a certain person never heard lessons on grace is not to say that the whole generation never preached on it.

And, to put this in perspective, Jesus never used the word “grace.” The sermon on the mount doesn’t mention grace. Jesus’ interaction with the woman caught in adultery illustrated grace. Jesus’ words to the penitent thief on the cross is all about grace. The story of the prodigal is about grace. Yet, Jesus never preached “grace.” In fact, there are nearly a dozen times when Jesus talked about Hell in His teachings. He talked more about Hell than He did grace. Are we to conclude that Jesus was negative and more about condemning than saving? Our observations and conclusions can be a bit wacky.

And, it’s easy to be a backseat driver to other things that we seemingly see so clearly. Why did the apostles have such a struggle with faith? Why did they not get the proper kingdom concept earlier? Why were earlier generations preaching so hard about division, cooperation, organization and things like that? We weren’t living in those times. It’s hard for us to understand. But it’s not right, honorable, nor fair to those heroes of faith for us to trash them because we think they spent too much time on those topics. What will the next generation think of our preaching today? One must deal with things as they are with what information he has.

Second, only the Lord sees everything. David could say, “I’ve been young and now I am old, and I have not seen the righteous forsaken.” Yet, elsewhere in this very book of Psalms, the cry is made about why God doesn’t hear prayers. There are times the Psalmist feels alone. There are moments when he begs God not to turn His face away from him. All of that certainly could be viewed as “forsaken.” I’ve not seen the righteous forsaken nor his descendants begging bread, yet there was a time when David was so hungry that he ate the bread preserved for the priests. He might have felt forsaken, desperate and without options in that moment.

We must not judge a person by just one chapter in their life. What we jump into likely is not the whole story. There is always a back story. There are always factors surrounding the choices and decisions made. In the midst of a battle, be it a literal battle, a spiritual battle, or an emotional battle, we might draw some conclusions that fail to take into account the tremendous pressure of what was going on in that battle. God knows. God sees.

Third, God is good. The very characteristics of God is goodness and holiness. If you being evil, know how to give good gifts, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give what is good, Jesus said. The parables of the prodigal, the laborers in the vineyard illustrate the kindness, generosity and love of God. Even if David had not seen with his own eyes the righteous being taken care of by God, we know that they will be. The nature of God is built upon that.

I have seen. Be careful making conclusions with what you have seen. You’ve likely not seen everything. You see things from your spot in the world and there may be exceptions and things you never realized. Let God’s word be our conclusion. Let God’s word form our thoughts, opinions and decisions.

I for one, am very, very thankful to the many courageous preachers from the past generation and even those beyond. They have helped us. They have encouraged us. They were not perfect, and neither are we. They did the best that they could, as we are trying to do the best that we can. Many a preacher who is currently being paid far more than any of us deserve ought to realize the powerful sacrifices that those preachers in times gone by have made to make all of this possible. Living in preacher’s houses, paid so little that many had to work another job, those heroes preached their hearts out without complaining. To say that they didn’t do enough or that they didn’t do it right is a mockery that ought not be tolerated. Saying such things is disrespectful, unkind and should be stopped. God bless the great heroes of whom we stand upon their shoulders.

I’ve been young and now I am old…

Roger

07

Jump Start # 3182

Posted on October 7, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3182

Proverbs 17:17  “A friend loves at all times. And a brother is born for adversity.”

A New York Post article reported that 1 out of 5 millennials have no friends. A third of the 20-30 something age group reported feeling lonely often or always. The survey also found that a huge 27% believe that they don’t need friends.

Now, analysists will dive into the various social causes of this such as the side effects of the pandemic or the culture of electronics and social media, but there is something to this that we ought to consider. God said it was not good for man to be alone. He did not provide a support animal for Adam. He made a woman to be his companion and wife. That was God’s solution to loneliness.

But this report ought to be something that shepherds in God’s kingdom pay attention to. There may will be some in the congregation who have no connections. They can sit in a large assembly on a Sunday morning, but they are alone. And, spiritually, this is not healthy nor the way God intended for things to be.

  • The Christian who feels alone is more likely to keep things to himself. He becomes more vulnerable to the attacks of Satan. He doesn’t feel that he is a part of the kingdom. This loneliness invites discouragement and it is easy for such a person to fall through the cracks and drop out.
  • The Biblical principles of fellowship and encouragement are wrapped around the concepts of togetherness. Acts 2 reminds us that the first disciples were together. And being together is more than sitting in a room with others. I can go to a movie and the theatre is filled, but I do not feel that I am together or connected. The same goes for flying on an airplane. Fellowship and encouragement are built upon sharing hearts, working together and having a common bond that unites us. The sharing of our stories builds hope for others. The prayers we offer for one another strengthens our souls. Going to a funeral home and seeing it packed with brethren brings such comfort to a grieving family.
  • The belief that “I don’t need any friends,” is arrogant and missing what God designed. It’s not only about what you need, but it is also what you provide. Maybe you are convinced that you don’t need a friend, but there are others who do. You bring to the table a wealth of experience, love, knowledge and hope for others.

