30

Jump Start # 3359

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3359

Judges 8:4 “Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing.”

Our verse today shows the judge Gideon in pursuit of the enemy of God’s people. Earlier in the chapter, the size of his army had been downsized dramatically. He started off with more than 30,000 troops. Those who were afraid were allowed to go home. Twenty-two thousand went home. Only ten thousand remained. That’s about 70%, or out of every ten, seven admitted to being afraid and returned home. Yet from that, 10,000, the number trickles down to 300, about 1% of what Gideon started off with.

The passage states that they were weary yet pursuing. What a great description that is. Tried, yet going. Worn out, but still working. There is a passage in Mark that reveals Jesus and the disciples did not have time to eat. Busy. Always busy. The workaholic. The tireless preacher. The busy shepherd. Always someone to encourage. Always someone to have a conversation with. Always someone to teach. Always. As soon as the week ends, it all starts all over again. Another sermon. Another article. Another podcast. Another class. Like Gideon, weary yet pursuing.

I offer some simple reminders for the tired Christian. Now, I have in mind those who are wearing themselves out in kingdom work. Not those who are tired, because they are staying up too late watching TV or those who pack too much into a vacation and they come home tired. I’m not talking about the guy who is working two jobs to pay off some debt. No. What I have in mind is the busy Christian who is always doing things for others. Another meal to take to someone. Another email, answering a question. Another “can we talk,” conversation. Another quarter of classes to teach. It is those who keep the church going. It is those who are fully engaged in the work of the kingdom. They are the constant teachers. They are the ones who fill in when no one else will. They the first to volunteer for VBS. They are the ones who stick around after everyone else has gone home. They pour their hearts into the service, making things right for everyone else.

Reminders for tired Christians:

First, don’t complain about others who are not busy. There is always that 80/20 factor in most organizations. Eighty percent of the work is done by twenty percent of the people. What are the other 80% of the people doing? Not much. They may complain, but they don’t roll up their sleeves. They are quick to see what ought to be done, but it won’t be done by them.

When Gideon’s twenty thousand walked home, it must have been very discouraging for those who remained. More left than stayed. More lacked faith than had faith.

The Revelation church of Sardis is described to us as being dead. Lifeless. Their deeds were not completed. However, there were a few that were walking correctly with the Lord. The faithful few. All one has to do is make that announcement that some volunteers are needed and immediately the audience looks down at their shoes. Not me. Too busy right now. Hope you get the help you need. Wish I could, but I can’t. Those words fill PTA meetings, little league meetings, office meetings and even, the call for help at church. Not me. Not now.

Gideon’s men, tired and weary as they were, kept pursuing. Tired Christians realize that if they don’t, no one else will. God bless those diligent workers. They are found in every congregation. They keep the place clean. They make sure all the lights are on. They print all the material that the rest need for classes. The trash is picked up out of the parking lot. They greet the visitors and stick around and help those who have questions. Tired Christians are an example and a blessing. If they stopped doing what they are doing, the place would fall apart. God bless those with open eyes and big hearts.

Second, it’s not wrong to take a break once in a while. You’ll probably never see that as a point in a sermon, but it’s true. God built in a day of rest and reflection for ancient Israel that we call the Sabbath. After creation, God rested. The Gospels show us that there were times when Jesus rested.  Psalms 46 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” There are times when the woodsman must stop and sharpen his axe. He will cut better and more if he does that. It’s important for the weary Christian to get some rest. It’s important for teachers and preachers to fill their buckets. Encouragers need to be encouraged once in a while.

Third, remember your salvation is not measured by how much you do. If not careful, we walk right into the system of salvation by works when we think that way. We are saved by the grace of God. We must not think that we are better than others because of what we do. Jesus never compared the five talent man and the two talent man with each other. Every person needs to do what they can and give all the glory to the Lord.

Fourth, realize that you cannot do everything nor fix everyone. When the disciples complained about the woman who anointed Jesus with costly perfume, the Lord defended her and said, “She has done what she could.” That’s all any of us can do, just what we can.

Some will do more than we do. Don’t feel bad about that. Be thankful they are doing what they can. I know that I am a writing machine. That’s a gift God has given me. I don’t think less of those who don’t do that. Others are busy going overseas to teach and preach. That’s their talent and gift. Others are busy starting from scratch and building strong congregations. That’s their gift and talent. Some are busy teaching in prisons. Some crisscross this country preaching nearly every night of the week. That’s their gift and talent. Some are great at preaching. Others are better at teaching. Some are better one-on-one. No one can do it all.

We can’t fix everything because some things are bigger than we are. We can’t fix everything because some people don’t want to change. We can’t fix everything because somethings are not our business. But find what you can do and then do it. If you can’t teach, then help the teacher.

