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Jump Start # 3277

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3277

Ecclesiastes 2:25 “For apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?”

    The early chapters of Ecclesiastes reminds me of throwing a dirt clod down a dusty road. There isn’t much to write home about. Life seems monotonous. Wisdom doesn’t get you anywhere. Materialism is showy and empty. There is a certainty of death that no one can escape. Just a dirt clod thrown down a dusty road.

  But a turning point takes place late in the second chapter. Solomon brings up God’s name in a delightful and positive fashion. And, throughout the rest of this journal that we call Ecclesiastes, Solomon points the audience to the blessings of God.

  Apart from Him, our verse begins. Without Him. No Him. That leaves us on our own. That means there is no one to help us. That means there is no one to pray to. Apart from Him, there really is no life. Jesus came to give abundant life, John tells us. And, that life doesn’t start in Heaven, but now. Down here, in this broken and sad place we call earth, disciples find abundant life. They find a reason to rejoice. They are thoroughly thankful. Because of Him, life, even down here, is filled with purpose, joy and hope. The darkness of a lost world cannot conceal the sunlight of our glorious Savior.

  Vacations, ballgames and concerts can put moments of happiness on the face of the world, but it doesn’t last. It never lasts. True enjoyment is only found in the Lord.

  Some thoughts:

 First, there is a great enjoyment in knowing that one is pleasing the Lord. Doing right not only is good, it makes one feel good. The five talent man was welcomed with these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Well done! A spiritual high five. A tip of the hat. A smile upon the face. You did it and you did it well.

  And, what a profound and wonderful thought that is and what a refreshing image of God that paints in our hearts. I get the impression from some that God always frowns. God is never happy with us. We can never do enough and can never please Him. Some have grown up in homes like that. Got good grades on the report card, not good enough. Should have been number one in your class. Made varsity, not good enough. Should have been team captain or MVP. Never satisfied. Radar gun always pointed at us. Our mistakes and failures are the first things noticed. That makes it tough as a child growing up in a home like that. But when we transfer that image to God, it turns serving Him into duty and drudgery rather than passion and love.

  Well done, the master said. The text doesn’t say this, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to imagine the master having a big smile upon his face when he said that. He was pleased. He was happy. You and I can please God.

  Second, there is a great enjoyment in our fellowship together. Even on those dark days when the tears flow and fears are high, such comfort, strength and help comes from being together. Together in faith. Together in victories. Together in trials. Together in worship. Together in prayers. People who understand God and you. People who walk close to the Savior. What enjoyment that is. The best people on the face of the earth are God’s people.

  Third, we know that this enjoyment isn’t for a moment, but it is eternal. God is with us now and forever. The enjoyment is much more than a few laughs now and then, a nice meal, the comforts of home. The enjoyment comes from deep within. It is a satisfaction and a contentment found with God. It is knowing that He loves you and you walk with Him. And, best of all, it doesn’t end.

  The eternal is beyond our understanding. Everything we know, except for God, has a beginning and an end. Every movie. Every song. Every book, including the Bible. Every day. Beginning and an end. But, eternity has no end to it. One never has to leave to go somewhere else. One isn’t pressed to find something else to do. The journey ends in the presence of God. He is the joy, the hope and the promise.

  Apart from Him, Solomon said, who can find enjoyment. And the opposite? With Him, what abundant joy, comfort and peace there is. It is great to be a child of God.

  Roger

27

Jump Start # 3276

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3276

2 Samuel 13:3 “But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man.”

Our verse today comes from one of the dark pages of the Bible. God doesn’t whitewash the reality of man’s disobedience and sin. Flawed, broken and misguided, God paints the true picture of how far sin can take one from Him.

Amnon was one of King David’s sons. He was infatuated with Tamar, David’s daughter, his step-sister. Amnon’s lust for her blinded his eyes to what was right. He had to have her in a sexual way. This is where our verse comes in. Jonadab, a friend, concocts a plan for Amnon to get what he wants. Amnon rapes Tamar. A couple of years later, Amnon is killed by Absolom for the revenge of this shameful act.

So many lessons to be learned from all of this, but one of the starting points is having a worthless friend, like Jonadab in your life. Throughout the Scriptures God guides us into the kind of friends we ought to surround ourselves with. People that are helpful, not hurtful. People that will encourage, and not defeat us. People that will bring us closer to the Lord and not closer to Satan.