It is interesting when Elijah was sitting alone in the cave, hiding from Jezebel’s hitmen, surrounded with dark thoughts, discouragement and hopelessness that the Lord came and spoke to him. God told him to leave the cave and go appoint someone as king. That would put Elijah around others. That would get his mind off his situation. That would put some sunlight upon his body and his soul. Get around others, is what the Lord had him do. Get about doing what I want you to do is what God wanted him to do.

Now, think about one of these lonely millennials becoming a preacher or someday a shepherd in God’s church. That person may know the word of God, but without being able to connect with others, build relationships and help others, his work will be limited and not very successful. Jesus was around people. He was around people all the time. And, that example ought to help remind us of the value of worship. It’s not only to praise God, but it is to strengthen our souls and encourage our hearts.

So, what ought we to suggest to help with this? We cannot fix the world, but there are some things we can do.

First, it begins at home. Have people over. Have different people over. Have people that have kids that are your kids age over. Have older people over. Have younger people over. This is how friendships begin. To have friends, you must be friendly. Don’t talk about yourself. Hear the stories of others. Cook some great food. Get some games out. Watch a movie together. Get your kids involved in picking up and making the house inviting.

Now, don’t be that person that says, “No one ever invites me to their home.” You take the first step. You connect.

Second, look around during worship and notice who you do not know. You may know their names but that’s about it. You couldn’t say anything about where they work, where they grew up or really anything about them. Make it an effort to get to know them. I have found fascinating stories and wonderful people that were sitting right there every Sunday in the same building as I was in. Invite them out to eat one Sunday.

Third, pay attention especially to that millennial age group. They seem to have the most trouble in this area.  Surveys of the generations before and after do not show the same loneliness that millennials are experiencing. Shepherds need to notice this. Develop some groups within the congregation that will pull people together. Notice who is coming to those groups and who is not. When one is not connected, it is easy to drop out.

A house full of people, a church full of people and a world full of people and yet a segment claims that they are lonely. It doesn’t have to be this way. Things can be done to make a difference and develop the spiritual type of friendships that will help you all of you life. You need friends. You need someone you can talk to. You need someone who will point you in the right direction and give you godly advice.

The best friend you can have is Jesus. I think of the hymn, “What a friend we have in Jesus.”

Roger

06

Jump Start # 3181

Posted on October 6, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3181

John 21:22 “Jesus said to him, ‘If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”

Crucial Conversations is a powerful book about having those difficult talks. It’s a great book for getting along at work with others. It’s a great book for shepherds in God’s kingdom. Throughout our lives there are many difficult conversations that must take place. Talking to your teen about his behavior. Talking to an aging parent about driving. There are those conversations we have with those who are slipping and sliding away from the Lord.

Our verse today, is one of many tough conversations Jesus had with Peter. There was a time when the Lord questioned Peter about his faith. On another occasion, the Lord told Peter that his mind was not on God’s business but rather on man’s.

Our verse today is one of the last conversations Jesus has with Peter. The Lord has been to the cross, the tomb and has now arisen. In this exchange the Lord reveals some things that are hard to hear. Jesus tells Peter about how he would die. “When you grow old,” the Lord says, “you will stretch out your hands and someone will bring you where you do not wish to go.” The stretching of the hands easily could refer to a crucifixion. The following verse tells us, “signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.” Jesus tells Peter to follow Him.

Immediately, Peter asks about John. “What about this man?” In other words, what about John? Will he die like this? Is his fate going to be the same as mine? And, it is here where Jesus states our verse today. If John were to live until My return, what is that to you? If John dies violently, if John dies in old age, if John never dies, why are you concerned about that? You follow Me. Jesus repeats that.

What is that to you, is just another way of saying, “Mind your own business.” That’s not for you to worry about. That’s none of your business. You follow me.

And, in our times, what a needed statement that is. What is that to you? Mind your own business. We have made the business of others our business. We have signed up to police the kingdom for God and we are ready to pass judgment upon everyone but ourselves. What is that to you?

Think about that:

First, the spiritual wellbeing of others ought to be our concern. However, much of what we get worked up about is not the spiritual wellbeing. We become bothered by where people sit, what time they arrive, what they do during worship, and a million other things. I’ve known people who kept track of how often some went out to the bathrooms during a worship hour. We get bothered by what people wear. As long as it’s modest, “what is that to you? Follow Me.”