The tired Christian. Weary yet pursuing. That was Gideon’s three hundred. And, that’s us. Catch your breath, but get back into the fight. We need you. The kingdom needs you. You are a blessing. Heaven recognizes the good that you are doing.

Roger

29

Jump Start # 3358

Posted on June 29, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3358

John 15:14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you.”

I have some study habits that I don’t really recommend to others, but it works for me. I like to have music playing in the background while I read or write. I’ve done this since high school days, which was a long time ago. Most times, my music selection is something soft, a bit classical or else British 60’s music. That’s my choice. I have playlists that will just play those songs. However, there is one exception that doesn’t fit with my general tastes in music. It’s a song by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It’s called, “You can’t make old friends.” The words really tug on the heart.

When I first heard that song, I thought, “What do you mean you can’t make old friends?” Sure, anyone can do that. But, once that sinks in, you get it. You can make NEW friends. You can meet someone for the first time. But you can’t make OLD friends. Old friends have been with you for a long time. You just can’t make a history with someone. It takes time. Old friends have traveled life together. Old friends have a history together. Old friends have so many stories to tell. Old friends understand things that new friends don’t. It takes time to make old friends.

I’ve known people who have kept in touch with high school friends for decades and decades. I’ve known people who were friends in grade school and now, years after retirement, they are still good friends. Many famous rock bands started when school buddies got together and started playing music together.

One thing about fellowship in a large congregation or a city congregation is that there is always a lot of transition and movement. People coming in and people going out. The church directory gets updated yearly because of all the changes that take place. And, for many that’s the story of their lives. People in and people out. Co-workers, neighbors, even brethren, the faces change often. They are moments in time. But, something is to be said about that old friend.

Here are some thoughts:

First, that old friend has been with you a long time. They have been through the raising of families, the ups and downs of jobs, the funeral of parents, moving to different houses, vacations together, visits to the hospital, shared meals, sitting around and reminiscing together, just years and years and here we still are, old friends. When those old friends are Christians, it makes it even more precious and meaningful. You’ve bounced questions off of each other. You’ve cried together. You’ve prayed together. You have worshipped together. You have helped each other. There is no price tag on the depth of love you have for each other.

Second, those old friends may have seen you at low points in your life and yet, they have stayed with you. You may even had words that hurt each other, but the truth was spoken. Your old friend knows your heart. Your old friend has seen you shine and has seen you stumble. There has been times when you forgave each other and nothing more was ever spoken about that again. Your old friend may have been the one who came through when you didn’t know how you were going to pay your bills. Your old friend has helped you in ways you can never repay. It’s much more than just knowing someone for years and years, there has been volumes of help, advice, encouragement and support through those years. Old friends, nothing like that. And, when those old friends are disciples of Jesus, you know that when our time parts here, there is an eternity that awaits us together in Heaven.

Third, consider how long you and the Lord have been friends. There was a time when you and God were enemies and that’s because of our stubborn and sinful ways. Yet, God was still there. And, now, we have walked together for a long, long time. God knows you. God has seen you at your best and at your worst. And, as Jesus in our passage tells His disciples, “You are my friend.” We sing, “What a friend we have in Jesus.”

So many special people come to my mind as I write this. Dear, dear friends. Encouragers. Supporters. Defenders. Lovers of God. Old friends. Special friends. I tend to think Paul’s list of names in Romans 16 was just that, old friends. I hope all my children someday can say that they have “old friends.”

I hope I have been an old friend to others. You can’t make old friends…a special song, but more than that, a special relationship that only old friends truly understand. We are blessed to have old friends in our lives.

Roger

28

Jump Start # 3357

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

Jump Start 3357

  Matthew 6:15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

It likely goes down in history as one of the most bizarre and odd trials of all time. Being prosecuted was Formosus, the former Pope of the Catholic church. He was appointed the head of that church in 891. The Catholic church was a strong political force in Europe at that time. Formosus appointed a German prince as the “Emperor of Germany.” The Cardinals and Bishops despised this man and angerly protested this appointment. Formosus died just a few years later, in 896. There was some suspicion about his death. The next Pope, Stephen VII, led the church to draw formal charges against the dead Formosus. The body of Formosus was dug up and brought to the court room.

John Wilder, in his book, “The Other Side of Rome,” wrote this about the trial:

“The body of Formosus was dressed in all the rich trappings of Papacy. The crown of Rome was pressed upon his loose scalp, and the scepter of the holy office placed in the stiff fingers of his rotting hand. The dead man was propped upon the throne and the trial began. Pope Stephen VII assumed the role of the prosecution. He closely questioned the dead man. Formosus did not reply. It did not take long to find Formosus guilty. All his acts as a Pope were declared null and void. His robes were ripped from his body, the crown snatched from his head. Three fingers that were used in bestowing  the blessing were hacked off and his body thrown out into the street. It was tied behind a cart and dragged about the streets of the city until finally it was thrown in the Tiber River” (pg 112-113).