Much too often we leave lessons like this for teen devos and their Bible classes. Yet, adults need help with this as well. The “evil companions that corrupt good morals,” of 1 Corinthians 15, was not the kid down the street who races his motorcycle late at night. Paul addressed those warnings to the saints at Corinth. The evil companions were fellow Christians who were teaching things that were not Biblically accurate. They were misleading the brethren. Paul was warning adults about fellow Christians! Maybe we need to remind adults about friends.

Some thoughts:

First, just because someone is in the family, or even the congregation, does not mean that they are good for me. Look at our verse today. If I get this correct, Amnon and Jonadab were cousins. They may have grown up together. However, Jonadab wasn’t good. He had no problem advising deception and breaking God’s law. Much too often we give someone a pass because they are in the family or we worship together. Paul was warning the Corinthians about someone among them, the evil companions. We tend to let our guard down and not be careful when it comes to family and brethren. This is how error slips in. Paul warned the Ephesian shepherds that trouble would arise from among them. Job’s wife gave the advice to “curse God and die.” Bad advice. Satan will use those very close to us to find a way to get us.

Second, it seems that Amnon and Jonadab were cut from the same immoral cloth. Likely that’s why they were friends. They had something in common, doing wrong. Rather than helping each other do what is right, they continued to pull each other lower and lower into the immoral sewer.

One can tell pretty quickly someone whose thinking, words, ideas and heart is far different than yours. Radically different isn’t a good compliment among friends. For the disciple, it doesn’t take long to realize that there is very little in common with a Jonadab. The more distance one can put between yourself and such a person, the better. Modern Jonadab’s will use you, take advantage of you, and leave you once they have gotten all they can from you. True friends would never do that. True friends won’t take and take. True friends will leave you better than where you are.

Third, shepherds in God’s church must be able to recognize the “evil companions” among us. Just because someone volunteers to teach a class does not mean that he ought to. Just because someone has a lesson worked up and wants to give it on a Wednesday evening does not mean that he should. The character, heart, and history of such a person has a lot to do with their integrity of Scriptures and their motives. Some will use public opportunities to push their agenda, hit every hot button, and stir things up. Rather than edifying, they cause a commotion. Rather than teaching, they create confusion. And, the leaders are often left to clean up messes that should never have been there. The Jonadabs today fill the hearts of others with ideas and suggestions that cannot be supported by Scriptures. They often want others to do the work of stirring things up, while they sit on the sidelines, whispering more false and dangerous theories into the ears of their friends.

Some just do not need to teach or preach because they themselves do not know where they stand. As the wind blows, so they lean this way and then that way. Unsteady, unsure, they are not in the position to teach, yet so many do.

Some will never admit that evil companions and Jonadabs dwell among us. The blinders that some continue to wear keep them from admitting what everyone else already sees. And, as long as leaders remain quiet, the work of spreading speculations, theories and error will continue.

Amnon had a friend. That speaks volumes.

Roger

24

Jump Start # 3275

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3275

Job 1:8 “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.’”

In the 1990s Gatorade made a series of commercials with basketball superstar Michael Jordan. The catch phrase through those commercials was, Be like Mike. “If I could be like Mike for just one day…” so went the advertising. It was a smash hit.

Using that concept, what would it be like to be Job? The quick and easy answer is, “painful.” That’s how we remember him. He hurt. He hurt on the inside and he hurt on the outside. He hurt in his wallet and he hurt in his heart. He hurt in his marriage and he hurt in his friendships.

But what would it be like to walk in Job’s shows before the pain? There are some great lessons there.

First, he was a man of great moral fiber and a deep conviction for the Lord. His faith did not begin with the pain. The faith was there before the pain. Our verse today is the Lord’s description of faithful Job. Blameless. Upright. Fearing God. Turning away from evil. That’s how God saw Job. Those things don’t come over night. They don’t come from just sitting in a church building once in a while. They come from deep within the heart. Without knowing details, we conclude that Job was honest in business. How do we know that? God says he was blameless and upright. Someone that cheats and is dishonest is not going to be called that. Job is one who has walked a while with the Lord. Job is someone who knew the Lord.