Second, like ole’ Peter, we get our focus out of focus when we concentrate upon others more than ourselves. Peter wanted to know about John. Jesus wasn’t telling. It wasn’t Peter’s business to know. Follow Me, is stated twice. Focus upon your walk, Peter. Let John do what John needs to do. Sometimes we notice who is not there more than we notice who is there. Sometimes we like to really give the other guy the third degree but pay so little attention to our own walk with the Lord. The Philippians were told to “work out your own salvation.” I may not think you’re doing enough. I may not think you are as spiritual as you ought to be. I may think you are too squirrelly with some passages. I may think that, but the words of Jesus ring loudly, “What is that to you?” Where is my faith? How is my walk? Follow Me.

Third, our faith and our walk with the Lord is a personal one. It’s not lived out through the apostleship. It’s not lived out through the church. John would deal with things as Jesus told him. Peter was to follow Jesus and not focus upon John. Am I praying like I truly trust the Lord? Am I opening the Bible like I really believe it? Am I worshipping or just sitting in a church building?

We allow others to bother us, irritate us, and get us worked up. Road rage is a fairly new expression. But long before that, we’ve had “pew rage.” Upset that someone is sitting where you’d like to sit. Upset because someone takes too long to walk in front of you. And, I expect in recent times, it’s the personality clashes that have caused more to look for another congregation than anything else. We don’t like the way some sing. We don’t like the songs certain leaders pick out. We don’t like the sound of the preacher’s voice. We don’t like the lighting in the church building. The temp isn’t set to our liking. The announcements are too long. The man who leads the prayer mumbles. Another cannot pronounce the words properly. And, just like that, without even realizing it we have become masters of fault finding. If there is a typo in the bulletin or class material, we’ll spot it right away. If the colors do not match on the PowerPoint we are the first to recognize it.

I know the world of fault finders. I think for years I have been among them. I’d visit different church buildings, and I’d see papers laying around, waste baskets that needed to be emptied, burned out light bulbs here and there—and immediately I’d get bothered. It took me a while to get what the Lord was saying to Peter, “what is that to you?” Why are you allowing the actions of others to distract and disturb you? Why is your worship subpar because of what someone else is doing?

In our vernacular today, the Lord would tell Peter to take a “chill pill” and calm down. If there is no fault to be found, fault finders don’t have much to talk about. They’d rather complain that there is nothing to complain about than be an encourager.

What is that to you? Great thing for us to try to answer.

Roger

05

Jump Start # 3180

Posted on October 5, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3180

Philippians 4:12 “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”

Our verse today is a great one. Paul lets us in on a little secret. It’s something that he has learned. And, by telling us, he wants us to learn these things as well. “I have learned the secret,” our verse tells us. In the verse before, Paul says, ‘I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” Learning to be content. Learning the secret of being filled and going hungry—those are a couple of things that most never learned. It’s not taught in schools. It’s not taught nor practiced at home. And, unless it’s talked about once in a while in the church building, even among God’s people, these will be a couple of lessons that are not learned.

Getting along with humble means—that’s just a polite way of saying, you’re poor. You don’t have much. Your clothes are few and not fancy. They are humble. Your house is nothing to talk about. It’s humble. And, this is the way it was for many of our parents and grandparents who lived through the depression. They didn’t have much and they didn’t have a choice. Few had jobs. Banks were closed. The times were tough. Bread lines stretched around city blocks. They didn’t have much but I’m not sure how many learned any lessons then.

The other side of this equation is “knowing how to live in prosperity.” Most think we got that. Let me show you. Put me in the big house, with a fleet of nice cars, fine food, fancy clothes, and I can show you that I’m happy as anyone. But our passage isn’t saying that. It’s not about enjoying fine things. It’s not the suite in the hotel. It’s not flying first class. Knowing how to live and learning the secret are tied together. Money is a funny thing. Too little and we complain. Too much and it ruins us. Poor or rich, Paul’s character was not changed. Poor or rich Paul was still centrally focused upon the Lord. Poor or rich Paul would do all that he could for the kingdom. Poor or rich didn’t change Paul. That’s the secret. It’s not about happiness but walking with the Lord.

Some of the most generous sharers are those who have very little. Some who ought to be in the best position to share, often do not. The more they have, the more they want to keep to themselves.

There ought to be some lessons that we learned, as Paul tells us:

First, the measure of a person is not by the brands that he wears or the street that he lives on, but what’s in his heart. That’s what matters. Some of the first Christians were servants who were poor. Our own Lord did not own real estate or have a place to call home. Our culture loves riches. Our culture defines success by square footage in a house, size of TV screen, number of cars owned and exhotic places traveled to. God measures success by faith.

Second, until we learn these lessons that Paul is talking about, there is a strong chance that our attitude will not be aligned correctly with the Lord. We will complain if we are poor and we will forget to be thankful if we are rich. One person is not better than another because of what he does or what he owns. A kid coming out of college who can throw a football half way down the field, or shoot the eyes out of a basket is destined to make millions in the pros. But another young man who chooses to spend his life preaching the saving message of Jesus is often paid just enough to get by. That sure doesn’t balance well in the big schemes of things.