The trial of a dead man. How strange that must have been. How full of anger, hatred and resentment were those that led to exhuming Formosus’ body and having a trial in which a man could not defend himself. We laugh at such things and think how dumb this seems. And, yet, many of us have had our own little trials in our minds of those who have hurt us in the past. Some of these people are dead. Yet, the way we carry on, talk about these things and continue to be chained to those hurts of years gone by, it’s not much different than digging up ole’ Formosus.

Fewer things in all the Bible are more characteristic of God than grace and forgiveness. Many a wealthy person can be benevolent to the causes that they believe in, yet they are not godly in their ways. Many a person can be kind, even though they are not disciples of Jesus. But, it’s really hard to forgive and extend grace without having known our Savior. John describes Jesus as being full of grace and truth. And, that is one quality that God expects of His people.

  • The Ephesians were told to forgive JUST AS God in Christ has forgiven you
  • James said that the judgment will be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy
  • Jesus said, in our verse today, if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven
  • Later, in that same sermon, Jesus said, “by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you”

We struggle with forgiveness. We’d much rather dig up the dead and hold a trial, so we could get some justice. We continue to revisit the pain and the wrongs that were done to us. Like a child picking a scab, the wounds never heal. We continue to let them bleed, year after year, and sometimes, decades after decades.

How do I forgive? How do I let it go? My salvation with God is directly related to my relationships with my fellow man. I can’t be right vertically with God, if I am wrong horizontally with my brethren. My failure to forgive indicates a heart that is unlike the Lord’s. I stand with the prodigal’s brother, refusing fellowship, refusing to enjoy any association with someone I believe has hurt me. And, as long as I refuse to forgive, my heart grows colder, more bitter and more closed.

First, God has forgive you. That’s where we must begin. What we have done to God is much worse than what anyone has ever done to us. Every sin mocks God and shames Him. Every sin hurts God. And, we have sinned. How can I forgive another? God has forgiven me.

Second, justice, fairness and what’s right may not be paid out in our lifetimes. God will settle things in eternity. In writing about taking personal revenge, Paul told the Romans to leave room for the wrath of God. Some haven’t done that. There’s nothing left. They have dealt out all the wrath. There are some things that only eternity will iron out. Let God be God.

Third, when I forgive, let it go. Put the hurts in an unmarked grave and do not revisit that grave any more. When a person forgives, they realize that they have released a prisoner and that they were the prisoner all along. It is better to be too gracious and too forgiving than to be too demanding and too harsh with someone. Learn towards God’s side of things.

You can forgive. It will make you feel better. It will give you peace. It will allow you to move closer to the Lord.

They dug up ole’ Formosus and put him on trial. What a shame that was. And, what a shame it is, when we act the same way.

Roger

27

Jump Start # 3356

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

Jump Start # 3356

2 Peter 2:14 “having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children”

Our verse today reads like a pitiful spiritual medical chart. The patient is sick, very sick. There are so many things wrong. The previous verse states that they were suffering wrong as the wages of wrong doing. The next verse ends with, “who loved the wages of unrighteousness.”

But here in our verse, there stands four major problems. Eyes that only see adultery. They never stop sinning. They encourage others to do wrong. Their heart is trained in greed. It would be hard to know where to start with all of those issues and problems. It’s not just one thing, it’s many. It’s the way they are treating others. It’s their heart. It’s what they are looking for. Inside, outside, what a mess.

This is the description that Peter gives of false prophets. It’s wasn’t that just their message was false, their whole lives were false. Everything about them was false. They were a cancer among the people of God. Arrogant, lacking knowledge and daring, these false prophets were ruining themselves and anyone else who would give them an ear.

So many layers of lessons here, but let us focus upon one specific expression, “trained in greed.”

First, some people spend a lot of effort, energy and money learning to do wrong. I’ve known guys like this at school. The time they put into writing answers that were hidden in a watch or on the bottom of a shoe, could have been spent learning the assignments for the test. Instead of learning how to be content, these false prophets were trained in greed. They may well have been milking the audiences for money. Some people spend a lifetime learning how to be wrong, rather than how to be right.

Second, one is trained in greed by someone who understands greed. A greedy person creates other greedy people. Where does a drug user learn about drugs? From other drug uses. And, immediately we ought to see red flags and problems. Had these people been influenced by generous people, they may have been generous. Had they learned how to be wise and benevolent with finances, they may have turned out that way themselves. But hang with greedy people and you’ll learn the trade. You’ll catch their spirit. You’ll become like them. And, what does this tell us about the people in our lives?