Second, Job was concerned about the spiritual well-being of his children. The first chapter says that he would make sacrifice for them. Much too often the spiritual is sacrificed so our kids can make the team, get the scholarship, get on stage and be something great. While we are so concerned about their GPA, and the MVP, we forget to teach them about G-O-D. A child’s attitude about God and His word will be reflected on the ballfield and in the classroom. Attitudes, the way he treats others, respect for those in authority, ambition are all influenced by what we think about God and ourselves. Job was concerned about his children’s faith. Job actually took some action steps in regard to his children’s faith.

Third, God brought Job’s name up to Satan. We often get this reversed. We get the idea that Satan suggested. But it was God. I don’t see God throwing Job to the dogs. I don’t see God sacrificing Job. God must have thought that Job is strong enough, faithful enough that he could handle the devil. Would this happen today? Would it happen to us? Would God pick one of us out as an example of faithfulness? Would the devil turn us down, saying, “I already have him.” Satan hit Job hard. He did about everything possible except take his life. He was stepped on. He was crushed. He was flattened. Satan must have thought, there is no way Job’s faith is going to survive this. Punch after punch and ole’ Job won’t go down. Battered. Bloodied. Beaten. Yet, he remains standing. Remarkable. His own wife threw in the towel. She was done. Not Job.

Fourth, we know more about the background story than what Job was ever told. He didn’t know about this discussion between God and Satan. He didn’t know the “whys” behind all of this. He didn’t understand. He was in the dark. Yet, onward with God he traveled.

Job had such a way and influence that his three friends traveled from great distances to see him. That speaks of Job’s character. That speaks of what they thought about Job. That speaks of the type of friendship that they had. Not everyone would hop in a car and drive across town, or, get on a plane and fly across the country to see a friend who was struggling.

At the end of the story, God asks Job to make sacrifice for his friends. Similar to what he did at the first of the book for his own children, Job now does for his friends. God sees value, faith and hope in Job.

We need to see that Satan didn’t randomly pick Job out from a group of pictures. His character, his faith, his conviction, before the trials tell us what kind of person Job was.

If I could be Job for one day…I’m not suffering as he was, but am I connected, faithful and devoted to God? Am I diligently following the Lord? Am I making the right choices in my life? Job was doing these things BEFORE the troubles.

Job before the trials—that makes for an interesting study.

Roger

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Jump Start # 3274

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3274

1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into this world.”

Asbury College revival—it’s the talk of the nation. Young people interested in Jesus. Nonstop, around the clock praising the Lord. Prophecies fulfilled, some claim. Demons reported being cast out. YouTube is filled with videos about the Asbury experience. Many are comparing it to the great Cane Ridge revival of 1801. Many are flocking to Asbury just to see with their own eyes what is taking place.

It’s time to mention some things about this in our Jump Starts.

First, one is not a bad guy for wanting to examine such events Biblically. Far too many, even among brethren, are blindly hopping on the bandwagon of excitement and are critical if anyone dare raises some concern. Yes, it’s great to see young college students interested in Jesus. And, yes, they could be out drag racing in the streets as they are in other cities, or sitting behind college dorms smoking dope. I’m all for people being passionate about Jesus. Zeal and enthusiasm are a part of our worship. Dull lifeless songs, dry sermons and dead prayers are not the answer.

However, as our passage says, as the Bereans in Acts did, we must look at things through the eyes of Scriptures. As Paul praised the Bereans for searching the Scriptures to see whether what they heard was true, he did not accuse them of being arrogant, judgmental or always condemning what was different. They were praised for being diligent to search the Scriptures. We are not being judgmental when we do the same. We are not jealous nor full of pride if we do what the Bereans did. To put a “Hands off” qualifier on what happens is neither Biblical, smart nor helpful. Our very passage today warns of false prophets. Try the spirits is what John tells his readers. There are false prophets circling around and the only way to know is to test what they say. Truth will never suffer under investigation. I want young people, old people, little people, big people and all people to follow Jesus. But a counterfeit Jesus doesn’t help. Getting close doesn’t help. A false religion doesn’t help. This should not be a choice between boring but accurate or excitement and inaccurate. We need to passionately follow Jesus as He wants us to.

So, we need to stop throwing darts at those who want to take a look at things. Those who are pointing out things are doing so to help us be right with the Lord.