Third, these secrets are really not secrets at all. All through Proverbs we are instructed about the proper balance about money. Jesus told so many parables about riches, especially in Luke. Rich man and Lazarus. Rich farmer who torn down his barns. Rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Zacchaeus, the very rich tax collector. These lessons are profound. They are easy to see. They are not hidden for only a select few. What makes these a secret is that so few know about them and so few want to know about them.

When it comes to money, we don’t like to hear sermons about those things. It makes us uneasy. We feel guilty. But maybe there is a reason for that. Maybe we’ve turned a blind eye to these important Biblical truths. Maybe we are trying to keep one foot in the kingdom while at the same time trying to keep another foot in the world. That won’t work long. All in with Jesus is what the Lord wants.

To be humble without complaining and to be in wealth without it ruining you—that’s the secret. It’s not happiness, it’s the Lord. That’s the secret. That’s the key. To whom much is given, much is required. That’s a grand principle to remember.

A secret learned…

Roger

04

Jump Start # 3179

Posted on October 4, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3179

John 6:18 “And the sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.”

Our verse today sets the stage for Jesus walking on the water. The Lord had sent the disciples ahead in a boat. Mark’s Gospel tells us that Jesus went up to pray while the disciples were crossing the sea. It was dark. The wind was against them. They had already experienced a storm earlier. It was so intense that they thought they were going to die. Now, here they are, on the same body of water, and yet another storm is brewing.

What is interesting about this one, is that the disciples did just what Jesus told them to do. Get in the boat and go to the other side. They were trying to do that. Sometimes we encounter storms because we did not obey God. Our choices were not the right choices and as a result our lives become messy and tangled up. Not here. They did what they were supposed to and yet, they are still in a storm. That point alone bothers many. Some have it in their mind and in their own made up theology, that if they do what is right, troubles will go away. Not so. John the baptist was doing right, yet he was put in prison and his life was taken from him. Paul would do what was right, yet he was beaten multiple times. Doing what God wants you to do can put you right in the middle of a storm.

There are some lessons to be learned about days that are bad.

First, not every day turns out like we have planned. We go to bed at night with a schedule full of what needs to be done tomorrow. But the morning doesn’t start well. One of the kids is sick. You can’t find the car keys. The car won’t start. An accident has backed up traffic for miles and now you are late. At work, the internet is down. The copy machine is out of toner. The phone rings non stop. There are days like this. For the apostles, hoping in the boat and going to the other side was nothing. But it was on that day.

Second, bad days require more prayer and spiritual focus and intensity. It’s easy when things are running smoothly to skip through some of our spiritual habits. But when the day is in a ditch, we sure need more prayer, more Jesus and more help. We know that even through those long, dark valleys of death, God is with us. He leads us. He comforts us. He is our help and our refuge. The good thing about bad things is that they tend to make us pray harder and longer than we normally do.

Third, it’s in those bad days that we learn so much. James tells us to count it a blessing when we go through trials. Hard and difficult as they may be, we tend to learn more during those seasons than we do when everything is going well for us. Lessons such as patience, humbleness, priorities all come to the front when we are having a bad day. Going through bad days makes us realize how many good days that we took for granted and how many times we were not all that thankful when we should have been.

Fourth, even in the bad days, God expects us to walk with Him and live up to what He tells us to do. No passes are given and no exemptions are made because we are tired, stressed, worried and bothered about life. God doesn’t give us a day off from letting our light shine and being the disciple that we are supposed to be. If we only were required to be faithful on the good days, when the sun is shinning, then our hearts and character quickly become inconsistent. The ole’ saying, “I’ll be there Lord willing, if the creeks don’t rise.” Well, if they do rise, get you a boat!  If they do rise, swim across. Don’t fall into the easy habit of only walking with the Lord when you feel like it. There will be many days when you don’t feel like it. You may not feel like it physically. You may not feel like it emotionally. You may not feel like it spiritually. Yet, still, onward you will go. You will continue to do what is right, because that is the right thing to do. You will worship, even when you do not feel like it. You will be an encourager when you don’t want to. You will be a servant, even when you think it’s time for others to serve you.

Another storm in night. Another rocky boat ride. Another fearful journey. Jesus comes. He comes walking. They get more scared. Some think the Lord is a ghost. Jesus speaks. “It is I.” That’s all they need to hear. His voice. His presence. He’s calmed storms before. He’s sent demons running before. He’s raised the dead before. It is I—which means He is here. It means everything will be ok. It means my heart can settle down.

Bad days happen. But they don’t have to be “bad.” Inconvenient. Uncomfortable. Difficult. Challenging. Schedule changing. But as long as the Lord is near, it will never be bad.

Roger