If I want to learn something about losing weight, I’m not going to listen to a fat guy. If I want to know more about finances, I’m not listening to a broke person. If I want to understand mechanics, I’m not asking a guy who doesn’t know how to screw a light bulb in. If I want to know something about the Bible, I’m not asking someone who has never read it and especially never follows it. And, if I want to go to Heaven, I’m learning from those who are headed that direction.

Where does a greed person learn greed? From another greedy person.

Third, as messed up and wrong as these false prophets were, they could be forgiven, changed and even Heaven bound one day. They’d have to stop what they were doing. They’d have to no longer be influenced by those who were heading rapidly away from Heaven. They’d have to humble themselves, be penitent and allow God’s word to work on them. But, even these corrupt false prophets could be saved.

One has to wonder how many weak, misguided, and uninformed hearts were swayed the direction of error. Slick and smooth talking is all it takes. Scramble a few verses here and there to make things seem right and those that do not know any better, will soon be caught in their trap and likely many lose their souls. Peter is warning God’s people. Truth never fears error. Put the facts on the table. Are they consistent? Are they changing the meaning of words? Are they leaning heavily upon emotions? Are they saying, “You can trust me?”

The Bereans had it right when they searched the Scriptures to see if what they were was true. They knew that God’s word was the standard. If there was a conflict between what they heard and what the Scriptures taught, it was what they heard that was wrong.

Fourth, consider the person who instead of being trained in greed, is trained in righteousness. His heart is pure. He is kind and gentle toward others. He walks with the Savior. He is a joy to be around. Helpful. Considerate. Compassionate. Thankful. He doesn’t brag. He doesn’t seek anything other than glorifying the Lord.

If a greedy person learns greed from another greedy person, then, a righteous person learns righteousness from another righteous person. A person must want to be trained. A person must have a heart that is open to learning. Put a righteous example before our eyes and with the right heart, we’ll be trained in righteousness.

What an interesting expression, “trained in greed.” What have you been trained in? Who are you training?

Roger

26

Jump Start # 3355

Posted on June 26, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3355

James 4:13 “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city; and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”

Come now, is how our verse today begins. James will begin the next chapter with those same words, “Come now.” In our times, we might find James saying, “Come on, Man.” And, what follows in our verse is something that we can easily get tripped up on. It’s making plans as if we know exactly what will happen. We will…we will got to a city. We will spend a year there. We will engage in business. We will make a profit. We will do this. James would later say in this context, “you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’”

Let’s put some thought to this:

First, the “if the Lord wills,” are not magical words that suddenly makes everything right. This is about faith. This is about understanding our position. This is about realizing that God is upon the throne. Notice the absoluteness found in our verse today. We WILL. Really? How do you know you will? How can you be so certain? How many people go into business with that idea and model. Why sell donuts? Why sell houses? Why make a product? It is to make a profit. Yet, how many business fail. How many do not make it. James is quoting people as if they knew exactly what was going to happen. Yet, you do not know the weather. You do not know about wars. You do not even know about tomorrow. The only absolute is that you don’t know.

Second, God has a will. Part of that will is an appointment each of us has with death. Only God knows when that appointment will be. Spending a year in another city, implies that they knew they were going to be alive, healthy and in a position to engage in business. So many factors were being taken for granted. So many things they did not know or understand.

For Stephen in Acts 7, his plans might have included going to another city to preach. He may have thought, next year, I’ll be preaching on this. Before the sermon ended, so did his life. Only the Lord knows what tomorrow will be.

Now, this could keep some from making any plans. We just don’t know, a person says. That is not what James is saying. The farmer who plants, anticipates a harvest in the fall. Churches need to make plans about the future. But running through all of this is that God is ultimately in charge. Our plans may change. Our plans may get derailed. Our plans may not get off the ground. Make plans, but understand, only God knows tomorrow.

Third, when I live according to the will of God, I understand what happens will be for the best. What if God did not will a profit for those people in our verse? What if God did not will for those people to go to another city? Some may be heartbroken. Some may even get mad. Some may be disappointed. Some may feel cheated. We had plans, they would say, but it didn’t come about. Rather, knowing God has a will, He may have other ideas for you. Your Plan A may not be God’s Plan A. What God has in mind for you, may not even be on your list. God knows best.

When that prodigal left home with a pocket full of money, his plans were to have a good time. Fun was on his list. He never dreamed of running out of money. He never thought of a famine. He would have never expected to want what pigs were eating. But when the bottom dropped out, his heart turned and he came back home. That’s what the father wanted.

We make plans all the time. Our schedules are full. We are busy people. This week. This month. The holidays. Next year. We have things filling those days. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just write your appointments in pencil. God is the one who uses ink. Plans change. Sometimes we don’t understand. Often, looking back, it was for the better.

Come now…great reminder for busy days.

Roger