Second, the historical picture. What is happening at Asbury is not what happened at Cane Ridge. Some modern historians have shown similarities, such as fainting, barking and unusual activities that happened at Cane Ridge. But the major difference is the absence of the Bible at Asbury. Video after video that I have seen has shown gospel music, hand waving, crying, testimonials, confessing sins, but very, very little turning to the Bible. The hallmark of the Cane Ridge movement was the preaching of God’s word. And that is what sustained and propelled the drive to return to the Bible. Preaching God’s word became central point of the American Restoration Movement. Without that foundation of the Bible, emotions and feelings become the central focal point. The comments and the statements made from Asbury praise the Holy Spirit for what’s being done. How does one know that it is the Holy Spirit doing this? How would one know? And, when religious movements are based upon emotions and feelings, they quickly place those feelings above what the Scriptures teach. The “experience” becomes more important than the what the Bible says.

At this same college, in the early 1970s a very similar “revival” took place. A lot of excitement. A lot of Holy Spirit moving among the people it was claimed. But it wasn’t founded upon Scriptures and it soon died out. Kids have to get back to classes. People have to go back to their jobs. People move on. And, without a foundation, these feelings and emotions soon fade away. It is a system that needs others to sustain it. This is why so many are flocking to Asbury. They are looking for something that is missing. But what they do not realize is that they can’t live at Asbury. And, unless faith is founded upon the Jesus in the Scriptures, and not an emotional feeling created by others, this experience will not last long.

Our faith is not lived through others. Our faith is not sustained by the worship experience. Our faith must be directly tied to the Lord. If it is not, then whatever happens in worship and whatever happens at the church house directly impacts our faith. If things are off one day in worship, then my faith is off. If things are stressful among brethren, then my faith takes a hit. That’s not how it ought to be. Our faith is directly in the Lord. We are to have a relationship with the Lord that is not based upon others, the weather, the circumstances or my location. This is why Paul sitting in a Roman prison could rejoice in the Lord. His faith was linked directly to Jesus, and not his surroundings. One doesn’t have to travel to Asbury, Jerusalem, Rome or any other place to have a close and deep faith in the Lord. One doesn’t have to be baptized in the actual Jordan River in order to feel connected to Jesus.

I fear that when people eventually leave Asbury, after a few weeks they will feel defeated, deflated and empty. The energy and the emotion of the music and the crowd will die away once they leave. Then, how will they come to terms with the Holy Spirit? When faith is built upon Scriptures and tied directly to the Lord, in a crowd, or alone, one continues on in faith and love and character as Jesus wants.

Third, without a foundation in the Bible, anything and everything is possible. Is God sending prophecies today? Some have said, even among brethren, “Well, He could.” What does the Bible say? Are demons being cast out today? “Well, they said it happened at Asbury.” What does the Bible say? Does God work miracles today? Can anyone do a miracle? What was the purpose of miracles?

All fair questions to ask. In all the hype and the excitement, one must not forget what we know about the Bible. We cannot toss out what the Bible teaches and what we know.  And, those that don’t know the Bible, will say anything and everything.

So, do I wish the Asbury Revival would go away? I wish among the young people there, that they’d stop the video taking on their phones and open up Bible apps and start reading what God said. I wish the movement to continue but be lead by the Bible and not emotions or young people who do not understand.

Some of the things that happened at Cane Ridge continue today. The drive for unity among all believers and the appeal to follow the apostolic way is at the heart of our preaching today. More than 220 years after Cane Ridge, the impact is still being felt. And, the reason for that is because it was based upon the preaching of God’s word and the spirit that longed to return to apostolic way.

What can we take away from the Asbury experience?

First, don’t give up on young people. There is a deep desire among them to know the Lord. Preaching answers to questions no one cares about anymore is not the solution. Hiding from their deep concerns won’t help. Listen to them. But take them to the Scriptures. Let them know the Lord, as the Lord has revealed Himself to us. Use their energy in a positive way that honors the Lord as it Biblically follows Him.

Second, it’s time to kickstart, or better yet, in the frame of this blog, Jump Start, more thought, more passion, more joy into our worship services. Sunday ought to be the best day of the week. Yet when we drag in at the last moment, half asleep, and go through the motions, we not only insult the God of Heaven and Earth, but we show our young people that we don’t mean any of this stuff. Now, this is not a call to jump pews, turn out the lights, and burn candles. It is not an excuse to ignore what the Bible teaches and introduce innovations that are not part of God’s pattern. But song leaders, think about what you are doing. Put energy into you leading. Preachers, preach with passion. Pray your heart out. Get to the church house early. Be excited to be there. One doesn’t need a rock band to create a atmosphere of love and devotion to the Lord.

Third, it’s time we moved our faith back to our own hearts where it ought to belong. Take ownership of your faith. Pray often. Be a servant of Christ. Build a character that is shaped by Scriptures. Stop playing church and let Christ dwell in your heart.

Revival begins within. Revive us again, one of our hymns, that maybe we ought to dust off and sing again.

Roger

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Jump Start # 3273

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3273

Joshua 4:19 “Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho.”

Most have heard about Jericho and how Israel marched around it and the walls came tumbling down. An amazing miracle and demonstration of the power of God. But a couple of other things happened right before the march around the city that truly shows that God was behind all of this.

First, all the nation crossed the Jordan and gathered at Gilgal, close to Jericho. All the nation includes moms and kids. From a strategic standpoint one would keep them safe on the other side of the Jordan until the battle was finished. If things went south and Israel had to run, it would not turn out well for the women and children.

Second, God commands all the males to be circumcised. This takes place in the fifth chapter. This should have been done at birth, according to the law, but it wasn’t. Now, before the battle, this was to be done. Circumcised and insight of Jericho, the soldiers of Israel would be weak for several days. How easily the warriors at Jericho could have attacked. Again, if circumcision had to be done, one would think do it months before and on the other side of the Jordan.

These two events, plus the way Israel marched around Jericho for a week, showed that God was in control. The battle belonged to the Lord. It wasn’t Israel’s size, might or incredible plans that defeated Jericho, it was God. The Lord knew Israel would be victorious even before they crossed the Jordan. God knew.

Now, some lessons for us:

First, what makes sense to us often isn’t what God says. To us, you’d leave the little ones on the other side of the Jordan. To us, you would not camp within sight of Jericho and then circumcise the men. No. None of that makes sense. But when we try to make sense, we often follow our own thinking and not the will of the Lord.

It makes sense to us, that if someone offended or hurt someone, that person needs to come and apologize. The one who did wrong needs to make it right. But the construction of Matthew 18, shows the victim going to the person who is wrong. Boy, that doesn’t make sense to us. And, far too many times, we don’t follow that. We expect the one in the wrong to come to us. What makes sense to us often isn’t what God says. We need to listen to the Lord and do things His way.

Second, there was a huge faith and trust issue with Joshua and Israel when it came to obeying the Lord. They had to believe that God knew what He was talking about. If this didn’t go right, many of them would have died. Yet, the nation crossed the Jordan. The men were circumcised. God said it and we believe it.

There has been a renewed hype about the floating balloons that the military has shot down recently. Invasion of aliens is on the minds of many. One even said, ‘This could be the beginning of the end.’ No, it’s not. The earth is not going to be destroyed by aliens. There will be saints alive when the Lord returns. Faith and trust in what the Lord has told us, keeps wild and fanciful ideas from finding a place in our hearts and minds.

Third, the people of Jericho may have laughed as Israel walked around the walls. What a silly thing that must have looked like. March around one time and then return to the camp. The next day, the same. On and on until finally, they marched around seven times, trumpets blew and the walls tumbled. As Israel marched, the warriors of Jericho may have counted how many soldiers there were. They may have shot some arrows at them.

The world may laugh at us. It doesn’t see the need to worship, let alone as often as we do. The world thinks we take the Bible far too seriously. The world thinks a little sin is good for you. The world thinks innovative ideas introduced into the church is good and healthy. The world thinks…God knows.

Israel did not repeat the Jericho battle plan at any other place. They didn’t march around and around other cities. Why not? Because they were being led by God. Joshua may have been in the forefront, but it was the Lord who was leading them to victory.

Baptism seems ridiculous to a lot of people. A church financed only on the free will donations of the members seems like a plan that will fail. Congregations that are independent and not tied together like a franchise or overseen by a board or headquarters won’t work in the eyes of the world. From the walls of Jericho, Israel didn’t know much about fighting. What the people looking over the walls of Jericho never saw was the Lord.

Trying to make sense through faithless eyes never works. It takes trusting the Lord for the walls to come tumbling down.

Great reminders for us.

Roger